By Julius Melnitzer | March 26, 2025
CENTRAL LONDON FIRM HIT WITH C$47,000 ALM FINE
The UK’s Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has imposed a maximum fine of C$47,000 on PCB Lawyers LLP, a central London property law specialist, for breaches of anti-money laundering regulation that exposed the firm to being used as a conduit for terrorist financing. PCB failed to do proper source of wealth checks on what The Law Society Gazette calls “a risky foreign client” considered a “politically exposed person”.
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TRUMP CRACKDOWN LEAVING OPPONENTS WITHOUT COUNSEL
Donald Trump’s opponents, including Biden-era officials, are having trouble finding lawyers to represent them. “The result is an extraordinary threat to the fundamental constitutional rights of due process and legal representation, [opponents] said – and a far weaker effort to challenge Trump’s actions in court than during his first term,” the Washington Post reports.
Related Article: Paul Weiss caving to Trump isn’t the problem: the profession is
TRUMP ORDERS CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE GROUPS
Habitat for Humanity, Appalachian Community Capital Corporation, the Coalition for Green Capital, and the DC Green Bank are among the groups targetted for criminal charges by the FBI, which has asked banks to freeze their accounts. According to Practice Source, authorities are alleging fraud in receiving grants from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Related Article: Trump judges, citing university’s failure to condemn antisemitic acts, won’t hire Columbia grads
LEGAL AID SNAFUED IN BID TO PAY FOR REVIEW OF ONLY 883 PAGES OF MASSIVE DISCLOSURE
The UK’s High Court has allowed a law firm’s appeal in which Legal Aid agreed to pay for the review of only 882 pages of a 28,872-page prosecution disclosure brief. The firm argued successfully that the Crown was relying on the material “as a whole”. Arguably, however, this was a Pyrrhic victory, as Tyler Hoffman Solicitors was awarded payment only for the first 10,000 pages, the legal aid cap.
Related Article: In-house counsel should lead charge against legal aid cuts
AVATARS ARE THE NEW SPOKESPERSONS FOR THE ARIZONA SUPREME COURT
Victoria and Daniel, two AI-generated avatars, will be the first to provide the public with news from the Arizona Supreme Court. Practice Source says the avatars will function like human spokespersons but will provide the news faster. The venture, court officials say, stems from “a desire to promote trust and confidence in the judicial system”.
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Julius Melnitzer is a Toronto-based legal affairs writer, ghostwriter, writing coach and media trainer. Readers can reach him at [email protected] or on his website.