Labour’s controversial Planning Bill, which is aimed at speeding up the planning process for big projects such as airports and nuclear power stations, is likely to transform the role of lawyers in the planning process. The bill, which could still be picked apart by the House of Lords, has met with a mixed response from…

Forty black and minority ethnic solicitors from the West Midlands attended a free event in Birmingham yesterday organised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and supported by the Black Solicitors Network. The event ‘Engaging with BME Solicitors’ featured presentations by SRA Chair Peter Williamson and Chief Executive Antony Townsend, and practical workshops for delegates on…