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Robert Houchill, a senior paralegal at London law firm Bates Wells Braithwaite, has become the first solicitor to qualify through the ‘equivalent means’ route. He said the new route would give law graduates more flexibility in funding the legal practice course.

There are too many solicitors in England and Wales “who are simply not good enough”, the chairman of the Solicitors Regulation Authority claimed yesterday. He told the 500 firms yet to nominate COLPs that “enough is enough” – they face having their right to practise withdrawn.

Our regular news round-up covers the Law Society bowing to pressure over criminal litigation accreditation scheme plans, banks signing up to a new probate protocol, QualitySolicitors’ charitable partnership with Barnardo’s, the College of Law adding a Masters in Law to the LPC, an IP firm diversifying, and sluggish growth at the top firms.

Most trainee solicitors think that the legal practice course has prepared them for legal practice, a new survey has shown. The results arguably run contrary to the sentiments coming out of the ongoing Legal Education and Training Review.

The third edition of the SRA Handbook in just seven months has gone live after being approved by the Legal Services Board. A fourth edition in less than a year since the Handbook went live on 6 October 2011 should be necessary in June.