Need to know

• Following the rules builds your reputation and reassures clients that you’re acting in their best interest.

• SRA penalties are especially tough on smaller firms.

• A nearby firm closing down means new client opportunities.

Welcome to TSL’s Weekly Edge, whether you’re aiming for a regional or high-street practice, or just want to get a feel for how law works in the real world beyond textbooks, you’re in the right place. 

No corporate jargon, no massive deals, just real useful information designed to give you that extra edge in your legal journey.

🧠Wilson’s Weekly Wisdom

“Rejected. Unsuccessful.” Two dreaded words we all hope to avoid. I’ve lost count of how many times I saw them in my inbox.  After hours spent perfecting applications, receiving a rejection can be disheartening and hard as it is to accept, rejection is often just a stepping stone on the path to getting there.

I remember one rejection clearly: I’d invested weeks into the application. It stung, and I questioned everything. But rejection doesn’t mean you’re not good enough; it often just means someone else fits the role better at that time.

It doesn’t mean you’re not capable or that you won’t succeed. It’s easy to feel discouraged and question whether you’ll ever get a job. But each “no” is an opportunity to reflect, improve, and grow. And when that long-awaited “Congratulations” finally lands in your inbox, it’ll feel all the more meaningful for everything you’ve overcome to get there.

💡Spotlight Article

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) sets out fundamental rules that all solicitors and law firms must follow. One major rule is for solicitors to avoid ‘conflict of interest’ by avoiding representing clients where this exists.

Showing that you care about your clients is key to maintaining a good reputation in the legal industry. Firms want to know that you can follow the rules, do all the proper conflict checks, and keep clients feeling reassured.

🔎Relevant rules 

The SRA’s Codes and Principles are greatly important as they lay out how solicitors should conduct themselves. After all, if you or an existing client of yours would benefit from the potential client’s loss, how could you ever fairly and honestly advise them?

Paragraphs 6.1 and 6.2 of the SRA’s Codes (the Code of Conduct for Solicitors and Code of Conduct for Firms) set out that you cannot act for a client in 2 circumstances:

• Where your interests conflict with the potential client, or there is a significant risk of this happening.

• When the interests of an existing client of yours conflict with a potential client, or there is a significant risk of this happening.

The SRA Principles 2019 set out similar regulations. As a solicitor, you must:

• Principle 1: Uphold the constitutional principle of the rule of law and the proper administration of justice (respect democracy and equality)

• Principle 2: Uphold public trust and confidence in the legal profession

• Principles 3-5: Act with independence, honesty, and integrity

• Principle 6: Act in a way that encourages EDI

• Principle 7: Act in the best interests of the client

‘Conflict of interest’ cases

Let’s play out a couple of real, recent examples of what happens when these regulations are breached!

Own-interest conflict:

• Between 2017 and 2019, the owner of a high-street London law firm received several clients (buyers and investors) from a property development project. The law firm owner’s wife was a director in the project.

• Clearly, the firm owner had a direct, familial link to the properties, with a vested interest in the properties being swiftly sold. He should have disclosed his connection to the property development project and refused to take on any clients involved with said project.

• He attempted to claim that he only knew of his wife’s director position after he had represented several clients related to her project. That project suffered significant financial losses, with the consequences being passed on to his clients.

• In February 2025, the SRA ruled that the solicitor in question had acted without integrity. The solicitor was suspended for 6 months, and he was ordered to pay the SRA’s costs and penalty: £40,218. This has caused the solicitor and his firm great reputational damage, signifying how important it is to maintain an honest approach within the legal profession.

Existing client conflict:

• In 2022, the owner and director of a small London law firm represented BOTH the Claimant and Defendant in a single case. The clients were wrapped up in a financial dispute: the Claimant was seeking to recover money from the Defendant.

• Acting for both parties gave rise to a clear conflict of interest. A paralegal at the owner’s firm and a third party brought this to his attention, but he ignored their repeated warnings. He also failed to self-report his unethical behaviour to the SRA.

• There was a clear conflict of interest. Paragraph 6.2 of the Code and Principles 2 and 5 had been breached.

• In April 2024, the SRA ruled that the solicitor in question had acted carelessly. The solicitor was suspended for 6 months, and his law firm has been shut down. This shows how severe the consequences can be if a solicitor fails to follow the SRA’s rules.

❓Why it matters to high-street firms

Well, smaller firms are more vulnerable to the SRA’s penalties, so it’s important to be aware of the SRA’s rules. The firm’s very existence may be called into question if these rules are not followed. Arguably, bigger firms can absorb the SRA’s financial hits in a way that smaller ones can’t.

It is also essential to remain aware of the comings and goings of firms in your area. If a firm is closing down, this means more clients are available. More clients present more opportunity, more revenue, and more growth.

Rule of Law

This principle is a key part of the UK’s constitution. It ensures the Government, Parliament and judges, amongst other bodies, do not act beyond their powers.

There is no set definition but it includes several important concepts, such as: legal certainty, equality before the law, and access to justice.