The A-Z of compliance for law firms: top tips and practical advice
Now that many people are working from home and away from the direct gaze of their supervisors, we thought we would provide you with a guide that can be distributed to your staff to remind them of their compliance obligations.
With the Solicitors Regulation Authority carrying out numerous thematic reviews this year (AML, competency, transparency, etc.) it is essential that you are able to show you are doing all you can to ensure compliance with the SRA Standards & Regulations.
Feel free to use this A-Z as you feel fit, for example, by turning it into a small desk poster.
A - All staff must play a role
B - Breaches should be minimised
C - Compliance must be a part of your business culture
D - Diarise all key compliance dates
E - Ensure you comply with the SRA Standards & Regulations
F - Fulfil your compliance obligations
G - Get compliance buy-in at all levels
H - Have an effective compliance plan
I - Include all staff in your compliance training
J - Joined up thinking reduces risk
K - Keep your systems and procedures up to date
L - Let everyone know who the key compliance officers are in the firm
M - Make sure all staff comply with the Money Laundering Regulations
N - No one can be allowed to be non-compliant
O - Operate a no-blame culture
P - Policies and procedures are there to be followed
Q - Question everything
R - Report breaches to the COLP/COFA immediately
S - Stay vigilant for all aspects of crime
T - Take nothing for granted
U - Underestimate risks at your peril
V - Verify who you are dealing with at all times
W - When in doubt, ask
X – X marks the spot you will be on if regulators don’t like what you are doing
Y - You should not turn a blind eye to non-compliance
Z - Zero effort is not acceptable
Making sure you and your staff remain compliant not only keeps the regulator from the door, but also shows your clients and other third parties that your firm can be trusted to always act in their best interests!
Looking for more support in your legal firm?
Case and practice management:
There aren’t many better options for software to help your firm to remain secure while managing the needs of a modern law firm than our leading cloud-based case management system, packed with functionality and as secure as a system can get. Get in touch for a personalised demonstration with one of our legal software specialists or simply download our legal software brochure
Legal Training:
The Access Group provides a wealth of training courses for law firms, all available online in an easily digestible format. This includes training on cyber security to give your people all the skills they need to protect your business from the cyber threat. View our full range of available courses for law firms.
