Welcome to the February edition of the Legal Learning content release note.
This month we have updates for our Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, and Anti-facilitating Tax Evasion for Law Firms courses. Following publication of the SRA’s AML Training Thematic Review and AML Annual Report, a number of our AML Policies and Precedents have been updated. We have our regular monthly compliance update and quarterly AML webinars, as well a new webinar Horizon scanning – What’s coming in 2025? – offering a glance at what firms can expect this year.
We hope you enjoy this release.
What's new?
GRC for Law Firms
Anti-Facilitating Tax Evasion for Law Firms
This month we have launched a new version of our Anti-facilitating Tax Evasion course. The new course explores the distinction and warning signs of illegal activity and confirm your knowledge through a variety of practical scenarios.
Welcome to the February edition of the Legal Learning content release note.
This month we have updates for our Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, and Anti-facilitating Tax Evasion for Law Firms courses. Following publication of the SRA’s AML Training Thematic Review and AML Annual Report, a number of our AML Policies and Precedents have been updated. We have our regular monthly compliance update and quarterly AML webinars, as well a new webinar Horizon scanning – What’s coming in 2025? – offering a glance at what firms can expect this year.
We hope you enjoy this release.
GRC for Law Firms
Anti-Facilitating Tax Evasion for Law Firms
This month we have launched a new version of our Anti-facilitating Tax Evasion course. The new course explores the distinction and warning signs of illegal activity and confirm your knowledge through a variety of practical scenarios.
Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking
This updated training course will prepare you to understand, identify, and respond appropriately to modern slavery and human trafficking. It also covers the obligations of firms under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Monthly Compliance Update – January 2025
On the first Thursday of each month, Brian Rogers hosts a 45-minute compliance update webinar for the legal profession. These sessions have proven very popular with our clients and this month we had over 3000 registrants for the live broadcast. You will now be able to view it on demand. Some of the topics covered in the January edition were:
New CQS courses
Review of ethics
Over-reliance on COLPs
Marketing high volume claims
TPMA update
Monthly Compliance Update – February 2025
The February update covered topics including:
SRA update
Replacing a COLP
Latest AML breaches
Client interests -v- ethics
Legal sector risks
Horizon scanning – what’s coming in 2025?
This webinar is intended to provide an insight into the challenges and opportunities facing law firms in 2025, including:
Known unknowns
Legislation in progress
Monthly changes/webinars
Quarterly AML Update – January 2025
To provide attendees with an insight into developments around AML and sanctions since the last update in October 2024. This webinar covers:
SRA AML Annual Report
SRA AML Training Report
AML & Sanctions Update
On-demand recordings of these webinars are made available through our LMS. You can find these recordings, as well as other webinars, inside the ‘Webinars for Law Firms’ library. You can also register to attend the live sessions by registering here.
Policies and Precents for Law Firms
Our team of subject matter experts are continually horizon scanning for legislative and regulatory changes, and as part of this process we will issue updated versions of our template resources to ensure our clients are compliant and prepared. As part of this release the following policy and precedents templates have been updated, with these new versions replacing their predecessors:
Anti-Money Laundering
Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism Policy v6.2
Has been updated on a light touch basis to factor in the findings from the SRA’s thematic review on AML training and AML annual report as well as SRA feedback received from customers.
Anti-Money Laundering Client and Matter Risk Assessment v2.1
Has been updated on a light touch basis to factor in the findings from the SRA’s AML annual report. The introduction has been updated to refer to the document being intended to be used when instructed by one or more individuals acting solely on their own behalf or when instructed by an individual and a non-individual entity.
Anti-Money Laundering Client Due Diligence Form for Non-Individual Entities v4
This form has been updated to focus on CDD for non-individual entities. The aim is that it is completed in conjunction with the AML Client and Matter Risk Assessment.
Anti-Money Laundering Firm Wide Risk Assessment Questionnaire v2.1
Has been updated on a light touch basis to factor in the findings from the SRA’s AML annual report as well as SRA feedback received from customers.
Source of Funds and Source of Wealth Questionnaire v2.4
Has been updated to factor in the findings from the SRA’s AML annual report as well as SRA feedback received from customers. Extracts from the relevant sections of the MLR and the LSAG Guidance have been added in with the aim of focusing fee earners’ minds on the purpose behind obtaining source of funds and wealth information from clients.
Legal and Regulatory Compliance
Sanctions Policy v2
Has been extensively updated to align with the SRA’s updated guidance note on complying with the UK Sanctions Regime. This includes adding in new sections on red flags to look out for and what to do if a counterparty or third party has been sanctioned.
Client Care and File Management
Complaints and Reporting Policy v3.2
Has been updated to factor in recent best practice guidance from the LSB, Law Society and LeO on complaints handling. A new section on useful resources for complaints managers to consider has been added in in the preliminary note.
Information Technology and Data Protection
Accepting, Storing and Processing Cardholder Data Policy v1.4
Has been updated on a light touch basis to refer to PCI DSS 4.0.1 which is now in effect after PCI DSS 4.01 was retired on 31.12.24.
General Management
Business Continuity Management Policy v2.3
Has been updated on a light touch basis.
Business Continuity Management Policy Supporting Documents v1.3
Reference to civil unrest has been added in as a potential risk which may cause an inability to use a firm’s premises, in response to the protests and riots which occurred in various towns and cities in the UK in summer 2024.
It is recommended that firms adopt the updated versions of these documents without delay to ensure they are fully compliant with recent regulatory and legislative changes.
How to access the update
The content included in this release note is being launched on February 13th, please note it may take up to 24 hours for it to appear in your portal.
Please note, if you are a client utilising our ContentServe solution you will need to download the latest Pathways into your LMS.
GRC for Law Firms
The following content has now been launched for all GRC for Law Firms clients and can be found under the ‘GRC for Law Firms’ library within your Learning application, or by using the Learning application ‘search’ function.
Anti-facilitating Tax Evasion for Law Firms - (Updated, replaces previous version)
Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking – (Updated, replaces previous version)
Monthly Compliance Update – January 2025 (New)
Monthly Compliance Update – January 2024 (Retired)
Monthly Compliance Update – February 2025 (New)
Monthly Compliance Update – February 2024 (Retired)
Quarterly AML Update – January 2025 (New)
Quarterly AML Update – January 2024 (Retired)
Horizon Scanning – what’s coming in 2025? – New
Attaining and maintaining the CQS accreditation (Retired)
Legal Ethics and Regulation (Retired)
Cybercrime – How exposed is your firm (Retired)
Complaints Handling (Retired)
Payment Card Industry (PCI) (Retired)
PII Claimed – A Practical Guide (Retired)
Supervision (Retired)
SRA Thematic Reviews (Retired)
Policies and Precedents for Law Firms
The following content has now been launched for all Policies and Precedents for Law Firms clients and can be found under the ‘Policies and Precedents for Law Firms’ library within your Learning application, or by using the Learning application ‘search’ function.
Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism Policy v6.2
Anti-Money Laundering Client and Matter Risk Assessment v2.1
Anti-Money Laundering Client Due Diligence Form for Non-Individual Entities v4
Anti-Money Laundering Firm Wide Risk Assessment Questionnaire v2.1
Source of Funds and Source of Wealth Questionnaire v2.4
Sanctions Policy Outsourcing Policy v2
Complaints and Reporting Policy v3.2
Accepting, Storing and Processing Cardholder Data Policy v1.4
Business Continuity Management Policy v2.3
Business Continuity Management Policy Supporting Documents v1.3
Additional information
What’s Next?
Our next content release is scheduled for March 13th.
In our next release we will have our regular policy template and webinar update content, and will see the updated training courses for SRA Accounts Rules, PEPs and Sanctions and Conflicts of Interest.
We hope you enjoy this latest content release and if you have any queries, please take a look at our Help Centre.
If you would like to find out more information about our Legal Learning products or enquire on adding any of these products your account you can find more information regarding this here.
Kind Regards
Access Legal Learning Team