Legal sector reference checking — SRA conduct and professional references for law firm placements

What legal sector references should cover

A legal sector employment reference should address professional conduct and ethics in legal practice, adherence to SRA Codes of Conduct where applicable, client relationship management and professional reputation in the legal market, any disciplinary proceedings or regulatory investigations by the SRA or Bar Standards Board, billing performance and client retention, management of junior staff and professional development obligations, and suitability for the specific legal role being applied for. A standard employment reference template addresses almost none of these — asking about attendance and general performance provides minimal useful information for a partner-level or senior associate placement.

SRA compliance and employer references

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has a character and suitability framework that applies to admission to the roll and ongoing practice. SRA-regulated firms assessing senior lateral hires should consider whether the candidate's employment history includes any matters relevant to character and suitability — regulatory investigations, disciplinary proceedings, client complaints that resulted in SRA referral. Employer references for senior legal placements should specifically ask about any such matters. RefAssure legal sector templates include these fields as standard.

Legal recruitment agencies that provide law firm clients with professionally documented references — including the right questions for regulated legal roles — demonstrate a level of professionalism and market understanding that differentiates them from generalist agencies placing into legal roles with inappropriate reference templates. From 99p per reference with full professional PDF documentation.