Law graduate practised as solicitor at county council despite being unqualified to do so, SRA finds

A law graduate who had completed her training but who had not been admitted to the Roll practised and acted as a solicitor at a county council for more than three weeks, despite knowing she was unqualified to do so.

These are the findings of an investigation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), which has now put restrictions on where and how Kashine Taylor can work in an SRA regulated firm.

Ms Taylor secured employment with Derbyshire County Council on 4 March 2024 as a solicitor. She practised and acted as a solicitor until 27 March 2024 when she knew she was unqualified to do so.

The SRA found Ms Taylor “failed to inform” the council that she was not qualified, and told Derbyshire that the SRA had not emailed her Practising Certificate (PC) to her, latterly stating she was “not aware” she needed to make a separate application for a PC, even though she had made two previous applications to be admitted to the Roll before commencing employment with the council.

The investigation also found that Ms Taylor had told law firm Eliot Mather LLP on 20 September 2023 that the reason her admission to the Roll and her PC being issued was delayed was the fault of the SRA, when she had not yet made an application to be admitted to the Roll.

An order pursuant to section 43(2) of the Solicitors Act 1974 was imposed as Ms Taylor's conduct meant that it was “undesirable” for her to be involved in a legal practice without the SRA's prior approval, the regulator said.

A section 43 order means:

1. no solicitor shall employ or remunerate her in connection with his/her practice as a solicitor;
2. no employee of a solicitor shall employ or remunerate her in connection with the solicitor's practice;
3. no recognised body shall employ or remunerate her;
4. no manager or employee of a recognised body shall employ or remunerate her in connection with the business of that body;
5. no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit her to be a manager of the body; and
6. no recognised body or manager or employee of such a body shall permit her to have an interest in the body except in accordance with the SRA's prior written permission.

Finally, the regulator ordered Ms Taylor to pay the SRA's costs of £1,350.

Ms Taylor has been approached for comment.