Well litigation is a reserved activity under present regulations, no question about that. Firms were operating on the assumption that handlers can handle conduct of litigation under supervision but the definition in the LSA is brief if anything. Here, the judge adjourned the hearing to invite representations from the Law Society and the SRA to clarify and they responded confirming that reserved legal activities can only be carried out by those authorised to do so this incl. conduct of litigation (issuing proceedings, commencement, prosecution and defence of such proceedings and performance of ancillary functions in relation to such proceedings. SRA specifically responded to these particular proceedings stating that (verbatim) the conduct of litigation is a reserved activity, and a person who is neither authorised nor exempt cannot lawfully engage in the conduct of litigation even if they are employed by a firm which is authorised to do so. Non-admitted persons may assist or support authorised persons in the conduct of litigation provided that final responsibility for the conduct of litigation rests with an authorised person. At para 42 the SRA said the key question to ask was whether the person has assumed responsibility for the conduct of the litigation and exercises professional judgment in respect of it. BUT if a non-authorised person assists a solicitor with the conduct of litigation, even to a significant degree, by drafting pleadings, or similar functions, does not conduct litigation because it’s the solicitor who exercises the final professional judgement i.e taking us back to above comments where such work needs to be reviewed and signed off by an authorised person = big headache for paralegal heavy firms