Is this appropriate conduct for solicitors?

[AugustaFinkNottle]

A solicitors' firm which acts for councils in special educational needs tribunals has tweeted the following:

"Great ABA Trib win this week ... interesting to see how parents continue to persist with it. Funny thing is parents think they won ;)"

I can't link to it due to having been blocked but it's been retweeted, e.g here.

The original tweet resulted in numerous complaints and a quick change to the tweet.

The case they're triumphalising about will have involved a disabled child. Lovely.

How good of him to finally admit it was him doing the tweeting, not a minion who he has since fired.
I can't believe that LA SEND budgets are actually being spent on employing lawyers, that's just barking crazy when the money is there to help children so they do better and cost the government less over the course of their lifetime

Just reading the Guardian article now.

Letters on BS and the SEN system in The Guardian - www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jun/17/legal-gloating-shows-failure-of-sen-system

Apparently Bournemouth is still using them. Anyone around who lives there who can make a fuss with their local councillor?

The Law Society Gazette have published an article about the Labour MP Sharon Hodgson's intervention. The comments are, once again, very depressing.

www.lawgazette.co.uk/practice/gloating-tweet-firm-undermined-tribunal-system-mp/5056339.fullarticle

Looks like he's now booted all his staff - solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/organisation/people/473931/baker-small-legal-services-limited?Solicitors=True

Seems tough on them. I wonder whether you can claim unfair dismissal on the grounds of your employer's decision to commit professional suicide by showing the world what an obnoxious pratt he is?

Has he? Where does it say that?

That link shows he's the only lawyer working there now. There used to be a few other solicitors. I suppose he could still have the non-solicitors, who knows.

One of BS lawyer's LinkedIn profiles now states "looking for new opportunities in SEN law".

No kidding! Lol

This is disgraceful - insidecroydon.com/2016/07/10/council-continues-to-use-despicable-law-firm-in-sen-cases/

Well, I've had my letter from the SRA about Mark Small's conduct. Can't find anything on their website yet about what action they have taken against him. Their wheels are slowly grinding into action

Interesting that he accepts full responsibility for posting the tweets - during the initial days of his shenanigans, he claimed it was someone else in the office.

ANewDay the rebuke IS the action they have taken. It's like a formal warning. More serious misconduct is dealt with by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, which has more wide ranging powers to punish. "Minor" misconduct can be dealt with by the SRA who have the power to issue a rebuke and/or a fine of up to £2000.

Here's the link to the SRA's decision.

SRA Decision against Mark Small

So, despite the extensive media coverage (which surely brings his profession into disrepute?) he has had a minor slap on the wrist and ordered to pay just £600