Monday 22 October 2012 by John Hyde

The Legal Services Board today opened the application process to join its panel of legal advisers.

The super regulator says it requires support for public and private law, legislative drafting and litigation support. Most pieces of work are typically valued below £5,000 but more complex and time-intensive pieces of work may require extra funding.

The LSB expects the overall volume of work will be relatively low, although it states this could change at short notice.

The board's current general advisers are Thirty Nine Essex Street and Lovells.

Interested providers must be able to break down each quote to show the total cost, which staff members will do the work and why they are most suitable. The application invitation also states that communications with the LSB must be in a 'plain English style'.

The LSB has 30 staff, including legal director Nick Glockling and legal adviser Jessica Clary. It has an annual budget of around £4.5m, which is paid for through contributions from practising certificate fees.

The deadline for submissions is 16 November, with interviews being held in the two weeks after that date. An announcement of the panel is expected by 12 December, with the two-year appointment beginning on 1 January.