PADLS News

Your weekly Law Society update 3 June 2019

3/6/2019

They inform members of our criminal justice campaign and how they can participate.
They provide an opportunity for discussion of the MoJ’s review of criminal legal aid and the approach the Law Society should take to discussions.
They enable us to update members on what is happening in the HMCTS reform programme that impacts on criminal lawyers.

To learn more about the issues from Law Society experts, get involved in our criminal justice campaign and give us your views, book your free place here.

HMCTS
Richard Miller gave evidence to the Justice Select Committee about the HMCTS reform programme.

Role of the Profession
President
On Wednesday I hosted a dinner discussion at Carey Street to explore the results of the women in law report in more detail and what more can be done to improve diversity in the profession. Attendees included female past presidents Linda Lee and Lucy Scott-Moncrieff and the new deputy vice president elect, I. Stephanie Boyce.

Immigration
The Law Society has provided views to the Home Office on the existing Form AN guidance on applying for citizenship by naturalisation, including successfully seeking a correction to the start date of the qualifying period. This in advance of a public consultation due to be issued later this year on evidential requirements, to which we will also respond.

Technology
Alexandra Cardenas, head of commercial and technology law, spoke at the Committee on Standards in Public Life ‘s roundtable on the review into artificial intelligence and public standards. She presented the findings of the upcoming report on algorithms in the criminal justice system. The Technology and Law Policy Commission will be launching its report at the AI in Legal Services Summit on 4 June 2019. Over the past year the commission has examined the ethical impacts of AI in law and the growth and adoption of emerging technologies. The international summit will bring together all of these findings, along with insights into the latest legal innovations. Speakers alongside me will include, Lord Chancellor David Gauke, Richard Susskind, Andrea Coomber (Justice), Silkie Carlo (Big Brother Watch), Sue Daley (techUK), Dan Katz, Sir William Blair, Lord Tim Clement-Jones, Nick West (Mischon de Reya), Noel Hurley (Arm), Julia Salasky (CrowdJustice), Stephanie Hamon and many more. Anyone wishing to attend can register on the event website.

Commercial Law
Property
The Property Ombudsman (TPO) acknowledged the Law Society’s contribution to the scheme’s updated Code of Practice on Sales which becomes effective on 1 June.

Future of Lawyers
Director of policy, Sophia Adams-Bhatti, spoke at a panel event on the future of lawyers hosted by the City of London Corporation.

Our influencing work internationally

This week I spoke at the general congress of the European Bars Federation (FBE) in Barcelona. I joined a panel discussing the lobbying and influencing role bars and law societies play for the benefit of their members. I have highlighted the Society’s role as the voice of solicitors, driving excellence in the profession and safeguarding the rule of law. This is an important time to influence the legislative and regulatory environment and promote the vital part legal services play in our economy. I spoke proudly of the successes we achieved with our access to justice campaigns and in promoting England and Wales as a global legal centre.

On 28 May, Helena Raulus, head of the Brussels office attended an event: Almuerzo-luncheon-debate with Martin Selmayr, secretary general of the European Commission, organised by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce to Belgium and Luxembourg. Martin Selmayr was speaking about the future of the EU, including Brexit.

Supporting members at every stage of their career

The power of gender equality to transform the business of law; an international Symposium – 20-21 June 2019
Location: The Hilton Bankside, 2-8 Great Suffolk St, London, SE1 0UG
Join us at our two-day conference as we bring together professionals from across the legal profession and other sectors from both the UK and internationally, to identify the steps needed, and share practical tools, to achieve gender balance in the workplace.It will also mark the centenary of women being admitted to practice law in the UK and celebrate the successes of women in law globally

Our new package of learning and development for people early in their careers is now live, including:

One-to-one career advice, London/Virtual – Morning session Thursday 6 June 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
Aimed at members up to three years post qualification, career experts offer guidance on what makes a great CV or application and give participants an opportunity to practise job interview techniques. Appointments are also available to discuss how to make a career/professional development plan and prepare for a career and professional development conversation with a manager.

Resilience and Wellbeing face-to-face workshop – Thursday 6 June 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
This face-to-face one day workshop puts the focus firmly on your personal coping mechanisms. We demonstrate how to self-assess, manage emotional responses and deal with everyday stressors, so you can better deal with the pressures of your job. We will tackle anxiety and its causes, encourage positive thinking and you will leave with valuable skills for life.

Resilience and Wellbeing face-to-face workshop Birmingham – Tuesday 11 June 2019
Location: De Vere Colmore Gate, Birmingham, B3 2QD
See above for more details…

One-to-one career advice, London/Virtual Morning session – Tuesday 11 June 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
See above for more details…

Resilience and Wellbeing face-to-face workshop Manchester – Wednesday 12 June 2019
Location: Townhouse Hotel,101 Portland St, Manchester M1 6DF
See above for more details…

One-to-one career advice, 12 June 2019, London/Virtual - Morning session – Wednesday 12 June 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
See above for more details...

In house Diversity and Inclusion
Join our regional panel sessions on 'How to implement a D&I strategy in your legal team'. The Law Society's In-house Division and D&I team are bringing together in-house lawyers committed to D&I to discuss common issues and examples of how these can be overcome. Discussion points will feed into a Law Society practice note and guidance. Book your place to hear from our panel and input your views.
Manchester - 25 June (17.30-20.30) https://bit.ly/2WYwdJO
London - 27 June (8.00-10.30) https://bit.ly/2G4HHoy

Celebrating Eid al-Fitr – Friday 7 June 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
Celebration of Eid

MLRO and MLCO peer to peer learning, Cambridge – Wednesday 5 June 2019
Location: Mills & Reeve, Botanic House, 98-100 Hills Rd, Cambridge CB2 1PH
This event, aimed at MLRO’s, is designed to provide you with the platform to discuss best practice and upcoming developments in economic crime.

Advocacy and the Vulnerable Training, London afternoon session – Monday 10 June 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
The Advocacy and the Vulnerable Training was developed in conjunction with the Bar to help solicitor advocates and barristers strike the balance between advancing their client’s case effectively in court whilst ensuring vulnerable witnesses are not subjected to undue stress.

Youth Justice Advocacy Training – Thursday 13 June 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
This training has been developed by the Youth Justice Legal Centre (YJLC) in partnership with the Law Society and is an essential course for all solicitors who will be appearing in the youth court, providing an overview of youth-specific criminal law from the police station to the youth court. The training will cover key topics such as out of court disposals, bail and remand, jurisdiction, adaptations to the trial process and youth sentencing. The course will introduce participants to the underlying principles of youth justice and international children’s rights law

Supporting practice excellence
Some of our upcoming events are:

Criminal justice roadshow Bristol – Monday 3 June 2019
Location: Bristol Law Society, 12 Colston Avenue, Bristol, BS1 4ST
Our criminal justice system is at breaking point. Due to years of underinvestment it is facing an avalanche of problems, such as growing shortages of duty solicitors, court closures and barriers to accessing legal aid. The Law Society has been making the case to government for increased spending on criminal justice to help fix the broken system, but we need your help. Attend this event to ensure your voice is heard.

Law Management Section People in Practice seminar, in association with Leeds Law Society – Tuesday 4 June 2019
Location: Leeds Law Society, 62 Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 2EE
Looking after the people in your practice is paramount to running a successful firm. This seminar covers key topics in legal human resources including culture and behaviour in the workplace, agile and flexible working and employment case law update.

Criminal justice roadshow Birmingham – Tuesday 4 June 2019
Location: BPP University, 32-34 Colmore Circus Queensway, Birmingham, B4 6BN
See above for more details…

Property Section: half-day conveyancing convention London –Thursday 6 June 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
The Law Society's Property Section, is hosting a bespoke, half-day event for property practitioners. This new-format event focuses on the most important issues affecting modern property practice.

The rule of law and the environment, London – Tuesday 11 June 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
Our panellists will be exploring the future of environmental law in light of World Environment Day and the upcoming Environment Bill.

Seminar: Competition Section president Professor Richard Whish – Key trends in Competition law 2018-2019 – Tuesday 11 June 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
Join us in London on Tuesday 11 June at 18:00 for a Competition Section seminar presentation from the president of the Competition Section, Professor Richard Whish.

Criminal justice roadshow, Sheffield – Thursday 13 June 2019
Location: Sheffield - Venue TBC
See above for more details…

The Annual President’s and Secretaries’ Conference 2019 – Friday & Saturday 14-15 June 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
This free, must-attend event for local law societies will incorporate a varied mix of plenary and breakout sessions. Delegates will have the opportunity to discuss common challenges, share experiences and hear practical tips from both their local law society peers and expert speakers.

In-house Division annual conference 2019: advancing the role of the in-house lawyer - Day one – Tuesday 18 June 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
The In-house Division annual conference is the flagship event for the In-house Division representing more than 27,000 members in England and Wales across the public, corporate, not-for-profit and charity sectors.

Keeping members up to date

We have a number of newsletters for members. Below is a list, along with links for signing up to them.

Newsletter
Sign-up method

Advocacy Update
Update My Law Society preferences

Anti-money Laundering Update
Law Society newsletter page

City Update
Contact the City relationship management team

Diversity & Inclusion Update
Update My Law Society preferences

In-house Forum
Update My Law Society preferences

International Update
Law Society newsletter page

Junior Lawyers Update
Law Society newsletter page

JLD sign-up page

Legal Aid Update
Law Society newsletter page

Professional Update
Law Society newsletter page

Regional Update
Contact your regional relationship management team

Risk & Compliance Update
Join the Risk and Compliance Service

Small Firms Focus
Contact the Small Firms Division

Solicitor Judges Update
Join the Solicitor Judges Division

You can also register for the Gazette daily update here.

As always, please feel free to share this update with your members unless otherwise specified.

Kind regards

Christina

Christina Blacklaws
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London. WC2A 1PL

Your weekly Law Society update 20 May 2019

21/5/2019

Dear colleague,

Your weekly Law Society update

As the professional body for solicitors, every week the Law Society is working hard to influence the legal and regulatory environment on behalf of our profession and to promote solicitors at home and abroad. We support practice excellence, are an informed source of legal sector news and support members at every stage of their career.

Here are some highlights from this week.

Influencing on behalf of the profession and promoting the profession

The Law Society’s media profile this week:
International Bar Association research into sexual harassment and bullying in the legal sector received widespread media coverage. I released a statement on behalf of our members reiterating that the legal profession must tackle bullying and harassment in the sector head on.

You can read my statement in full here. The Times (£), Bloomberg, City AM, Gazette and MSN Money, amongst others, report on the story.

Jenny Beck, a member of our access to justice committee, was on the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire to discuss family courts and child arrangement orders. You can watch the programme here. Jenny is on from 52:39.

Coverage of our housing legal aid deserts campaign continues in local media. Our head of justice Richard Miller appeared on BBC Tees; you can listen to the interview here (2:12:00). London news, Wigan Today, Derbyshire Times, Gainsborough Standard and others also ran with the story.

For mental health awareness week, the Gazette and Legal Futures report on the Law Society, the Solicitors Regulation Authority, LawCare, SBA the Solicitors’ Charity, and the Solicitors’ Assistance Scheme joint campaign, #SupportingSolicitors, which promotes the help available to solicitors dealing with personal challenges.

The Times (£), Global Legal Post and Law Careers reported the Junior Lawyers Division (JLD) demand for action to prevent a mental health crisis in the profession, following their latest resilience and well-being survey.

Legal Week (£) explores how universities are seeking to equip the next generation of legal professionals with the skills to leverage lawtech. Alan East, Chair of our education and training committee, says that lawtech is finally beginning to take hold in UK law schools.
Legal Cheek reports on the SRA’s response to a call from junior lawyers to reintroduce a mandatory minimum salary and concerns that the new work experience element of the Solicitors’ Qualifying Exam (SQE) puts would-be solicitors at risk of exploitation.
The Daily Mail reports that home owners need revisions to the current guidance on Japanese knotweed. We said we would consult to see “whether changes need to be made”.

The Times (£) reports that the government is to push more court users towards the online court system despite concerns from the profession. I am quoted saying: “We have long suspected that an outcome of the court modernisation programme would be to drive litigants away from physical courts to online procedures.”

The Daily Mail reported that delays to applications for grants of probate are causing chaos. I am quoted saying “It is extremely disappointing to hear of these delays – particularly when the impact falls on the bereaved.”

Don’t forget you can read all Law Society press releases by clicking on this link. For live updates follow us on Twitter.

Regulation
Members of our Regulatory Affairs team led two roundtable discussions on Ethics Hot Topics in Preston and Lancaster on 8 May. Both sessions were well attended and we received positive feedback from delegates.
Access to Justice
Solicitor judges and advocacy
The Law Society's Solicitor Judges Division hosted a Spring drinks evening with solicitor advocates and solicitor judges in Chancery Lane on 14 May. Vice-President Simon Davis and Alexandra Marks CBE spoke at this networking evening, aimed at solicitors working in the courts, solicitor judges and those aspiring to join the judiciary. This offered opportunities for building peer-to-peer contacts and discussing approaches to cases.

We presented the latest version of the Solicitor Judges Division’s Judicial pathway, a toolkit for solicitors at any career stage seeking to obtain a deep and practical understanding of what is needed to become a judge in England and Wales.

Richard Miller, head of the justice, attended the quarterly Judicial Diversity Forum meeting.
Criminal Law
As part of our criminal justice campaign, we launched a petition calling for the government to increase investment in the criminal justice system. To add your digital signature to the 3,000+ already on the petition, and for further details on the campaign, please visit the campaign webpage.

We are also hosting a series of free roadshows as part of our criminal justice campaign, exploring issues such as the growing shortage of duty solicitors, court closures and barriers to accessing legal aid. The first of the roadshows took place on 16 May in London.
Book your free place here to learn more about the issues from Law Society experts, get involved in our criminal justice campaign and give us your views on the Ministry of Justice’s crime fees review and HMCTS’ reform programme.
Role of the Profession
Simplifying the Immigration Rules
We responded to the Law Commission’s Home Office-sponsored consultation on Immigration Rules, which will feed into its review to make the Rules simpler and more accessible to users.

Our response supports the proposed simplification of the Immigration Rules, making legislation more accessible and fit for purpose. However, we also highlight the complexity of this task and provide specific examples of how the confusing intricacy of the Rules causes a wide range of problems.
Court and Tribunals (Online Procedures) Bill
Our justice and public affairs teams collaborated to produce a briefing for the Second Reading of the Courts and Tribunals (Online Procedures) Bill, which will establish the Online Procedure Rules Committee as part of the HMCTS reform programme.

Commercial
Tax Law
We responded to HMRC and HM Treasury’s consultation on Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). The consultation sought views on the design of a 1% surcharge on non-UK residents purchasing residential property in England and Northern Ireland. Our full response is available here.
We express concern about the insufficiency of the evidence base to show that the surcharge would meet the policy objective and suggest amendments to seek to avoid potential unfairness and anomalies that would arise from the current proposals. We also voice serious concerns about the introduction of significant further complexity into the home-buying process.
The Law Society’s guidance on buying a home is available here, and the Government’s key guidance on buying and selling, which the Society recently endorsed, is available here: How to Buy a Home How to Sell a home.
Rule of Law and Environment Event
As part of our influencing work for the Environment Bill we are developing a breakfast panel event to coincide with Environment Day. Details will soon become available on our Events page.

Code for completion guidance
We released our new Code for Completion by Post in response to the Court of Appeal decision in the Dreamvar case last year. We amended the TA13 Completion Information and Undertakings form to reflect the changes made to the Code.

Conveyancing
We attended the All-Party Parliamentary Group on leasehold and commonhold, where we engaged with a large number of MPs.
Technology
The Technology and Law Policy Commission will be launching its report at our AI in Legal Services Summit on 4 June 2019. Over the past year the Commission has examined the ethical implications of AI in law and the growth and adoption of emerging technologies in the criminal justice system. The international summit will bring together our findings, along with insights on the latest legal innovations. Council members wishing to find out more or attend can register on the event website.

Consultation responses and parliamentary activity, influencing on behalf of the profession:

Parliamentary
On Tuesday the House of Lords held its Second Reading of the Courts and Tribunals (Online Procedure) Bill. The Law Society briefed ahead of the debate and were mentioned four times.

On Thursday, Ministers from the Department for Exiting the European Union were questioned by MPs in the House of Commons. The Law Society briefed beforehand and was mentioned twice in the session.

Our influencing work internationally:

This week, I was in Moscow and St Petersburg with our international policy adviser for the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Chika Muorah. In Moscow, we met with members to gather their views on proposed regulatory reform and the likely impact on their practice. The issues raised by our members were discussed at our bilateral meeting with the Russian Federal Chamber of Lawyers. We also hosted our first international women in law roundtable in Russia in partnership with our Russian counterparts and the British Embassy in Moscow.

We attended the International Legal Forum in St Petersburg to show our support for the Russian bar association and I participated in two sessions. The first was a panel discussion on women in law and the second was a session hosted by the Russian bar on lawyers' fees.

On 14 May, our Brussels Office co-hosted a legal breakfast event with FLINN Law on Court of Justice of the European Union’s opinion on CETA’s Investment Court System and its implications for the future EU trade policy. Panellists were Helena Raulus, Head of Brussels Office; Leonard Hawkes, Flinn; Colin Brown, DG Trade, European Commission; Nicolas Angelet, Doughty Street Chambers, London; a representative of the Canadian Mission to the EU (TBC) and Emily Hay, Senior Associate at Hanotiau & Van Den Berg.

Head of our Brussels office Helena Raulus chaired a British Chamber of Commerce event, Priorities of the Finnish Presidency with Ambassador Rislakki, on 14 May.

Our Brussels office hosted an event on European in-house organisations, LPP Task Force, on 15 May. Stephen Denyer and Sophia Adams Bhatti were in attendance.

Supporting members at every stage of their career

Please remember The power of gender equality to transform the business of law, our international symposium is next month. This two-day conference is designed to bring together professionals from across the legal profession and other sectors to identify steps needed to achieve gender equality in the workplace, crucial to boost growth, innovation and productivity

Male Champions for Change report launch - Monday 20 May 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
Join us on Monday 20 May for the launch of our male champions for change report following a series of roundtables. Led by Law Society vice president Simon Davis, our panel of expert speakers will discuss the outcomes of the research conducted as part of the Women in Leadership in Law project.

How to implement a diversity and inclusion (D&I) strategy in your legal team
Join our regional panel sessions on 'How to implement a diversity and inclusion (D&I) strategy in your legal team'. The Law Society's In-house Division and D&I team are bringing together in-house lawyers to discuss common concerns and examples of how issues can be overcome. Discussion points will feed into a Law Society guidance. Book your place to hear from our panel and input your views.
Manchester - 25 June (17.30-20.30)
London - 27 June (8.00-10.30)

Advocacy and the Vulnerable Training - Wednesday 22 May 2019, Bradford - Afternoon session
Location: Bradford – Jury’s Inn Bradford
The Advocacy and the Vulnerable Training was developed in conjunction with the Bar to help solicitor advocates and barristers strike the balance between advancing their client’s case effectively in court whilst ensuring vulnerable witnesses are not subjected to undue stress.

Career options and support available - Wednesday 22 May 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
This free event that will help you explore career options and support available to those wishing to return to or change their career in the legal profession. The event will feature a panel of speakers showcasing different examples of the careers options available to you. Delegates can find out more about the support offered by the following organisations: LawCare, Women Returners Network, Practice Advice Service, SBA, SAS, SRA.

Supporting practice excellence
Some of our upcoming events are:

MLRO and MLCO peer to peer learning, Cambridge - Wednesday 5 June 2019
Location: Mills & Reeve, Botanic House, 98-100 Hills Rd, Cambridge CB2 1PH
This event, aimed at MLRO’s, is designed to provide you with the platform to discuss best practice and upcoming developments in economic crime, while also acting as a peer to peer learning opportunity.
Criminal justice roadshow, Exeter - 21 May 2019
Location: Veitch Penny Solicitors, 1 Manor Court, Dix's Field, Exeter, EX1 1UP
Our criminal justice system is at breaking point. Due to years of underinvestment it is facing an avalanche of problems, such as growing shortages of duty solicitors, court closures and barriers to accessing legal aid. The Law Society has been making the case to Government for increased spending on criminal justice to help fix the broken system, but we need your help. Attend this event to ensure your voice is heard.

CQS Roadshow, 23 May, Cardiff - Thursday 23 May 2019
Location: The Law Society, 5th Floor, Capital Tower, Greyfriars Road, Cardiff CF10 3AG
These seminars are designed to provide CQS members with an update on the improvements being made to the accreditation in 2019 and provide the support needed to ensure compliance with the new scheme requirements. There will be an opportunity for Q&A and for networking with speakers and members of other accredited practices.

AML City of London update - Thursday 23 May 2019
Location: Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Adelaide House, London Bridge, London, EC4R 9HA
This event is for MLROs, MLCOs and other AML compliance professionals working for London City firms. It will give you a platform to learn about the regulator’s perspective on AML as well as upcoming changes to the UK’s Suspicious Activity Reporting regime. Speakers will include representatives from the SRA, the UK Financial Intelligence Unit, BDO and the Law Society.

CQS Roadshow, 29 May, London - Wednesday 29 May 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
These seminars are designed to provide CQS members with an update on the improvements being made to the accreditation in 2019 and provide the support needed to ensure compliance with the new scheme requirements. There will be an opportunity for Q&A and for networking with speakers and members of other accredited practices.

Criminal justice roadshow, Bristol - Monday 3 June 2019
Location: Bristol Law Society, 12 Colston Avenue, Bristol, BS1 4ST
Our criminal justice system is at breaking point. Due to years of underinvestment it is facing an avalanche of problems, such as growing shortages of duty solicitors, court closures and barriers to accessing legal aid. The Law Society has been making the case to Government for increased spending on criminal justice to help fix the broken system, but we need your help. Attend this event to ensure your voice is heard.

Law Management Section People in Practice seminar, in association with Leeds Law Society- Tuesday 4 June 2019
Location: Leeds Law Society, 62 Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 2EE
Looking after the people in your practice is paramount to running a successful firm. This seminar covers key topics in legal human resources including culture and behaviour in the workplace, agile and flexible working and employment case law update.

Criminal justice roadshow, Birmingham - Tuesday 4 June 2019
Location: BPP University, 32-34 Colmore Circus Queensway, Birmingham, B4 6BN
Our criminal justice system is at breaking point. Due to years of underinvestment it is facing an avalanche of problems, such as growing shortages of duty solicitors, court closures and barriers to accessing legal aid. The Law Society has been making the case to Government for increased spending on criminal justice to help fix the broken system, but we need your help. Attend this event to ensure your voice is heard.

Resilience and Wellbeing face-to-face workshop -Thursday 6 June 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
This face-to-face one day workshop puts the focus firmly on your personal coping mechanisms. We demonstrate how to self-assess, manage emotional responses and deal with everyday stressors, so you can better deal with the pressures of your job. We will tackle anxiety and its causes, encourage positive thinking and you will leave with valuable skills for life.

The Annual President’s and Secretaries’ Conference 2019 - Friday & Saturday 14-15 June 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
This free, must-attend event for local law societies will incorporate a varied mix of plenary and breakout sessions. Delegates will have the opportunity to discuss common challenges, share experiences and hear practical tips from both their local law society peers and expert speakers.

Keeping members up to date

We have a number of newsletters for members. Below is a list, along with links for signing up to them.

Newsletter
Sign-up method

Advocacy Update
Update My Law Society preferences

Anti-money Laundering Update
Law Society newsletter page

City Update
Contact the City relationship management team

Diversity & Inclusion Update
Update My Law Society preferences

In-house Forum
Update My Law Society preferences

International Update
Law Society newsletter page

Junior Lawyers Update
Law Society newsletter page

JLD sign-up page

Legal Aid Update
Law Society newsletter page

Professional Update
Law Society newsletter page

Regional Update
Contact your regional relationship management team

Risk & Compliance Update
Join the Risk and Compliance Service

Small Firms Focus
Contact the Small Firms Division

Solicitor Judges Update
Join the Solicitor Judges Division

You can also register for the Gazette daily update here.

As always, please feel free to share this update with your constituents unless otherwise specified.

Kind regards,

Christina

Christina Blacklaws
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London. WC2A 1PL

Your weekly Law Society update 7 May 2019

7/5/2019

Regional challenges to the Inter-American system of human rights by PROSUR member states and lack of financing
The rise in attacks against lawyers and human rights defenders in Colombia, especially after the signing of the peace agreement
Challenges by the Colombian government to the Special Jurisdiction for Peace
The lack of effective protection measures in Colombia for lawyers and human rights defenders
The breakdown of judicial independence and rule of law in Venezuela
Human rights violations committed in Venezuela by state authorities, including the use of military jurisdiction over civilians

The recording of the session can be watched here:
https://bit.ly/2vCdd8h

Access to Justice
On 25th April we relaunched our Advice Deserts campaign with a new housing map showing the shortage of housing practitioners across the country. It received good coverage on television and radio. Further information on the campaign is available on the webpage.

Fast Entry to Courts for Professional Users
We attended the first meeting of the Professional Users’ Access Scheme Project Board on 24th April and are engaging with member services colleagues as to the Law Society’s position in respect of the project.

Solicitor Judges and Advocacy
As the Spring legal term draws to a close, the Law Society's solicitor judges division and Advocacy Support will be hosting a Spring drinks evening with solicitor advocates and solicitor judges on 14th May. Vice president Simon Davis and Alexandra Marks CBE will speak at this celebratory networking drinks evening, aimed at solicitors working in the courts, solicitor judges and those aspiring to join the judiciary and offering an opportunity to network with peers, make career contacts and discuss anecdotes and approaches to cases over a drink and canapes. Any members wishing to attend can book through our events page.

Criminal Law
As part of our ongoing criminal justice campaign, we have launched a petition calling for the government to increase investment in the criminal justice system. To add your digital signature to the 3,000+ already on the petition, and for further details on the campaign, please visit the campaign webpage.

At the justice questions session in the House of Commons on 23rd April, our criminal justice campaign was name-checked, in particular the increasing average age of solicitors and succession planning.

The criminal law committee and the Crime Practitioner Group have undertaken a review of the Legal Aid Agency’s Crime Contract Standard Terms.
The comments from the Criminal Law Committee and Practitioner Groups have been shared with Matt Howgate of the Legal Aid Practitioners Group, who has been commissioned by the Access to Justice Committee to undertake a review of the Standard Terms from both a criminal and civil perspectives.

We have sent a further letter to justice minister Lucy Frazer MP to request an interim fee increase for crime practitioners following the 10% fee increase for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which will encourage even more young defence lawyers to move to the CPS.

Our influencing work internationally:

On 7th May, Helena Raulus, head of our Brussels office, will be chairing a British Chamber of Commerce event on: cybersecurity and disinformation in the EU elections and the priorities of DG Connect with Claire Bury, deputy director general, DG Connect, European Commission. Anna Drozd, EU Policy Adviser will also be in attendance.

On 8th May, Helena Raulus will be chairing a Brussels-Based UK Organisations and Offices (BBUKOO) Plenary meeting in CBI Brussels Offices.

Supporting members at every stage of their career

Preparing 2nd year trainee solicitors for qualification - Career planning tips for trainees approaching qualification, London - Thursday 9th May 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
This event will provide an opportunity for trainee solicitors, mulling their post-training contract options, to gain insight into the newly qualified (NQ) jobs markets from Husnara Begum, a career coach who specialises in offering guidance to final seat trainees who miss out on internal jobs.

Judicial appointments: interview training for solicitors Manchester - Monday 13th May 2019
Location: Townhouse Hotel,101 Portland St, Manchester M1 6DF
In view of increasing competition for judicial appointments, this interactive course will equip delegates with the skills to help enhance your application and interview performance. This workshop has been developed specifically for solicitor applicants but the content is relevant for anyone serious about submitting a credible judicial application.

Advocacy and Solicitor Judges' Division Spring Drinks, London - Tuesday 14th May 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
Join us for The Law Society's Advocacy and Solicitor Judges' Division Spring Drinks; an excellent opportunity to meet solicitor advocates and solicitor judges.

Male Champions for Change Report Launch- Monday 20th May 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
Join us on Monday 20 May for the launch of our male champions for change report following a series of roundtables. Led by Law Society vice president, Simon Davis, our panel of expert speakers will discuss the outcomes of the research so far conducted as part of the Women in Leadership in Law project.

Mental health week – Panel event: Diversity and intersectionality London -Tuesday 14th May 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
To mark mental health week, we are hosting a breakfast panel session. The theme of the event will be exploring well-being with lawyers from different diversity backgrounds. The event will also feature the impact of intersectionality and MH. Join us on Tuesday 14 May for insight on this important topic.

The Annual President’s and Secretaries’ Conference 2019 - Friday & Saturday 14th & 15th June 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
This free, must-attend event for local law societies will incorporate a varied mix of plenary and breakout sessions. Delegates will have the opportunity to discuss common challenges, share experiences and hear practical tips from both their local law society peers and expert speakers.

Supporting practice excellence
Some of our upcoming events are:

Nominations are open for the Excellence Awards
Don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate your success, nominations for the Excellence Awards have been extended to Friday 17 May. For your chance to be recognised as a leader in your field submit your nomination now. We encourage teams, firms and individual solicitors across England and Wales to take the opportunity to promote their success. There are 22 categories to choose from, including Practice Manager of the Year, Excellence in International Legal Services and Excellence in Access to Justice.

MLRO and MLCO peer to peer learning, Manchester -Tuesday 7th May 2019
Location: Shoosmiths, The XYZ Building, 2 Hardman Boulevard, Spinningfields, Manchester, M3 3AZ
This event, aimed at MLRO’s, is designed to provide you with the platform to discuss best practice and upcoming developments in economic crime, while also acting as a peer to peer learning opportunity.

MLRO and MLCO peer to peer learning, Bristol - Wednesday 8th May 2019
Location: Bristol Law Society, 12 Colston Avenue, BS1 4ST
The event is for MLROs, MLCOs and solicitors with an interest in anti-money laundering compliance. It will give you a platform to learn about best practice and upcoming developments in AML.

Competition Section annual conference 2019 London - Thursday 9th May 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
The annual Competition Section conference is an established fixture in the competition law calendar. This event draws on speakers from the UK and overseas and includes leading practitioners, regulators and economic experts.

Compliance support forum for in-house lawyers, London - Thursday 9th May 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
This popular forum has been updated with new materials to prepare you for the SRA Standards and Regulations which come into force in November 2019. Some of the key themes of this replacement to the SRA Handbook are very relevant to in house practitioners and we discuss the meaning of effective supervision and management, personal accountability, and the flexibility which comes with new practising styles.

Private Client Section: Practical inheritance tax update, Manchester - Thursday 9th May 2019
Location: The University of Law, 2 New York Street, Manchester, M1 4HJ
This seminar will provide a practical focus on recent changes affecting inheritance tax. This one-hour seminar will provide an update on: residence nil-rate bands and downsizing, business property relief, criminal facilitation of tax avoidance, and the future of inheritance tax and trust taxation.

CQS Roadshow Birmingham- Monday 13th May 2019
Location: Shoosmiths LLP, 2 Colmore Square, 38 Queensway, Birmingham B4 6BJ
These seminars are designed to provide CQS members with an update on the improvements being made to the accreditation in 2019 and provide the support needed to ensure compliance with the new scheme requirements. There will be an opportunity for Q&A and for networking with speakers and members of other accredited practices.

Property Section: half-day conveyancing convention 2019 Birmingham-Tuesday 14th May 2019
Location: BPP University, 32-34 Colmore Circus Queensway, Birmingham, B4 6BN
The Law Society's Property Section, is hosting a bespoke, half-day event for property practitioners. This new-format event focuses on the most important issues affecting modern property practice.

Criminal justice roadshow London- Thursday 16th May 2019
Location: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL
Our criminal justice system is at breaking point. Due to years of underinvestment it is facing an avalanche of problems, such as growing shortages of duty solicitors, court closures and barriers to accessing legal aid. The Law Society has been making the case to government for increased spending on criminal justice to help fix the broken system, but we need your help. Attend this event to ensure your voice is heard.

Keeping members up to date

We have a number of newsletters for members. Below is a list, along with links for signing up to them.

Newsletter
Sign-up method

Advocacy Update
Update My Law Society preferences

Anti-money Laundering Update
Law Society newsletter page

City Update
Contact the City relationship management team

Diversity & Inclusion Update
Update My Law Society preferences

In-house Forum
Update My Law Society preferences

International Update
Law Society newsletter page

Junior Lawyers Update
Law Society newsletter page

JLD sign-up page

Legal Aid Update
Law Society newsletter page

Professional Update
Law Society newsletter page

Regional Update
Contact your regional relationship management team

Risk & Compliance Update
Join the Risk and Compliance Service

Small Firms Focus
Contact the Small Firms Division

Solicitor Judges Update
Join the Solicitor Judges Division

You can also register for the Gazette daily update here.

As always, please feel free to share this update with your members unless otherwise specified.

Kind regards,

Christina

Christina Blacklaws
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London. WC2A 1PL

Your weekly Society Update 27 February 2019

27/2/2019

the tariff revenue should be collected locally (for example, through a local authority);
the tariff revenue should be spent through a blended model, allowing spending at both local and national levels; and
if a dispute is only over biodiversity net gain requirements, then the planning appeal system, as currently operated, would be an inefficient way of settling matters that would likely result in the stalling or abandonment of developments.

Further, the response agrees that there should be exemptions from mandatory net gain, particularly for small developments (unless the adverse biodiversity impact is significant), permitted development and developments where planning gain requirements are already very large.
Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland
We held our Law Society Board meeting in Cardiff this week and engaged with the Commission on Justice in Wales. Paul Tennant, Chief Executive and I also met colleagues from Law Societies in Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland in Belfast.

Our influencing work internationally:
On 21 February, the Brussels Office hosted and chaired a Legal Issues Task Force meeting with the UK Brussels-based organisations.

Solicitor brand campaign
We’re looking for business or consumer clients who would like to be photographed as part of our campaign to promote the value of solicitors. More details can be found here.

Supporting members at every stage of their career

International Women’s Day seminar – Friday 8 March
Our flagship event to celebrate International Women’s Day 2019 is fully booked. The theme of the event is inspiration and action in the workplace. Our empowerment workshop is also now fully booked.

To celebrate international women’s day and 100 years of women in the law, we are also supporting March4Women – on Sunday 3 March
#March4Women: https://wwwcareinternational.org.uk/march4women
Tickets are just £5. You can book here: https://careint.uk/2G1s5EJ

Wellbeing champion training – Thursday 21 March 2019
Wellbeing champion training is designed as a follow up workshop for mental health first aiders and champions. This is a half-day workshop that aims to bring additional clarity to your role as a first aider.

Supporting practice excellence
Some of our upcoming events are:

Lexcel consultant training – Wednesday 20 March 2019
This course provides an in-depth understanding of Lexcel England and Wales v6.1 and what evidence is required to meeting the Standard requirements.

Advocacy and the Vulnerable Training, Wednesday 27 March 2019, Manchester – Afternoon session
The Advocacy and the Vulnerable Training was developed in conjunction with the Bar to help solicitor advocates and barristers strike the balance between advancing their client’s case effectively in court whilst ensuring vulnerable witnesses are not subjected to undue stress.

This training will also be held in Bristol on Friday 29 March.
Keeping members up to date

We have a number of newsletters for members. Below is a list, along with links for signing up to them.

Newsletter
Sign-up method

Advocacy Update
Update My Law Society preferences

Anti-money Laundering Update
Law Society newsletter page

City Update
Contact the City relationship management team

Diversity & Inclusion Update
Update My Law Society preferences

In-house Forum
Update My Law Society preferences

International Update
Law Society newsletter page

Junior Lawyers Update
Law Society newsletter page

JLD sign-up page

Legal Aid Update
Law Society newsletter page

Professional Update
Law Society newsletter page

Regional Update
Contact your regional relationship management team

Risk & Compliance Update
Join the Risk and Compliance Service

Small Firms Focus
Contact the Small Firms Division

Solicitor Judges Update
Join the Solicitor Judges Division

You can also register for the Gazette daily update here.

As always, please feel free to share this update with your constituents unless otherwise specified.

Kind regards,

Christina

Christina Blacklaws
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London. WC2A 1PL

Your weekly Society Update 20 February 2019

20/2/2019

As the professional body for solicitors, every week the Law Society is working hard to influence the legal and regulatory environment on behalf of our profession and to promote solicitors at home and abroad. We support practice excellence, are an informed source of legal sector news and support members at every stage of their career.

Here are some highlights from last week.

Influencing on behalf of the profession and promoting the profession

The Law Society’s media profile this week:

The government’s proposed increases to probate fees will see estates of £2m pay £6,000 the Financial Times (£) reported. I’m quoted saying: “The cost to the courts for granting probate does not change whether the estate is worth £50,000 or £2m. It is unfair to expect the bereaved to find or subsidise other parts of the courts and tribunal services, particularly in circumstances where they have no other options but to use the probate service.” Further coverage in the Sunday Times (£) and the Gazette.
Melinda Giles, a council member and member of the wills and equity committee also appeared on Talk Radio to discuss probate fees. You can listen to the broadcast here. The interview runs from 08:00.
The Times (£) reported ministers faced a backlash over the MoJ’s recent review of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders act. The government was accused of kicking legal aid issues down the road. I called on ministers to “give urgent attention to amending the means test thresholds because the current levels are preventing families in poverty from accessing justice”. Further coverage in the Gazette, Family Law Week, the Justice Gap and Legal Futures.
Ranjit Thaliwal, a Midlands-based mental health law solicitor talked to BBC Radio Nottingham about the legalities of sectioning for Time to Talk mental health day. You can listen to the broadcast here. Ranjit’s interview starts from 1:12:00.
There is little wrong with the 30-year-old Children Act. But years of austerity too often compromise the legal process, challenging the ability of courts and social services to prioritise the interests of the vulnerable. Jerry Bull, chair of the Law Society’s children law sub-committee, points to ways in which overworked family judges in a stretched judicial system are adding to the pressure on lawyers. “There are far more proceedings and courts are expecting more of us each time, because they don’t have the resources to back up the judges.” Full report in the Gazette.
Nominations are now being accepted for this year’s Law Society Excellence Awards, which will recognise the outstanding achievements of solicitors working in all areas of law across England and Wales.“Every day solicitors across this country demonstrate their commitment to their clients, their community, and to the rule of law,” I said. “The Excellence Awards celebrate the very best - the winners highlight not just the values of the profession, but the vital role solicitors play in the administration of justice every day.” Coverage in the Gazette.
The Northern Echo carries the first of a new, weekly ‘Legal Expert’ column in conjunction with the Law Society. This week’s topic is no-fault divorce. Law Society position on no-fault divorce is here.

Law Society access to justice committee member June Venters QC writes in The Times about her experience of offering legal advice pro bono from her local GP’s surgery over the last decade. This follows a proposal by the justice minister Lucy Frazer last week that funded legal advice be offered from GP surgeries.

The Times (£) also reports that British fashion designers risk losing design right protections in the event of a no-deal Brexit. I said: “The law governing intellectual property is largely harmonised across the EU. Much of the legislation and case law stems directly from EU level law.” Further coverage in the Gazette.

The BBC reports that new laws are needed to tackle knife crime in London. “The home secretary is right when he says there's no specific legislation that easily lets you pull down knife crime content from social media,” says Steve Kuncewicz, a member of council and of the technology and the law committee.

Law Society immigration committee member Zeena Luchowa answered questions from BBC London audience members worried about their futures.

Our Valentine’s Day warning about the myth of common law marriage was cited in the Manchester Evening News and the Daily Mirror as well as Global Legal Post. I said: “The term originates from when it was less socially acceptable for couples to live together and have children outside wedlock.” I also warned of the pitfalls of people relying on long term cohabitation as the basis of their rights.
The controversy about whether 19-year-old Shamima Begum - who left Britain in 2015 with friends in order to live in Isil-controlled Raqqa – should be allowed to return to the UK has received widespread coverage in the media. Ian Kelcey, co-chair of the criminal law committee, is quoted in the Times commenting on her potential legal situation: “On the basis of what we know so far it is likely that Begum would be arrested on return to the UK and probably charged under the Terrorism Act 2006.”

Legal Futures covered the launch of the Law Society’s LawTech adoption report which reviews how far the legal sector has come in terms of adopting technology to execute work.

Don’t forget you can read all Law Society press releases by clicking on this link. For live updates follow us on Twitter.

Consultation responses and parliamentary activity, influencing on behalf of the profession:

Probate
Shadow leader of the Commons Valerie Vaz MP quoted Law Society vice president Simon Davis on the subject of probate fees. She noted that the Non-Contentious Probate (Fees) Order 2018 may be ultra vires, and cited the Law Society’s argument that it is a “tax hike through the back door”, mentioning Simon Davis by name.

More than 2,000 people have now written to their MP regarding the proposed changes to probate fees using our online tool.

Brexit
No deal guidance – we published new no deal guidance on VAT and intellectual property – this will feature in our professional update this week and in a number of our other newsletters.

Concerns on no deal raised with the lord chancellor – the CEO wrote to the lord chancellor to raise our concerns around no deal and the decrease in legal services exports from 2016 to 2017.

No deal concerns raised in Parliament – we briefed shadow justice ministers in the Commons and Lords five times on key secondary legislation around legal services, recognition of professional qualifications and civil justice co-operation – the Law Society was mentioned in the debates 19 times and our concerns around no deal were mentioned throughout.

Increased awareness of with Lords justice spokespeople on Brexit – we met with the Labour’s Lords adviser on justice to increase his understanding of the Law Society’s Brexit priorities.

Brexit conference – We hosted a joint conference on Brexit with City and Financial. Both the vice president and deputy vice president spoke at conference, along with:

Justice minister, Lucy Frazer QC MP
Shadow justice minister, Yasmin Qureshi MP
Former lord chief justice, Lord Thomas
Former attorney general, Dominic Grieve QC MP
Chair of the justice select committee, Bob Neill MP.

Speeches
I spoke at an “in conversation" event with Lady Arden at Clyde & Co. I also spoke about the women in leadership in law programme at a Network for Knowledge event on Wednesday.

The vice president and deputy vice president spoke at a joint Law Society and City and financial conference on Brexit and legal services.

Resilience and Wellbeing Survey 2019
For the third year running, the Junior Lawyers Division’s (JLD) is undertaking a resilience and wellbeing survey of its membership. The survey can be accessed here.

Access to justice
LASPO
The MoJ published the Post Implementation Review this week. We immediately put out a press release and provided a summary for members online and via a Legal Aid Update.

Courts modernisation
The Gazette hosted a roundtable regarding court reforms, self-representation and the prospect of a more inquisitorial system.
15 guests took part, including myself, Law Society head of justice Richard Miller, and Susan Acland-Hood (CEO of HMCTS).

The justice select committee have launched a new inquiry into the access to justice implications of the HMCTS court modernisation programme, including on the increasing use of digital and video technology and of court closures.

Court closures
On 7 February we attended the Westminster Legal Policy Forum on Civil Justice reform in England and Wales which discussed court modernisation, litigation costs and priorities for implementation of the Civil Liability Act. The event was chaired by Lord Faulks QC.
On 8 February I met with Professor Abi Adams to discuss the court modernisation programme and access to justice. It was agreed that it is essential to have the relevant data to analyse in order to evaluate the programme effectively.
Public Accounts Committee Hearing
HMCTS has now responded to five of the recommendations that came out of the June 2018 Public Accounts Committee Hearing. The recommendations can be found here.

Flexible Operating Hours Pilots
HMCTS intends to pilot flexible operating hours for civil and family matters in Manchester and Brentford from April. We attended the first meeting of the Evaluation Advisory Group which will consider how the pilot is evaluated. HMCTS took on board a number of our concerns about methodology.

Role of the profession
The Flag It Up campaign, of which the Law Society is a core partner, filmed two videos on compliance on 6 February, one of which is with Amy Bell, former chair of our MLTF, in our offices.

Technology
Technology and Law Policy Commission Evidence Session – algorithms in the justice system
The Law Society’s Technology and Law Policy Commission hosted its final evidence session on Thursday 14 February in London. The commission, led by me alongside co-commissioners Sofia Olhede (UCL) and Sylvie Delacroix (University of Birmingham), examined the use of algorithms in the justice system, the impacts on the rule of law, implications for data rights, and whether our human rights framework is fit for purpose.

Witnesses at the London session included Richard Susskind, Jamie Susskind, Hannah Knox of UCL, David Powell of Hampshire Police and Judith Jones of the ICO. We were also joined by guest commissioner Madhumita Murgia.

Lawtech adoption research
I spoke at the launch of this new Law Society report which shows a rise in the number of lawtech companies in recent years.
However, this increase is not reflected in the rate of lawtech adoption among legal practitioners. Our research explores what types of lawtech providers are gaining traction in different sectors of the profession and the drivers behind this, with a view to how adoption rates might impact the future shape of legal process and delivery.
Civil
Environment
We attended a roundtable at DEFRA hosted by Environment Secretary Michael Gove to discuss environmental targets.

Our influencing work internationally:
On 11 February, Helena Raulus, head of the Brussels office, chaired the British Chamber of Commerce event on the EU, third countries and Brexit – managing secure data flows across borders. It was also attended by legal secondee Betty Ann Morain and speakers included Heather Anson.

On 13 February, Betty Ann Morain attended an event organised by the European Commission: Civil Society Dialogue on WTO negotiations on e-commerce The same day, EU policy adviser Rita Giannini met Nicola Wisdahl from the Scottish Government to discuss justice and home affairs matters.

Along with Lizzette Robleto de Howarth, international programmes manager, I attended the Festivity of Sant Raimon de Penyafort, an annual event organised by the Barcelona Bar Association. On 15 February, I spoke at the ‘Trobades de Barcelona – Jacques Henry Memorial’ of the European Bars Federation – an event where international representatives of the legal profession come together in Barcelona to discuss issues of interest to the legal profession. This year’s focus was on gender equality, and I took part in a panel on the challenges, opportunities, and benefits of empowering female leadership in the legal profession.

Solicitor brand campaign
We’re looking for business or consumer clients who would like to be photographed as part of our campaign to promote the value of solicitors. More details can be found here.

Supporting members at every stage of their career

International Women’s Day seminar – Friday 8 March
Join us for our flagship event to celebrate International Women’s Day 2019. The theme of the event is inspiration and action in the workplace.

To celebrate international women’s day and 100 years of women in the law, we are also supporting March4Women – on Sunday 3 March
#March4Women: https://www.careinternational.org.uk/march4women
Tickets are just £5. You can book here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/march4women-2019-event-tickets-54751304626?aff=lawfirms (Short link: https://careint.uk/2G1s5EJ)

Judicial appointments: interview training for solicitors – 15 March – London
In view of increasing competition for judicial appointments, this course will equip delegates with the skills to help enhance their application and interview performance. (Also running on 16 March – book here.)

In-house Division: Communicating law to non-lawyers – 20 March – Manchester
This seminar will offer practical examples and guidance to help strategically align in-house lawyers with their business.

Law Society team in half marathon for LawWorks
On Sunday March 10th Tom Fothergill, Chief Operating Officer, Sophie Brooks, Operational Director of strategy and planning and Kerry Jenkins, Head of Finance will be running as a representative Law Society Team at the Vitality Big Half Marathon here in London & we are aiming to raise money for LawWorks which, as many will know, is a charity supported by the Law Society which focuses efforts on connecting those in need of legal advice who can’t afford to pay for it with volunteer pro bono solicitors.

Sponsoring them couldn’t be simpler – just follow this link http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fund/lawworksbighalf to their fundraising page.

Supporting practice excellence
Some of our upcoming events are:

Risk and Compliance annual conference 2019: preparing for change in shifting times – 15 March
This full-day programme features a mix of plenary sessions and a choice of workshops to help you achieve best practice in compliance.

Property Section seminar: Risk and negligence in property transactions – 28 March – Manchester
Join John de Waal QC and other contributors to the recently published Risk and Negligence in Property Transactions for an interactive and practical seminar.

Keeping members up to date

We have a number of newsletters for members. Below is a list, along with links for signing up to them.

Newsletter
Sign-up method

Advocacy Update
Update My Law Society preferences

Anti-money Laundering Update
Law Society newsletter page

City Update
Contact the City relationship management team

Diversity & Inclusion Update
Update My Law Society preferences

In-house Forum
Update My Law Society preferences

International Update
Law Society newsletter page

Junior Lawyers Update
Law Society newsletter page

JLD sign-up page

Legal Aid Update
Law Society newsletter page

Professional Update
Law Society newsletter page

Regional Update
Contact your regional relationship management team

Risk & Compliance Update
Join the Risk and Compliance Service

Small Firms Focus
Contact the Small Firms Division

Solicitor Judges Update
Join the Solicitor Judges Division

You can also register for the Gazette daily update here.

As always, please feel free to share this update with your members unless otherwise specified.

Kind regards,

Christina

Christina Blacklaws
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London. WC2A 1PL

Your weekly Society Update 14 February 2019

14/2/2019

As the professional body for solicitors, every week the Law Society is working hard to influence the legal and regulatory environment on behalf of our profession and to promote solicitors at home and abroad. We support practice excellence, are an informed source of legal sector news and support members at every stage of their career.

Here are some highlights from this week.

Influencing on behalf of the profession and promoting the profession

The Law Society’s media profile this week:
The Independent reported on the surge of parent litigants in person in family courts. Penny Scott, chair of our family law committee and Jenny Beck, a member of our access to justice committee, both commented on the issue and said the rise in unrepresented parties were causing “huge injustices” in rulings.

Talented trainee lawyers are invited to apply for a place on the profession’s Diversity Access Scheme (DAS), the Law Society said today as it opens recruitment for the 2019 cohort of scholars. Full report in the Gazette.

Legal Futures covered the Law Society response to LeO’s business plan. Meanwhile the Times (£) said the Law Society had praised the Legal Ombudsman for having made “progress with its modernisation programme”. The society however expresses concerned over an “absence of detail” in the ombudsman’s business plan.

I’m interviewed in In House Community about the evolution of the legal profession.

We welcomed the MoJ’s review of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) as a step in the right direction. I’m quoted saying: “The MoJ has accepted the case for changes in relation to the legal aid means test, exceptional case funding and early legal advice, and has committed to further work as to what those changes should look like”. Full reports in the Gazette, Guardian, City A.M, and the FT (£).
Plans to hike probate fees to as much as £6,000 have narrowly been approved. Vice president Simon Davis said: “The cost to the courts for granting probate does not change whether the estate is worth £50,000 or £2 million. The government can call it a service charge or a graduated fee but asking those who have larger estates to pay more is in effect a tax hike through the back door.” Full report in the Gazette. Also in the Sunday Times (£) and the Telegraph carries reports and the Law Society is urging members to write to your MP. I am then quoted in subsequent coverage: “It is unfair to expect the bereaved to fund or subsidise other parts of the courts and tribunal service, particularly in circumstances where they have no other options but to use the probate service.” Full reports in Gazette and the Times.

The Gazette reports on new advice published by the Law Society to help family lawyers in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Read the No-deal Brexit family law guidance in full.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is to carry out randomised “web sweeps” of around 500 law firms over the next few months to check they are publishing fees for common consumer transactions. Full report in The Times (£) and Legal Futures

The press office is working with solicitors and regional papers to provide agony aunt-style columns on major legal issues. This week David Gibson, a local employment law solicitor, spoke to BBC Radio Tees about the legalities of mental health in the workplace for time to talk day. You can listen to the broadcast here. The interview starts at 55:00.
If you would like to participate, please email press.office@lawsociety.org.uk

Don’t forget you can read all Law Society press releases by clicking on this link. For live updates follow us on Twitter.

Consultation responses and parliamentary activity, influencing on behalf of the profession:

Parliamentary
LASPO Review - The Ministry of Justice’s post-implementation review of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 was published on Thursday, and the lord chancellor made a statement to the House of Commons. The proposals reflect a considerable number of the recommendations we put forward. The ministry has accepted the case for changes in relation to the legal aid means test, exceptional case funding and early legal advice.

Civil judicial co-operation - The Law Society briefed MPs on a number of statutory instruments on civil judicial co-operation that were debated this week. The Law Society was referenced four times in the debate including on our concerns about the impact of a no deal Brexit in this area.

Probate fees – The Law Society is opposing the government’s plans to increase the fees charged for a grant of probate. Over 180 people have written to their MP using the Law Society’s campaign action tool, and the Law Society’s concerns regarding the proposal were referenced twice during a debate in the Fourteenth Delegate Legislation Committee on Thursday. (See Media above).

Campaigns
Criminal justice campaign - Following the launch last week of our criminal justice campaign, our animation showing Peter’s journey through the criminal justice system has received nearly 6,000 views on YouTube. For comparison, a previous animation as part of our early advice campaign received 1,800 views in total.

Stakeholder engagement
Ministerial roundtable – I hosted a roundtable with George Hollingbery MP, Minister of State for Trade Policy to discuss international trade in legal services. The roundtable was attended by senior experts in international trade law and I spoke about our recent discussions and meeting with international bar organisation including India and Australia.
Speeches
I spoke at a conference on blockchain and legal services on Tuesday.

Criminal legal aid
Following the government’s response to the Justice Select Committee’s report on criminal legal aid and announcement it will be conducting a fundamental review of criminal legal aid fees over the next 18 months, we met with the MoJ lead on the review. We discussed a wide range of issues arising from the current situation and emphasised the need for an independent review of sustainability. We were assured the review would be ‘evidence based’, and if the data analysis undertaken indicates more investment is needed then this is what the MoJ will recommend.

Technology

Technology and Law Policy Commission Evidence Session- algorithms in the justice system
The Law Society’s Technology and Law Policy Commission will host its final evidence session on Thursday 14th February in London. The commission, led by me alongside co-Commissioners Sofia Olhede (UCL), Sylvie Delacroix (University of Birmingham), will examine the use of algorithms in the justice system, the impacts on the rule of law, implications for data rights, and whether our human rights framework is fit for purpose.

Witnesses at the London session include Richard Susskind, Jamie Susskind, Hannah Knox of UCL, David Powell of Hampshire Police and Judith Jones of the ICO. We will also be joined by guest commissioner Polly Toynbee. Council members wishing to attend can book a place at the London session here.

Technology and Law Policy Commission Evidence Session- algorithms in the justice system Cardiff session
We hosted the penultimate Technology and Law Policy Commission evidence session on Thursday 7th February in Cardiff. Witnesses included Inspector Scott Lloyd of South Wales Police who gave a demonstration of the Police’s facial recognition technology, Dr Bernadette Rainey of Cardiff Uni and Adam Curtis of Hoowla.

Draft Ethics Guideline for Trustworthy AI
We responded to the European AI Alliance’s consultation on a draft ethics guideline for trustworthy AI. Our response argues that if the guidelines had greater focus on the issues of technical and organisational measures of mitigating the risk of "unethical use" of AI, they would be more helpful in constructing the future debate around "trustworthy AI”.
It also argues:
· That setting the "ethical purpose" as a fundamental principle for AI development, implementation and use without having similar standards on the use of data in general might lead to a perverse situation where higher standards of ethical behaviour are demanded of machines than of humans.
· That having "ethical purpose", as defined in the Guidelines, as one of the two fundamental components of "trustworthy AI", which we consider impractical, creates the danger that the future debate around ethical AI might become too theoretical and part ways with real-life developments in this area.
Civil

Leasehold reform
We joined the deputy vice president David Greene in meeting with the shadow housing minister and shadow secretary of state for housing and homelessness (John Healey MP and Sarah Jones MP) to discuss leasehold reform.

We attended the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee’s final session of their inquiry into leasehold reform where they took evidence from Heather Wheeler MP, minister for housing and homelessness.

Our influencing work internationally:
On 6 February, Stephen Denyer, director of strategic relationships came to Brussels to carry out firms visits. Accompanied by Eoin Lavelle, EU Policy Adviser, he attended the following meetings:

Emmanuel Plasschaert, Partner at Crowell & Moring LLP;

David Henry, Barrister at McDermott Will & Emery;

Denis Fosselard, Partner and Head of Brussels Office at Ashurst;

Werner Eyskens, Partner at Allen & Overy;

Laurent Ruzette, Partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton.

On 6 February, Law Society CEO Paul Tennant was in Brussels. He and Brussels head of office Helena Raulus attended the British Chamber of Commerce UK-EU Task Force. They also attended the following events and meetings:

roundtable with Brussels Based UK organisations at the Welsh Office.

meeting with Fergus McReynolds from EEF (Manufacturers’ Organisation).

meeting with UK Rep.

meeting with Pascal Kerneis from ESF (European Service Forum).

meeting with Philip Buisseret, Secretary General of CCBE.

On 7 February, Stephen Denyer and Helena Raulus, attended the following meetings:

Lode Van Den Hende, partner at Herbert Smith Freehills;

Ken Daly, managing partner at Sidley Austin;

Elvira Aliende Rodrigues, partner at Shearman & Sterling;

Ingrid Vandenborre, partner at Skadden Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom;

Ruxandra Cana, partner at Steptoe & Johnson.

On 8 February, they also met Jeroen Jansen, Partner at DLA Piper.

Supporting members at every stage of their career

March4Women – Sunday 3 March
To celebrate international women’s day and 100 years of women in the law, we are supporting this event.
#March4Women: https://www.careinternational.org.uk/march4women
Tickets are just £5. You can book here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/march4women-2019-event-tickets-54751304626?aff=lawfirms (Short link: https://careint.uk/2G1s5EJ)

LGBT History Month
February is LGBT History Month and our LGBT+ Lawyers Division will be holding their second speed networking in Cardiff on Thursday 21 February. We are partnering with a number of firms and organisations to deliver other events across the country – details of the full programme can be found here.

Law Society team in half marathon for LawWorks

On Sunday March 10th Tom Fothergill, chief operating officer, Sophie Brooks, operational director of strategy and planning and Kerry Jenkins, head of finance will be running as a representative Law Society Team at the Vitality Big Half Marathon here in London & we are aiming to raise money for LawWorks whom, as many will know, is a charity supported by the Law Society which focuses efforts on connecting those in need of legal advice who can’t afford to pay for it with volunteer pro bono solicitors.

Sponsoring them couldn’t be simpler – just follow this link http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fund/lawworksbighalf to their fundraising page.

JLD Forum: Junior lawyers skills day – 2 March 2019 – Southampton
This free one-day skills event aims to equip those at the start of their careers with the skills and advice necessary to progress, diversify and develop within the legal profession.

Apprenticeship Week at the Law Society – 5 March 2019 – London
As part of National Apprenticeship Week, we are bringing together firms, training providers and prospective apprentices to learn about and discuss apprenticeships in legal services.

Junior Lawyers Division annual conference and ball 2019 – London
Registration is now open for the JLD’s 12th annual conference and ball on Saturday 6 April. Early bird rates are available until Friday 8 March.

Supporting practice excellence
Some of our upcoming events are:

Future of Law lecture: The Future of Justice and the Justice System – 26 February 2019
Justice Minister Lucy Frazer QC MP will share her thoughts on the future of the justice system, particularly in light of the LASPO post-implementation review.

Private Client Section: cross border conference 2019 – Insights into foreign assets
Our full-day programme will help you to keep on top of the increasingly complex and changing environment of international private client work.

Keeping members up to date

We have a number of newsletters for members. Below is a list, along with links for signing up to them.

Newsletter
Sign-up method

Advocacy Update
Update My Law Society preferences

Anti-money Laundering Update
Law Society newsletter page

City Update
Contact the City relationship management team

Diversity & Inclusion Update
Update My Law Society preferences

In-house Forum
Update My Law Society preferences

International Update
Law Society newsletter page

Junior Lawyers Update
Law Society newsletter page

JLD sign-up page

Legal Aid Update
Law Society newsletter page

Professional Update
Law Society newsletter page

Regional Update
Contact your regional relationship management team

Risk & Compliance Update
Join the Risk and Compliance Service

Small Firms Focus
Contact the Small Firms Division

Solicitor Judges Update
Join the Solicitor Judges Division

You can also register for the Gazette daily update here.

As always, please feel free to share this update with your members unless otherwise specified.

Kind regards,

Christina

Christina Blacklaws
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London. WC2A 1PL

Junior Lawyers Division - Resilience & Wellbeing Survey 2019

5/2/2019

This is a quick plea to ask for assistance in promoting the Junior Lawyers Division’s (JLD) resilience and wellbeing survey for 2019 with any junior lawyer colleagues and contacts you have. For the purposes of the survey, a junior lawyer is a paralegal who has obtained their LPC, a trainee solicitor or a junior lawyer with up to five years’ post qualification experience. The survey can be accessed here.

Background

As part of its agenda for the last three years, the executive committee of JLD has been focusing on supporting junior lawyers experiencing mental ill-health and high levels of stress at work and raising awareness of these issues in the legal profession.

Surveys

To ascertain the extent of the levels of stress and mental ill-health among junior lawyers, the JLD conducted its first survey in 2017 which received over 200 responses. The 2017 survey found that more than 90% of junior lawyers experienced stress in their role with 26% of those experiencing severe/extreme levels of stress. More than 25% of junior lawyers stated that they had experienced mental ill-health in the last month (whether formally diagnosed or not). It was clear to the JLD that high levels of stress and mental ill-health affected the majority of its members (specifically, paralegals (who have obtained their LPC), trainee solicitors and solicitor up to five years’ qualified).

The JLD ran its resilience and wellbeing survey again in 2018 and it received nearly 1,000 responses. The overall figures in relation to stress remained the same as in 2017, however, the proportion of men regularly reporting either severe or extreme levels of stress increased from 20% to 26%. In 2018, high workload and client demands and expectations were the most commonly selected causes of stress, whereas high workload and ineffective management were the most common causes in 2017.

In relation to mental ill-health, more than 38% of junior lawyers stated they had experienced mental ill-health in the last month (whether formally diagnosed or not), an increase of almost 13% from the 2017 survey. The largest change was in relation to trainees, 19% reported experiencing mental ill-health in the last month in the 2017 survey compared to 38% in 2018. You can read the survey results report for 2017 & 2018 surveys here.

Guidance for best practice for supporting resilience and wellbeing in the workplace

To support employers in meeting some of these challenges, the JLD developed best practice guidance aimed at reducing stigma and fostering positive mental health. The guidance is designed to give employers ideas on how to build a successful wellbeing strategy for their organisation. The guidance focuses on three core pillars (1) support; (2) education and training; and (3) culture; to enable organisational change. You can view the guidance here.

Roundtables

The JLD has hosted two roundtable events with law firms to promote mentally healthy workplaces. These roundtable events involve a discussion on the recommendations in the guidance. As part of the discussion, law firms are encouraged to share their best practice and positive/negative experiences of running initiatives internally. By giving firms an opportunity to speak openly about their wellbeing strategies and what they are doing (under Chatham House rules), it helps give ideas to other firms who are still in the process of planning their own strategies. The next roundtable is taking place on 5 March 2019 and do let us know if you would like more information or to attend.

If you’ve got any questions about the above, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

Kind regards

Future of Law Lecture Series

4/2/2019

Future of Law Lecture Series
The Future of Justice and the Justice System – with Lucy Frazer QC MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice

Tuesday 26 February

Dear colleague

I am delighted to invite you to the next event in our Future of Law lecture series.
We invite subject matter experts to explore the most pressing legal questions facing the profession and aim to bring together leaders from across the legal profession, members, policy makers and key stakeholders to discuss how to maintain a successful legal services sector for the future.

This lecture will focus on the future of justice and the justice system, particularly in light of the LASPO post implementation review. We will also explore the role that technology and innovation will play in facilitating access to justice, including plans for court modernisation and the wider justice system.

Lucy Frazer QC MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice will share her thoughts on what the future holds for the justice system and what this will mean for the legal profession.

Tuesday 26 February 2019

The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, WC2A 1PL

08.00 - 08.15   Registration and breakfast

08.15 - 09.30 Welcome: Christina Blacklaws, President, The Law Society

                        Key note speaker:
                       Lucy Frazer QC MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
                        Ministry of Justice

                       Audience Q&A

To book your place email – presidentevents@lawsociety.org.uk

Christina Blacklaws
President

Your weekly Society Update 22 January 2019

22/1/2019

Civil and commercial cooperation

Data protection

Family law

Providing legal services in the EU

Access to Justice
The Justice Committee have launched a new inquiry into the access to justice implications of the HMCTS court modernisation programme. MPs will look at two elements of the changes:
1. Increased use of digital and video technology
2.The closures of the courts and tribunal hearing centres.
The deadline for the call for written evidence is Monday 11th March 2019.

The government has responded to the Justice Select Committee’s report on criminal legal aid.

Government engagement
The CEO attended the Economic crime ministerial strategy board which was also attended by senior cabinet ministers including the chancellor and lord chancellor.

Parliamentary
The Law Society was mentioned twice in the committee stage of the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Bill Committee, highlighting our concerns at 16-17 year olds and access to the Court of Protection.
We were also mentioned six times in debates on several Brexit related statutory instruments on lawyers rights and civil legal aid.

Our influencing work internationally:
This week, I was delighted to attend the Ceremonial Opening of the Legal Year in Hong Kong, jointly hosted by the Law Society of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Bar Association. As part of the events, I spoke on a panel on ‘Legal Profession as a Talent Platform - What law societies and bar associations can do to enhance the image of the legal profession to attract new entrants to the profession?’ to an audience of 40 bar leaders from more than 20 jurisdictions.

While in Hong Kong, I met with our member firms, as well as the president of the Law Society of Hong Kong, the secretary of justice, and the Justice Centre, Hong Kong.

Later in the week, I attended the IBA 5th Asia Law Firm Management Conference where I spoke on a session on retaining talent and being an attractive workplace for future talent. I met with the Singapore Academy of Law and its Future of Law Innovation Programme (FLIP) – an initiative that brings together stakeholders from business, government and academia to collaborate on developing new models for the delivery of legal services in the future economy.

On Wednesday, I met the Law Society of Singapore’s Women in Practice committee and was honoured to provide the keynote speech at their Women in Practice: Change and Impact panel discussion. One hundred people attended.

On 17 January, David Greene, deputy vice president signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Georgia’s Anaklia City JSC (Anaklia City) to cooperate and exchange best practices in the development of a special economic zone and disputes resolution centre in Anaklia, Georgia. The MoU provides a way for us to continue our engagement with Anaklia City and will provide several business development opportunities for members. We look forward to working with Anaklia City.

Supporting members at every stage of their career
We've now published ‘Your professional body – the value of your membership’ aligned to the member offer. It clearly shows how we influence for impact and promote the profession. It also showcases the services we offer to support practice excellence, keep members up to date and act as a career companion. All new members will receive a copy in the post. A simple summary of our member offer is also available.

Judicial appointments: interview training for solicitors - 8 February 2019 – London
In view of increasing competition for judicial appointments, this interactive course will equip delegates with the skills to help enhance your application and interview performance. This workshop has been developed specifically for solicitor applicants but the content is relevant for anyone serious about submitting a credible judicial application.

JLD Forum: Junior lawyer skills day
The Junior Lawyers Division is holding a free one-day career development and skills event in partnership with the South Hampshire JLD and the Bournemouth JLD.

Apprenticeship Week at the Law Society
Bringing together firms, training providers and prospective apprentices to learn about and discuss apprenticeships in legal services.

Supporting practice excellence
Some of our upcoming events are:

Competition Section seminar: the impact of data on merger control
This seminar will survey EU merger control cases involving data issues, and ask whether or not the European Commission has now developed a legal and economic framework for assessment of those cases going forward.

Webinar: Smart contracts for lawyers
A smart contract is a set of rules taking the form of electronic code that is capable of self-execution. The development of the blockchain and distributed ledger technology has enabled smart contracts to be re-imagined to offer a new paradigm of contracting, automating the performance of contractual obligations and aligning to business outcomes.

This webinar we will provide participants with the practical next steps to overcome the uncertainty of smart contracts, firstly through clarification of the fundamental characteristics before directly showing how a lawyer might go about drafting and deploying a smart contract on a blockchain network.

As always, please feel free to share this update with your constituents unless otherwise specified.

Kind regards,

Christina

Christina Blacklaws
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London. WC2A 1PL

Your weekly Society Update 17 January 2019

17/1/2019

Your weekly Law Society update

As the professional body for solicitors, every week the Law Society is working hard to influence the legal and regulatory environment on behalf of our profession and to promote solicitors at home and abroad. We support practice excellence, are an informed source of legal sector news and support members at every stage of their career.

Happy New Year and welcome back from the break.

Here are some highlights from this week.

Influencing on behalf of the profession and promoting the profession

The Law Society’s media profile this week:
Last Friday I was on BBC Woman’s Hour to discuss the 2019 centenary of women being able to qualify as solicitors. You can listen to the broadcast here. The interview starts at 00.40.

Internal emails and instant messages released under Freedom of Information laws reveal the fury inside the Ministry of Justice after Buzzfeed News was leaked a report on the impact of LASPO that the department had insisted didn’t exist. A Law Society spokesperson said: ““People will wonder why the MoJ chose at first not to disclose the full report. The research into unrepresented defendants contains important information...”.

Ireland’s prime minister has said his country is exploring how to take legal business from the UK after Brexit. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has in mind a partnership of the legal representative bodies to exploit the UK’s departure from the EU. The Gazette report quotes me.

This week the media relations team organised a series of interviews with solicitors on local radio to discuss ‘divorce day’ and answer common questions about the divorce process.

You can listen to Hannah Field on BBC Surrey and Sussex here. Hannah’s interview starts at 1.23:30.

Meanwhile Talvinder Penaser’s interview on Pulse 1 in West Yorkshire.

Christine McVay appeared on BBC Radio Newcastle. You can listen to the broadcast here. Christine’s interview starts from 1:26:00.

Both the Gazette and Legal Futures covered our new practice note for solicitors engaged in drawing up non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).

Penny Scott, the chair of our Family Law Committee, appeared on BBC Radio Essex discussing a family law case in the county and the Law Society’s early advice campaign. Parts of this interview ran on the news bulletins throughout the day. You can listen to the broadcast here from 1.00:30.

While the EU committee’s Anna Bradshaw appeared on ITN talking about the Jack Shepherd case.

Jenny Beck, former chair of the Access to Justice committee was on Radio 5 Live to discuss McKenzie friends and the importance of family law solicitors. You can listen to the broadcast here from 2.52:30.

Legal aid provision in England and Wales is being slashed, as experts say people are being “denied justice.” Simon Davis, vice president of the Law Society, said: “Cuts to legal aid spending over the past five years have denied justice to the most vulnerable in society, placed a further burden on the taxpayer and damaged the foundation of our justice system.” A full report in The Daily Post. Also appears in Hull Daily Mail, Derby Telegraph, Evening Gazette and four other regional titles.

In a comment for the Gazette, former IP law committee chair Mark Anderson calls for reforms to IP law.

Joy Merriam, a member of the Law Society Access to Justice committee, was interviewed by BBC Radio Kent on the subject of 'Cliff's Law' – a proposed new law to stop police suspects being named by the media until they are proven guilty. You can listen to the broadcast here. Joy’s interview starts from 0:34:20.

Don’t forget you can read all Law Society press releases by clicking on this link. For live updates follow us on Twitter.

Consultation responses and parliamentary activity, influencing on behalf of the profession:
Access to Justice
On 18th December, Heads of Division published four jurisdictional documents on the judicial intranet in response to the ‘Judicial Ways of Working’ consultation. These are a highly critical assessment of the government’s proposals for court reforms and closures.
Courts and Tribunals (Judiciary and Functions of Staff) Bill
Before Christmas, the Courts and Tribunals (Judiciary and Functions of Staff) Bill received Royal Assent. The Bill will allow appropriately qualified and experienced court and tribunal staff to deal with routine matters.
It will allow the judiciary to be flexibly deployed across jurisdictions where they are most needed, allowing judges to gain experience of different types of cases.

Leasehold
The Law Commission has published a consultation on commonhold “Reinvigorating commonhold: the alternative to leasehold ownership”. This consultation makes provisional proposals to make commonhold work for homeowners, developers, mortgage lenders and across the wider property sector. The consultation is available here.

Draft CIL Regulation changes consultation
Shortly before Christmas, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government published a technical consultation looking at proposed reforms to the system of developer contributions, primarily the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 (as amended) and section 106 planning obligations. The consultation is available here.

Meetings
On Tuesday, I met with Justice Minister Lucy Frazer QC MP, to discuss law tech, the LASPO review, criminal justice and Brexit. Vice president, Simon Davis, attended a briefing on no deal preparations with Exiting the EU Minister Chris Heaton-Harris.

Parliamentary
The chair of the mental health and disability law committee attended a roundtable with the shadow minister for mental health and disability on Monday. Members of this committee and the public affairs team also met with Alex Cunningham MP to discuss the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Bill.

Supporting members at every stage of their career
We've now published ‘Your professional body – the value of your membership’ aligned to the member offer. It clearly shows how we influence for impact and promote the profession. It also showcases the services we offer to support practice excellence, keep members up to date and act as a career companion. All new members will receive a copy in the post. A simple summary of our member offer is also available.

Changing career direction - options for flexible working
This event will be hosted by Adaptive, the flexible resourcing model from Simmons & Simmons. Adaptive was created to respond to the shifting legal landscape of Law, by providing clients with technically excellent first-rate lawyers, who are available to work on defined contract assignments and projects. The model is designed to strengthen client relationships by providing a commercial solution that meets both the needs of clients and the firm. This event has been designed in partnership with Adaptive and the Law Society, specifically for those who are interested in finding out more about how they can adopt a flexible working pattern and the benefits of doing so. As the legal marketplace evolves, clients are also actively seeking flexible resourcing solutions to meet the changing demands. The flexibility of working through a model like Adaptive, lets you keep control over when and how you work: you can choose your assignments in terms of work content and the defined periods you choose to undertake them.

JLD forum: Helping you to secure a training position
The Junior Lawyers Division is holding a free one-day skills event in partnership with the Merseyside JLD to assist LPC students and graduates with their search for a training position.

Supporting practice excellence
Some of our upcoming events are:
The Law Society’s Art Group exhibition
Between 8 and 18 January, the 59th annual exhibition of the Law Society's art group will be on display in the Reading Room. All the art is created by solicitors and shows a high standard of talent, from painting to three dimensional exhibits. All the art is for visitors to enjoy and purchase. If you have any enquiries about the exhibition, you can get in touch with Hazel Bate.

International Women’s Day
Join us on Friday 8 March for our flagship event to celebrate International Women’s Day 2019. The theme of the event is inspiration and action in the workplace. I will be leading a panel of distinguished speakers in a discussion about the outcomes of the research so far conducted as part of the Women in Leadership in Law project.

Online training: GDPR for Managers: An Introduction
In this course training is given on key aspects of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) data protection regime and first steps for compliance.

As always, please feel free to share this update with your constituents unless otherwise specified.

Kind regards,

Christina

Christina Blacklaws
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London. WC2A 1PL

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