It’s curious how the weather can sometimes mimic events in your life. You get some good news and the sun comes out, maybe. Or, in my case, the snow begins to fall and daily activities are brought to a standstill. Last week I officially retired from the Junior Lawyers Division of the Law Society (JLD). … Continue reading
It has been suggested that you don’t need a personality to work in the law – even that it’s better if you haven’t got one. After extensive research of lawyers’ personalities, Susan Daicoff, professor of law at Capital University in the USA, concluded that lawyers are different from normal folk in a number of ways, … Continue reading
The legal press has been awash recently with stories about admissions to the profession: Kaplan Law School is looking to introduce an admissions test for the Legal Practice Course (LPC); BPP is seeking to open three new law schools in Cambridge, Liverpool and Newcastle; and the College of Law has refused to refund fees to … Continue reading
When Halliwells went bust last summer, trainees were the last to be thrown a lifeline. The powers-that-be must wake up to the dire situation facing young lawyers today, writes Kevin Poulter There must be very few readers who are unaware of the difficulties the legal profession has endured over the past couple of years. The … Continue reading
Rome is the perfect weekend destination for anyone with a sense of romance. On a summer’s day it is difficult to imagine a more romantic or picturesque city than Rome. Capital of Italy and host to the Vatican, the tourist trail is well trodden by millions each year. But there is a side to Rome … Continue reading
With more than a million participants, Pride has now become one of the biggest parades in the country. And yet up until a year ago it never had formal representation from the legal profession, when around 40 turned out. This year that figure trebled thanks to a number of different interest groups such as Interlaw, … Continue reading
Work experience is invaluable but diversity and inclusivity are at risk when we ask junior lawyers to be ‘unpaid interns’ Working for free is something the Junior Lawyers Division has been encouraging since the days when it was the Trainee Solicitors Group (yes, that long) and pro bono work amongst junior lawyers continues to increase year on … Continue reading
I was recently contacted by the Law Society Gazette to discuss information which has come to the attention of the Junior Lawyers Division regarding the exploitation of students, trainees and newly qualified lawyers. I provided some general comment which made the front page lead story. It can be viewed online here: http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/trainee-solicitors-039exploitated039-afer-qualification.story The story has been picked … Continue reading
The Legal Services Board (the LSB) started its work on 1 January 2010. After a few days off, they soon got to work on the 4 January. You may have seen the results of their first commissioned YouGov survey which determined that more than two-thirds of consumers have ‘little or no knowledge’ of what lawyers … Continue reading
‘Twas the night before Christmas and I’m still in the office, (No chance to get home and make good on a promise) The desk is still piled with papers for checking. The whole place is cold and bare with no decking. The heating went off at four to save money, The recession is biting, it’s … Continue reading
Kevin Poulter 