Newsletter February 2013 Volume 2, Number 3
In This Issue • LETR – Farce or much needed change? • In the Spotlight: Founder of Urban Lawyers • Top Tips from a Legal Secretary • Twitter Questions
The HJLD is the regional branch of the National Junior Lawyers Division. We represent all student members of the Law Society enrolled through the SRA, trainees and Solicitors with up to five years’ active PQE who live, study or work in Hertfordshire. Our aim is to promote both professional and personal growth within the legal field through social and professional events and seminars. We shall keep you informed of important matters that concern junior lawyers, arrange CPD sessions that are either free or at reduced rates, and organise inclusive social events throughout the year. We will strive to make your voice heard and support the National JLD who works directly with the Law Society.
The Legal Education Training Review – an institutional farce or much needed change? The Legal Education and Training Review (LETR) was set up by the SRA, BSB and ILEX Professional Standards in order to create a series of evidence based documents on how the profession can combat the upcoming changes within the legal services market. I was the lucky recipient of an invitation to attend the Law Society on behalf of the Hertfordshire JLD, in order to discuss the latest developments in a line of subsequent papers, with this one entitled ‘Developing the detail’. For me, two points arise from my experience through the process to becoming a lawyer. Firstly, the process is not time-efficient, and secondly, it certainly is not fit for purpose in relation to what I perceive to be the future legal market.
• Job Board – **URGENT Website Designer NEEDED**
Fortunately, the latter is the main source of argument. But the former? Not a pressing issue according to the LETR. Within the review itself, there appears to be five central points that need addressing :– A mismatch between current training and skills needed for the future legal services market Too great a reliance on initial training Insufficient recognition across a number of occupations Absence of a training framework for paralegals Lack of training pathways and exit points.
• Event Calendar 2013
But what does this all mean? A shake up of the system as we know it. The LETR has its aims, but does it have its answers? In light of the need for change, how can these changes be implemented into a degree? In my view it cannot, and can only be acquired through work experience. I believe the Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) should be streamlined into a multi-purpose degree/LPC over a period of two years, and the Training Contract increased to three years. The extra year in the Training Contract will enable future trainees to fully develop their commercial awareness and drafting skills, along with an opportunity to learn the basics of a very important skill that has no place, wrongly so in my opinion, within the QLD or LPC – networking. If the QLD were to remain as it is, I fully support a radical yet logical approach suggested by the LETR, to move towards the Accountancy mode of undertaking ‘knowledge modules’ throughout a three year Training Contract. This method would again allow future trainees further opportunities to increase the so called commercial awareness, drafting and interpretation skills apparently missed by the LLB. By using an approach similar to the Accountancy mode, Trainees could also become part-qualified after two years. A three year training contract could also be seen as a way of dealing with the over-subscription of LPC students, as each Trainee would not be undertaking the LPC modules until they have secured a training contract. Although, I believe that the LPC providers would have something to say with regards to competition laws if this were to be implemented.
@HertsJLD Your views count! HJLD newsletter is here to provide young lawyers with relevant information. If you have any ideas for articles or events, or feedback in relation to the newsletter, please contact: mail@hertsjld.com
Of course, the paper does not merely focus on the pre-qualified education but delves into discussion regarding the future training needs of the legal services markets. What struck me as surprising within the paper is the inclusion of how new technologies will shape the way all law firms will work, especially in relation to the view that there will be two types of Lawyer - client facing and knowledge management. This does sound something akin to the magic circle, but we may apparently see this across all law firms in the near future. By Alex Neale, Social Secretary. - More information on this topic and the full papers so far can be found at letr.org.uk.
In the Spotlight: The founder of Urban Lawyers
Committee Tweeters:
The aim of “In the Spotlight” is to share the experience of young lawyers within different areas and aspects of law. Kate Shearer @trixie_dixie
Liam Colville @colville1983
Mariam Aumeerally @mariam_lawyer
Laura Mathew @LadyLauraLawyer
Nathan Kerntiff @Peterhail1
Alexander Neale @Nealooo
Other useful tweeters:
@FreeLegalCPD
@urbnlawyer
@kerry_underwood
In the last issues we interviewed a commercial in house lawyer at ManpowerGroup and a newly qualified commercial property lawyer from Debenhams Ottaways Solicitors. In this issue we interview Tunde Okewale one of our speakers from the “Future of Lawyers” event HertsJLD held last year. What is your role? I am a barrister and a social entrepreneur. A social entrepreneur is an entrepreneur but my primary focus is to enhance and improve the society that I operate in. I achieve this by being the founder of Urban Lawyers which is a social enterprise that targets young people by providing information on how to obtain information on the legal profession. It is a platform which allows young people to empower themselves through knowing their legal rights via online websites, social media, video tutorials, workshops in the community and a range of merchandise in order to promote the law and legal opportunities available to them. How long have you been qualified? I have been qualified for five years. I completed a law degree at London Metropolitan University and the subsequent BPTC course at BPP Law School in London. I then obtained tenancy at 4 Breams Building and joined Doughty Street Chambers in May 2011. What areas of law do you specialise in? I specialise in crime, public and international law, and extradition. What have you found most difficult? What I have found to be the most difficult is to have the ability to be confident in yourself. It is easy to conform as it is very easy to want to replicate and duplicate what others are doing. We have been taught to accept opinions, customs and traditions of others and shy away from being yourself. The most difficult thing to do is to stand up in a room when everyone else is seated. What have you found most enjoyable? The most enjoyable aspect for me is speaking. I enjoy speaking on behalf of those who are not able to do so for themselves, and sharing the education that I was privileged to have received to those who are less fortunate than myself. What have you found most interesting? The most interesting thing for me is the diversity and variety of the work and people that I deal with. No two days are ever the same. I might be conducting research on cases that I am taking on one day and appearing in court the next. The cases that I deal with along with the issues of law that I deal with are different everyday. Top tips for success? My top tips for success are patience, persistence and practice. Persistence means have the ability to continue even when things are at their gloomiest. Patience means the ability to not become impatience when progress doesn’t seem to be progressing as quickly as you want it to be. Practice - the repetition and cultivation of a habit is essential because the only way that the quality of your work and life can improve is when you do it. Practice makes perfect. By Tunde Okewale If you would like more information in relation this topic or wish to put your point of view across, please do not hesitate to email mail@hertsjld.com
5 Top Tips to keeping your Legal Secretary Happy! 1.
Dictation on audio – it really helps if it is clear.
2.
If there is a lot of documentation to attach/send it really helps if the lawyer can pull together the documents to be sent out rather than the secretary having to go through the whole file herself. A secretary may sometimes be unsure what paperwork is actually required.
@HertsJLD
3.
It helps if the files are given with the dictation as often one needs to refer to the file for correct name spellings, addresses etc rather than hunting around for the file to be able to the letters correctly.
Your views count!
4.
If referring to a past letter or email to attach/send it helps if that particular can be “flagged” i.e. with a yellow sticky.
5.
When preparing large court bundles to counsel and the court, it helps if one is given enough time as bundles can be very time consuming and rather than rushing it at the end of the day.
HJLD newsletter is here to provide young lawyers with relevant information. If you have any ideas for articles or events, or feedback in relation to the newsletter, please contact: mail@hertsjld.com
By Elizabeth Fewell, contactable on Elizabeth.fewell@ntlworld.com If you would like more information in relation this topic or wish to put your point of view across, please do not hesitate to email mail@hertsjld.com
Twitter Question: Is it ever too late to become a lawyer?
CPD Event: Family Law CPD Lecture- 1.5 CPD points
@ParalegalTony I met a very interesting pupil @7bedfordrow who is suffering from MS but changed career to law in his 40’s!
Title: Unlocking Matrimonial Assets on Divorce & Child Support
@MatthewJDenney I don’t think so – especially if previous career contacts are relevant.
Date: 30/01/2013
@Legaltrainee Personally, I never think it’s too late to do anything you really want to do unless you are physically restrained.
Venue: De Havilland Campus, University Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9EU
What are your views? Please email mail@hertsjld.com or tweet @hertsjld
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 Price: £25(15 for pupil barristers, trainee solicitors & BVC/LPC students)
Job Board – The Committee needs you!
To book a place contact Lorraine De Sourza on 01707 286203 or email on uhlaw-cpd@herts.ac.uk.
****CALLING ALL TECHIES**** (Non Lawyers /Non Aspiring Lawyers welcome!) Do you or any of your friends or colleagues have experience of designing and maintaining websites? If so, we need you! A great opportunity has come for any budding Web Designer enthusiasts to help update our HertsJLD website. We need someone who is; creative, capable, enthusiastic, and of course able to provide us with advice on the creation and maintenance of websites! This would be a great opportunity for any IT/web design students or people seeking to develop a portfolio. Please email mail@hertsjld.com
Events Calendar 2013. Thursday 31st January
“Managing your finances” sponsored by Wesleyan for Lawyers Time: 7.00 Venue: Tees Solicitors, High Street ,Bishop's Stortford, Herts CM23 2LU If you would like to attend please respond to us by 26th January 2013 at mail@hertsjld.com.
Tuesday 26th February
BOWLING – Watford, Hollywood Bowl Time: 6.30pm. Cost: £10 you will get two games of bowling and a drink of your choice (alcoholic and non-alcoholic). If you would like to attend please respond to us by 21st February 2013 at mail@hertsjld.com.
Tuesday March
12th
Amnesty International Illegal Trafficking and Slavery – 1.5 CPD points Time: 6:30 – 8:00 Venue: University of Hertfordshire (Room to be confirmed) Price: FREE. To book a place contact mail@hertsjld.com
@HertsJLD
Wednesday 17th April
Title: Living within the Law: Management of Stress, Ethical Dilemmas & Professionalism – 1.5 CPD points Time: 6:30 – 8:00 Venue: Debenhams Ottaway office, 107 St Peter’s Street, St Albans Price: Donation monies to go to LawCare. Please visit www.lawcare.org.uk
Your views count! HJLD newsletter is here to provide young lawyers with relevant information. If you have any ideas for articles or events, or feedback in relation to the newsletter, please contact: mail@hertsjld.com
To book a place contact mail@hertsjld.com Saturday 29th June
SUMMER BOAT PARTY ON THE THAMES Save the date
If you would like more information in relation to any event or wish to put your point of view across, please do not hesitate to email mail@hertsjld.com
NEXT NEWSLETTER MAY 2013