This column isn’t going to be about lawyers, much. Rather, it’s about how we say goodbye to old ways of working. This month we bid a cheerful farewell to our print version, which was weekly from 1989 to 2017 and monthly thereafter. When I joined The Lawyer as editor 21 years ago, I had not […]
I remember 10 years ago sitting in a sun-flecked conference room in Portugal at The Lawyer’s General Counsel Strategy Summit when one senior legal head on the panel began a tirade about how law firm partners didn’t have a clue about in-house practice, that they thought the world revolved around them and how the fees […]
There is a long-standing ideal of the boardroom consigliere shared by many corporate lawyers: a generalist adviser who stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the CEO. It takes time to attain that status, as those who are toiling to create a public M&A practice will acknowledge. For the few private practice individuals who get it right, a senior […]
How depressingly familiar. The annual silks round is supposed to be a celebration of the best and brightest at the Bar. Except it’s not. The abject lack of encouragement and support for Black barristers who might be thinking of taking their first steps on the road to becoming a QC has become a fundamental and […]
Furloughs, abandoned plans, ambitions put on hold. Who knew that 2020 vision is not perfect after all?
Reflecting on the time since the last general election it’s hard to imagine, at least in recent times, a more chaotic period in British politics. There are many government and parliamentary functions that are not serving us; we would not run a successful business this way, so why do we allow our country to be […]
For me, Pride Month is not just a celebration; it’s a testament to the enduring fight for equality and human rights. Reflecting on my own journey, from coming out at the age of 17 during the early days of the AIDS epidemic and feeling extremely isolated in my hometown in New Jersey to today leading […]
As a British, white, cisgender gay man in my 30s, I have grown up in an increasingly tolerant society where legal protections and rights have been afforded to me that were denied to people like me in the past. Significant victories over the past 20 years—legal (marriage equality, anti-discrimination legislation), health (better healthcare for HIV […]
While June is Pride Month, no single month can fully encompass the celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community’s achievements and contributions, nor raise sufficient awareness and advocate for the challenges the community continues to face. This is especially the case given the diverse tapestry of human experiences, which the concept of intersectionality—recognising how different aspects of […]
Barrister, Hot 100 2024 member and author Christian Weaver sets out his manifesto for change as the election grows nearer.
In my 24 years as a lawyer I have always been open about my sexual orientation at work. In the early days this wasn’t the easiest path to tread. There were very few out lawyers who one could look up to as role models. Things have definitely improved. I now have a wide pool of […]
The general election has been called and if, as anticipated, we have a new government what can we expect in terms of planning and housing delivery over the next five years? I have been a planning lawyer specialising in the delivery of residential led mixed use developments for 25 years and, throughout that time, there […]
Law’s vital role in combating climate change is hindered by practices fuelling self-termination. Bates Wells’ David Hunter explores how lawyers can use their imagination and agency to reshape legal frameworks for a sustainable future.
Different groups have different needs and blanket policies rarely work effectively for everyone, argue the co-founders of BlueSky, a parental coaching platform for women in law.
Costs management has been in place for nearly 11 years now. Few commercial litigators have expressed much love for it but last year’s report of the Civil Justice Council’s costs working party made clear that it is not going anywhere. Headed by Lord Justice Birss, the deputy head of civil justice, it said costs budgeting […]
The legal landscape in England and Wales is rapidly transforming with the introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE). This shift in the qualification process for legal professionals is reshaping the traditional route to becoming a solicitor, and by 2032, all existing routes will be officially phased out, making it the sole option for aspiring […]
“You might think you’re thinking your own thoughts. You’re not. You’re thinking your culture’s thoughts.” Jiddu Krishnamurti We need to talk about our culture’s thoughts. These have been called different things: the dominant world view; our metanarrative; the hegemonic paradigm. Whatever the terminology, it comes down to the prevailing way of thinking, the story we […]
Laura Uberoi is a Council Member at the Law Society and, alongside Kayleigh Leonie, represents junior lawyers of 0-5 years PQE. In October Laura was elected as president of her local law society and in doing so became one of the youngest and most junior solicitor to ever hold such a role across the country. […]
I feel like a tranquillised hippo. My limbs weigh two tonnes and my brain’s too heavy for my head. It’s November and I have 3,000lb-ungulate jet lag, so I must be at MIPIM Asia. For readers who only know MIPIM Cannes, MIPIM Asia is Cannes’ more refined Hong Kongese cousin. Each year about 900 property […]
Julia Salasky, CEO of CrowdJustice, the online crowdfunding platform for legal action, spoke at the Law Society’s Future of Law lecture. In this adapted version she shares her experience using innovative technologies to connect lawyers and clients with funds to take legal action
While firms are beginning to embrace the opportunities that tech can provide, the advice sector remains underfunded when it comes to digitisation.
A few weeks ago, I was asked by a paralegal at my firm whether or not they should apply be applying for vacation schemes or if they should go straight to the training contract applications. To be frank, it stumped me, as it’s something I’d not given much thought to since qualifying. It brought to […]
By Richard Oliphant The market for legal services is highly competitive. The recent report by The Lawyer and Intapp (‘Navigating a new reality in the client-empowered’) revealed how law firms are investing heavily in ‘intelligent automation’ technologies and using data analytics to improve client service and stay ahead of the pack. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning […]
In the wake of the Brexit vote, there is a need for some clarity on the general subject of globalisation and a law firm’s strategic positioning. First, globalisation is not a decision. It is a force and, for all intents and purposes, a force of nature. It is the movement of people, ideas, products, services, […]
After last week’s historic decision by the British people to leave the EU many will want know immediately what the implications are.
Addleshaw Goddard’s recent announcement that it will be restricting the number of partners who can leave the firm each year is far from unique, but it is a manifestation of a management doctrine I find curious
The Travers Smith Art Programme is at the heart of our new corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme.
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and I’m more than happy to take the compliment that large firms are paying to legal networks such as ours
Imagine you are a general counsel or director in whose department sits the person who buys your company’s insurance policies. You may be about to become a star witness in insurance disputes. Is that news to you? Are you concerned by it?