More details of the visit will follow.

Tuesday 21st February 2012 : Bristol Junior Lawyers Division and Hays Legal are holding a CV clinic for all NQs from 6pm to 8pm at Hays Legal, Hartwell House, 55 Victoria Street, Bristol BS1 6AD

Details can be found at the Bristol JLD website

Wednesday 29th February : BLS is hosting an event about Compliance support at the Law Library in Small Street starting at 3pm. Tim Prior will be speaking and also having diagnostic surgeries.

Full details of this free event can be found here.

Thursday 29th March : BLS is holding an event for all members to talk to and put questions to local MP Kerry McCarthy. The event will be held at the Law Library in Small Street from 5.30pm.

Full details of this free event can be found here.

The Ministry of Justice announcement suggested that up to 80,000 more cases each year will be diverted to a simple Small Claims mediation process which avoids the stress, expense and legal preparation of a formal court hearing. This offers the option of a quick telephone-based mediation service – a method which has already proved successful with 98 per cent of users saying they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the service.

The plans outlined looked to simplify the majority of cases. These included:

1. increasing the limit of ‘small claims’ from £5,000 to £10,000 with a view to increasing it again to £15,000 subject to evaluation.
2. automatically referring all small claims to the Small Claims Mediation Service, though mediation will not be mandatory.
3. and ensuring that cases proceeding to court will not need comprehensive legal preparation.

The Small Claims Mediation service is entirely voluntary. Parties are invited to use the service by ticking a box on the court form and if both parties and/or the court consider it to be appropriate, the parties are invited to contact the mediator to set up a mediation appointment at a convenient time. This can be a face-to-face mediation at the court, but more than 95 per cent of mediations are conducted by telephone – either as a conference call or with the mediator speaking separately to each party in turn. Mediation usually takes 5-6 weeks to arrange, compared to 13-14 weeks for a court hearing. If the case does not settle at mediation, it simply progresses to a hearing before the judge.

In the 12 months to the end of April 2010, the service settled 73 per cent of the 10,000 mediations it conducted. A survey of 7,500 users found 98 per cent were satisfied or very satisfied with the professionalism and helpfulness of the mediators, with 95 per cent saying that they would use the service again. Of the minority of parties who did not settle their cases, 87 per cent also said they would use the service again.

Plans were also outlined to modernise and streamline the County Court system. A single county court will be introduced, clearing the way for all claims to be handled electronically at modern centralised business centres, and to then be allocated across neighbouring courts according to demand. Some administrative form work will move from judges to administrators, leaving judges to concentrate on making good decisions rather than managing cases.

Restrictions will be lifted on High Court judges sitting in County Courts while waiting to take cases in the High Court.

Further proposals looked at enforcement action. For example where a court-ordered payment instalment plan is already in place, creditors will also be able to apply for an order to secure an unsecured debt. This would stop certain instances where a debtor might benefit from the sale of a property without paying off the debt. However for their protection, debtors will no longer be at risk of losing their home over consumer credit debts of less than £1,000.

The level below which non-personal injury claims cannot be heard in the High Court will be raised from £25,000 to £100,000. The outdated value of property above which equity cases need to be referred up to the High Court will be raised from £30,000 to £350,000, reflecting the rise in house prices since the level was last set in 1981.

The RTA portal is to be extended. The costs are pre-set in a way which encourages early settlement. Following evaluation of its current use in road accident cases worth compensation of up to £10,000, the scheme will be extended to road accident cases worth up to £25,000 and also to employer and public liability personal injury cases.

Managing partner Richard Hill commented: “Attaining the Lexcel award has been an achievement by everyone in the firm, from the partners through to the backroom staff. It is a recognition of the high standards the firm aspires to achieve and maintain.”

Earlier the firm’s family law department was recognised by leading legal directory Chambers & Partners.  The 2012 edition notes that the team “handles an impressive workload, representing professionals in Bristol and throughout the South West.  It is well regarded for complex ancillary relief matters involving pension and property arrangements, family businesses and substantial assets.” Two of the team’s lawyers are again included as Leaders in their Field.  Department head, Victoria Daniell has “a fantastic reputation for her matrimonial finance practice and is extremely pleasant to deal with”.  She is rated in Band 1 placing her in the top 7 family lawyers in the South West region.  Sarah Atkinson is noted as an Associate to watch given her expertise in handling “matrimonial finance matters involving complex assets and pensions”. The directory also gives specific recommendations to other partners of Gregg Latchams, Richard Hill in Real Estate, John Dalby in Employment and Richard Gore in Dispute Resolution.

The firm’s residential property department has also recently received its own quality mark, the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme. The accreditation is based on the integrity of the conveyancing staff and the adherence to prudent and efficient conveyancing procedures.

An excellent period of recognition for the firm began last October when it was joint winner of the Bristol Law Society’s Environmental Award for it’s commitment to the environment and green issues.

Gregg Latchams have offices at 7 Queen Square, Bristol BS1 4JE (0117-9069400)

Bristol Law Society would like to invite you to Sole Practitioners’ Group Conference on 11-13 May 2012 in Celtic Manor Resort, South Wales. For full programme overview see the brochure attached and to book your place please fill in and return this form to:

SPG c/o Mrs Abraham, 290A Ewell Road, Surbiton, Surrey, KT6 7AQ.

For any queries email s.abraham@lineone.net.

BLS

This year’s event is unique in terms of format and composition. PACS are aware of the financial constraints being faced by Local Government alongside the consolidation of services. Consequently, this year’s Annual Training & Development Programme has been specifically designed to provide a broad range of sessions suitable for staff at all grades and levels of experience.

It will commence at 4:00pm on Sunday, 19^th February (exhibition area open from 3:00pm) and finish at 3:30pm on Tuesday, 21^st February 2012. Hotel and event costs will be invoiced separately.

By the end of the Training & Development Programme, delegates will have had the opportunity to :-

-       Understand and debate the proposed reforms (HMLR, Public Data Corporation (PDC) and the Government Review of Statutory Functions) and how they might affect the delivery of your LLC service.

-      Access training seminars facilitated by knowledgeable practitioners. Training sessions are designed to meet the needs of staff at all levels.

One of the sessions on Tuesday 21st February 2012 -WHAT’S HAPPENING TO CONVEYANCERS? – will feature Bristol Law Society’s Maria Memoli as a guest speaker. The Legal Services Act will come into affect at the end of 2011. This session provides an early opportunity to take stock and to hear about the solicitors Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS). Are there lessons to be learned by Local Government. Exhibitors will be invited to this session.

For an overview of the whole programme please see Flyer 1 and Flyer 2.

“I was called to the bar in 1966 and joined Albion Chambers.  After a few years I concentrated on civil work and built up a specialist practice doing “boundary disputes”

In 1987 I was appointed as an employment judge (then Chairman of Industrial Tribunals) based in Bristol. Life was not quite so hectic then in the tribunal and I took the opportunity to write “Boundaries & Easements”.  I felt that although the two subjects worked on different principles, the reality was that they were often encountered together and there was a need for a practitioners’ book which covered both. I tried to concentrate on the current law and to cite the latest relevant authority, rather than to look at the history of how the law had developed.

Fortunately my publishers, Sweet & Maxwell, took the same view and so did the legal profession. Since 1991 when it was first published, the book has gone through five editions, the latest having just been published (11 November 2011 ISBN 978-0-414-04806-5 Sweet & Maxwell  £185).

The book is widely used by practitioners and, indeed, has been cited on more than one occasion by the Court of Appeal, not least in the controversial case of Wall v Collins [2007] Ch 390, about the esoteric subject of merger of estates. The questioning by the Court of Appeal of the statement of the law set out in “Boundaries & Easements” has led the Law Commission to suggest that the law be reinstated to what it was believed to be before that decision (Making Land Law Work: Easements Covenants & Profits à Prendre Law Com No 307).

Apart from keeping up with Boundaries & Easements, I was a full-time employment judge until 2009 and am now part time. In 1995 I co-founded the European Association of Labour Court Judges, which arranges annual congresses of European judges in cities throughout the EU and on subjects ranging from fundamental rights, to access to justice for migrant workers.  I am the Secretary-General of that Association and author of a number of reports.

In my spare time I am a keen bowler, playing for Redland Green Bowling Club in the North-East Bristol League and also playing croquet at Bristol Croquet Club.

I am married with two children and four grand-children. One of my daughters is a local academic architect at UWE and the other is a lecturer in dance at the internationally renowned Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London.”

Then Bristol Law Society may be able to offer you some comfort by inviting you to this free regional event, hosted by the Law Society of England & Wales, in association with Bristol Law Society, to assist solicitors with their regulatory and compliance obligations.

Date: Wednesday, 29th February

Venue: Bristol Law Society library, Small Street, Bristol BS1 1DA

Time: Registration from 3.00 pm. Event 3.30 pm – 6.30 pm

Programme

Registration and coffee

A meeting not to be missed.

Hear Tim Prior, Law Society Risk and Compliance consultant, speaking on outcomes focused regulation with particular emphasis on:-

- The 10 over-arching principles

-Key elements of the 2011 SRA handbook

- What to consider in appointing your COLP and COFA.

- Pre-requisites to compliance with the SRA Code of Conduct

- Your reporting obligations

The update session will last 2 hours, to be followed by a one hour surgery session comprised of 10 minute diagnostic consultancy slots. To book a diagnostic slot please indicate interest in doing so when you book this event by emailing zara.douglas@lawsociety.org.uk using your booking number as reference.

Speaker Profile:

Tim Prior is a solicitor (non-practising),　a Fellow of the Institute of Risk Management,　a Lexcel consultant and a specialist in
risk management, compliance　and professional indemnity insurance. Following 11 years with the Solicitors Indemnity Fund and 10 years with Professional Indemnity Insurer Travelers, he set up his own company in 2010.　He is a member of the Conveyancing Quality Scheme Assessment Panel and is　a contributing author to LexisPSL on risk and compliance issues. He is a regular speaker at Law Society events and will be leading a COLP and COFA masterclass at Chancery Lane on 7 February 2012.

For more information about Law Society events e-mail: events@lawsociety.org.uk.

UKELA has extended the deadline for the Andrew Lees Prize essay competition to Friday, 9 March to give more students the chance to apply and benefit from the great new prizes sponsored by LexisNexis.

Entrants need to submit a 1,000 essay (Is Sustainable Development a key feature of UK Environmental Law?). Those shortlisted will give a presentation at the UKELA student competitions day in London on March 29th.   In a difficult employment climate, the competition is an excellent opportunity for students to gain relevant market experience in the area of their interest by winning:

·         a one month paid summer internship with LexisPSL Environment

·         a free place at the UKELA conference

·         one year’s subscription to LexisNexis’ New Law Journal valued at £319

Runners up will also win a subscription to the New Law Journal. Don’t miss out!   Please do pass details of this fantastic opportunity onto any of your friends or colleagues who you think might be interested.

For details go to www.ukela.org

London meeting on Rio+20 this Wednesday 8th February – last chance to book

Your chance to find out what’s on the agenda for the follow up to the 1992 Rio Summit on Sustainable Development. Join UKELA at Herbert Smith for this early evening seminar on Wednesday 8th February.  To book, go to www.ukela.org and click on the links to the events page.