Pro bono
Every year, members of The Legal 500 join with thousands of legal professionals pounding the streets of London and the South East of England to raise money for pro bono advice centres. Sarita Guatama and Rosa Coleman of the London Legal Support Trust explain why these funds are so crucial to advice centres and the clients they help.
Access to justice is a basic principle of the rule of law; it is a right, not a privilege. However, the effects of legal aid cuts combined with local authority cuts have had a significant effect on the availability and accessibility of free legal advice, meaning that the most vulnerable people cannot access the help …
Continue reading “Accessing justice in a time of austerity”
Marketing
Technology won’t change the face of law overnight but firms should be prepared to innovate, says Sean Graham, Seddons’ head of marketing and business development
With a younger roster of legal professionals clawing their way up the ranks, we are seeing a workforce which understands the importance of technology, realises the benefits of using it, and adapts to and utilises new tech quicker than before. This also means that they expect much more from their marketing teams. Technology is expanding …
Continue reading “Embracing technology in legal marketing”
The big issue
Big Law does not have a great reputation for promoting good mental health, but Morgan Lewis’ management is looking to change that, writes Krista Logelin
Your wellbeing is not fixed. The extent to which you are thriving is something each of us has the ability to influence, which is why I’ve chosen to focus my career on enabling individuals and organisations to flourish. In my position as director of employee wellbeing, I am tasked with designing and implementing a custom …
Continue reading “How ‘well’ are you? Conceptualising a wellbeing programme”
The big issue
Poor mental health won’t be solved until we marry the business of law with human design-specs, argues Dr Bob Murray
‘Ted’ was not old, maybe in his mid-60s. He was the managing partner of his mid-sized law firm in regional England. His colleagues told me that he seemed always bright and cheerful. Last month he committed suicide. About one in three lawyers of all stripes ideate suicide once a year. Criminal lawyers and barristers come …
Continue reading “The present business of law and mental health”
The big issue
Young Barristers’ Committee chair Athena Markides highlights the impact of judicial bullying, harassment, and poor wellbeing on the junior Bar
As chair of the Young Barristers’ Committee (YBC), one of my first tasks is to set the committee’s priorities for the year. Along with business as usual (e.g. Brexit and court reform), the YBC needs to identify key issues facing barristers in their first seven years of practice, and then to try and address those …
Continue reading “Don’t trade your mental health for success”
The Bar
Running chambers as a commercial enterprise requires sophisticated, professional, and entrepreneurial clerks, writes Sam Carter, senior clerk at Coram Chambers
There has been many an article written in recent years about the constant changes at the Bar and how chambers should adapt. As a service industry, being cost effective, offering and maintaining a high standard of excellence should be the focal point of any set’s strategy while also remaining ahead of the game. A growing …
Continue reading “Clerks or business leaders? Modern-day thinking and business development”
The Bar
For the Bar to cast off its image of privilege, it must talk about how it selects barristers of the future, argues Ed Vickers QC of Red Lion Chambers.
The legal profession has an image problem. For many students thinking of a career in the law, the Bar in particular is seen as overwhelmingly white, male and privately educated; the language of the law is old fashioned and resonates a world of privilege; and this image is compounded by photos of judges in full …
Continue reading “The problem with pupillage”
Interview with: Ron Urbach
Davis & Gilbert’s chairman on why the New York firm is the antithesis of Big Law and the importance he places on offering clients value-added service
How would you define your firm’s culture? How important is firm culture to you? Our culture is a reflection of our firm’s history and core values, grounded on the concepts of family – care, respect, understanding, integrity and service; history – learning from and respectful of the past; entrepreneurial spirit and business focus; and always …
Continue reading “The benefits of being ‘other’”
Editors' views
If they are to retain their best talent, law firms must remember their duty of care, writes John van der Luit-Drummond
A few weeks ago, I met up with an old friend from law school. It had been a couple of months since last we met, but the change in them was striking and somewhat frightening. Dark circles around bloodshot eyes contrasted against drawn, ashen skin. Their now furrowed brow was topped by unwashed hair, while …
Continue reading “Your lawyers are only human”
