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An ode to the old normal

17 March 2021 / David Locke
Issue: 7925 / Categories: Features , Covid-19 , Profession
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Not every change to our working lives post-COVID is a step forward: David Locke laments the loss of pre-pandemic positives

Despite the hyperbole, 2020 was neither unprecedented nor apocalyptic; yet the most pernicious phrase to gain traction, first in the media then across the professions, must surely be ‘the new normal’. When spoken, it tastes a bit like surrender. In action, it can look a bit like seizing upon the prevailing situation for commercial advantage. It is certainly not that we cannot learn many lessons from the ways in which the legal professions and institutions have adapted to the current crisis. However, some of those lessons may be that we were doing it rather well before. Consider these examples.

Courts

To generalise, the administrative function of the courts has been grievously affected by the pandemic. Applications are turned around much less efficiently than before, and hearings are being delayed. That is no criticism—it is entirely to be expected. However, the courts have by and large been admirably adept in

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

DWF—19 appointments

DWF—19 appointments

Belfast team bolstered by three senior hires and 16 further appointments

Cadwalader—Andro Atlaga

Cadwalader—Andro Atlaga

Firm strengthens leveraged finance team with London partner hire

Knights—Ella Dodgson & Rebecca Laffan

Knights—Ella Dodgson & Rebecca Laffan

Double hire marks launch of family team in Leeds

NEWS
Bea Rossetto of the National Pro Bono Centre makes the case for ‘General Practice Pro Bono’—using core legal skills to deliver life-changing support, without the need for niche expertise—in this week's NLJ
Small law firms want to embrace technology but feel lost in a maze of jargon, costs and compliance fears, writes Aisling O’Connell of the Solicitors Regulation Authority in this week's NLJ
Writing in NLJ this week, Victoria Rylatt and Robyn Laye of Anthony Gold Solicitors examine recent international relocation cases where allegations of domestic abuse shaped outcomes
Charlie Mercer and Astrid Gillam of Stewarts crunch the numbers on civil fraud claims in the English courts, in this week's NLJ. New data shows civil fraud claims rising steadily since 2014, with the King’s Bench Division overtaking the Commercial Court as the forum of choice for lower-value disputes
Artificial intelligence may be revolutionising the law, but its misuse could wreck cases and careers, warns Clare Arthurs of Penningtons Manches Cooper in this week's NLJ
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