header-logo header-logo

02 May 2019
Categories: Movers & Shakers , Profession
printer mail-detail

Birmingham Law Society—Linden Thomas

Youngest ever president vows to put access to justice first

The Birmingham Law Society is celebrating the election of Linden Thomas as its youngest ever president.

Linden has taken on a year-long tenure as president from the end of April, at the age of 34. In addition to being the youngest recorded president of the society, she is also the sixth woman to lead it throughout its 200-year history. Originally practising as an employment lawyer, Linden now works as an in-house solicitor, lecturer and manager of the Centre for Professional Legal Education and Research at the University of Birmingham, and also supervises and coordinates Birmingham Law School’s pro bono programme.

In her role as president, Linden will lead the society’s members in supporting two local charities—Citizens Advice Birmingham and the Central England Law Centre—which facilitate access to justice, one of the key focuses of her tenure.

Linden commented: ‘While there is an active and thriving legal community here in Birmingham and the wider Midlands, many people in the region lack the resources to access it. This means that people can find themselves with nowhere to turn when they need professional advice and support.

‘Citizens Advice Birmingham and the Central England Law Centre both provide vital services to plug this gap, yet there is very little funding to support their work. By raising funds and providing a wider platform for these fantastic organisations, Birmingham Law Society can help ensure that people in the Midlands are able to access fair, affordable legal advice when they need it.’

 

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Michelman Robinson—Daniel Burbeary

Michelman Robinson—Daniel Burbeary

Firm names partner as London office managing partner

Bellevue Law—Sally Hall

Bellevue Law—Sally Hall

Employment boutique strengthens data protection and privacy offering with senior consultant hire

NLJ Career Profile: Ken Fowlie, Stowe Family Law

NLJ Career Profile: Ken Fowlie, Stowe Family Law

Ken Fowlie, chairman of Stowe Family Law, reflects on more than 30 years in legal services after ‘falling into law’

NEWS
Personal injury lawyers have welcomed a government U-turn on a ‘substantial prejudice’ defence that risked enabling defendants in child sexual abuse civil cases to have proceedings against them dropped
Children can claim for ‘lost years’ damages in personal injury cases, the Supreme Court has held in a landmark judgment
Holiday lets may promise easy returns, but restrictive covenants can swiftly scupper plans. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Francis of Serle Court recounts how covenants limiting use to a ‘private dwelling house’ or ‘private residence’ have repeatedly defeated short-term letting schemes
Artificial intelligence (AI) is already embedded in the civil courts, but regulation lags behind practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Ben Roe of Baker McKenzie charts a landscape where AI assists with transcription, case management and document handling, yet raises acute concerns over evidence, advocacy and even judgment-writing
The Supreme Court has drawn a firm line under branding creativity in regulated markets. In Dairy UK Ltd v Oatly AB, it ruled that Oatly’s ‘post-milk generation’ trade mark unlawfully deployed a protected dairy designation. In NLJ this week, Asima Rana of DWF explains that the court prioritised ‘regulatory clarity over creative branding choices’, holding that ‘designation’ extends beyond product names to marketing slogans
back-to-top-scroll