header-logo header-logo

A crisis of confidence

05 October 2012 / Dr Jon Robins
Issue: 7532 / Categories: Opinion , Legal services , Profession
printer mail-detail

Jon Robins looks behind the scenes of the cancelled Law Society conference

Well it wasn’t like there was a shortage of pressing issues to talk about—the double-dip economy, the forces of competition unleashed by the Legal Services Act 2007 (LSA 2007), the move to outcome focused regulation, and maybe even some time to dwell on the brutal LASPO cuts as of next April—and yet still they didn’t come.

A last minute decision to pull the Law Society 2012 conference scheduled to take place in Newport, South Wales last month—to be the first national conference in seven years—suggests a crisis of confidence at Chancery Lane and a flagging enthusiasm from the profession’s grass roots. The Society was expecting at least 300 delegates—mainly corporate lawyers—to hear Liberty’s Shami Chakrabarti, Eddie Ryan, formerly of the Co-op and Will Whitehorn, former president of Virgin Galactic.

The Society was forced to cancel because (in its words) “the geographical location presented something of an obstacle to the intended audience”. “South Wales seemed like a long way away.

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Carey Olsen—Kim Paiva

Carey Olsen—Kim Paiva

Group partner joins Guernsey banking and finance practice

Morgan Lewis—Kat Gibson

Morgan Lewis—Kat Gibson

London labour and employment team announces partner hire

Foot Anstey McKees—Chris Milligan & Michael Kelly

Foot Anstey McKees—Chris Milligan & Michael Kelly

Double partner appointment marks Belfast expansion

NEWS
Pension sharing orders (PSOs) have quietly reached their 25th anniversary, yet remain stubbornly underused. Writing in NLJ this week, Joanna Newton of Stowe Family Law argues that this neglect risks long-term financial harm, particularly for women
A school ski trip, a confiscated phone and an unauthorised hotel-room entry culminated in a pupil’s permanent exclusion. In this week's issue of NLJ, Nicholas Dobson charts how the Court of Appeal upheld the decision despite acknowledged procedural flaws
Is a suspect’s state of mind a ‘fact’ capable of triggering adverse inferences? Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Smith of Corker Binning examines how R v Leslie reshapes the debate
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has not done enough to protect the future sustainability of the legal aid market, MPs have warned
Writing in NLJ this week, NLJ columnist Dominic Regan surveys a landscape marked by leapfrog appeals, costs skirmishes and notable retirements. With an appeal in Mazur due to be heard next month, Regan notes that uncertainties remain over who will intervene, and hopes for the involvement of the Lady Chief Justice and the Master of the Rolls in deciding the all-important outcome
back-to-top-scroll