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03 January 2008 / Sir Geoffrey Bindman KC
Issue: 7302 / Categories: Opinion , Training & education , Profession , Employment
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Interview Skills

The lawyer/client relationship is central to legal education, says Geoffrey Bindman

In 1982 I took a sabbatical in . I taught for four months at the of , (UCLA) . There I pursued my interest in anti­discrimination law, which was much more developed in the than in . But, having practised as a solicitor for more than 20 years, I was naturally interested in the practice of law as well as theory. By contrast with law schools at that time in , which seemed completely detached from the legal profession, UCLA took an interest in what its students were likely to do after they graduated. Practical training was the prov­ince of the “clinical program”, one element of which was participation by students in the client counselling competition.

 

THE CASE METHOD

This had been started by a lawyer called Louis M Brown, a successful general and commercial practitioner. He had also taught

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Laytons ETL—Maximilian Kraitt

Laytons ETL—Maximilian Kraitt

Commercial firm strengthens real estate disputes team with associate hire

Switalskis—three appointments

Switalskis—three appointments

Firm appoints three directors to board

Browne Jacobson—seven promotions

Browne Jacobson—seven promotions

Six promoted to partner and one to legal director across UK and Ireland offices

NEWS

From blockbuster judgments to procedural shake-ups, the courts are busy reshaping litigation practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School hails the Court of Appeal's 'exquisite judgment’ in Mazur restoring the role of supervised non-qualified staff, and highlights a ‘mammoth’ damages ruling likened to War and Peace, alongside guidance on medical reporting fees, where a pragmatic 25% uplift was imposed

Momentum is building behind proposals to restrict children’s access to social media—but the legal and practical challenges are formidable. In NLJ this week, Nick Smallwood of Mills & Reeve examines global moves, including Australia’s under-16 ban and the UK's consultation
Reforms designed to rebalance landlord-tenant relations may instead penalise leaseholders themselves. In this week's NLJ, Mike Somekh of The Freehold Collective warns that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 risks creating an ‘underclass’ of resident-controlled freehold companies
Timing is everything—and the Court of Appeal has delivered clarity on when proceedings are ‘brought’. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ, Stephen Gold explains that a claim is issued for limitation purposes when the claim form is delivered to the court, even if fees are underpaid
The traditional ‘single, intensive day’ of financial dispute resolution (FDR) may be due for a rethink. Writing in NLJ this week, Rachel Frost-Smith and Lauren Guiler of Birketts propose a ‘split FDR’ model, separating judicial evaluation from negotiation
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