header-logo header-logo

13 June 2018 / Matthew Kay
Categories: Features , Profession
printer mail-detail

Wish you weren’t here?

istock-835853770.jpg_pic_for_online_matt_kay

Step out of the office & take some time to reflect on your work/life balance, says Matthew Kay

The summer holidays will shortly be upon us and lawyers will be taking to the beaches in droves. Once there, many will start reflecting on their lives and their work/life balance, thinking how they can make changes for the better. That is, those lawyers that aren't checking their work emails from their sun lounger.

And for those lawyers that are checking into the office from the beach, it could get them thinking about one of two things: either marvelling at how technology makes working from the beach so straightforward, or that it might be time to readdress their work/life balance.

Technology matters

Despite the stereotypes about what a lawyer should be like—a professional always in the office—technological advancements in the last five to ten years mean that there’s now more than one way to progress a legal career. It is now practical and easy to log into your emails on the side of a Munro

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

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’

Gardner Leader—Michelle Morgan & Catherine Morris

Gardner Leader—Michelle Morgan & Catherine Morris

Regional law firm expands employment team with partner and senior associate hires

Freeths—Carly Harwood & Tom Newton

Freeths—Carly Harwood & Tom Newton

Nottinghamtrusts, estates and tax team welcomes two senior associates

NEWS
Children can claim for ‘lost years’ damages in personal injury cases, the Supreme Court has held in a landmark judgment
The cab-rank rule remains a bulwark of the rule of law, yet lawyers are increasingly judged by their clients’ causes. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian McDougall, president of the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation, warns that conflating representation with endorsement is a ‘clear and present danger’
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