STRESS: HOMEWORKING, SOCIAL ISOLATION AND FISH FILES: A RECAP OF PREVIOUS POSTS THAT MAY BE ABLE TO HELP
There has been some discussion on Twitter recently about stress at work and the problems caused when mistakes are made (particularly when they are your own fault). Added to this we have the difficulties of home working, the lack of…
THE NOT SO LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 37: THE MUSICAL SECTION: IWONA BOESCHE : VIOLIN (& DRUMS)
Next to join our musical section is barrister Iwona Boesche. I felt we needed to add strength and depth to our classical section. Iwona is too modest to mention in her interview that she is a former leader of…
THE NOT SO LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 36: THE MUSICAL SECTION: SUSANNA WHAWELL: SAXOPHONE
I thought the Club was in need of some more woodwind players, and a widening of the scope of its membership. As the constitution allows I asked Susanna Whawell to join. Susanna is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute…
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 35: HOWARD KEMP: THE OLYMPIAN, DRUMMING DISTRICT JUDGE
District Judge Howard Kemp is the third in what, currently, is our trio of judicial musicians. DJ Kemp is a drummer, and if you want to know what makes him an Olympian, read carefully… What instrument (or instruments) do you…
THE NOT SO LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 34: THE MUSICAL SECTION: JAMES HEYWORTH, SAXOPHONE, FLUTE & CLARINET
Our next member is newly retired District Judge James Heyworth. James is also a reinvigorated woodwind player. It turns out that I have untapped a whole host of judicial musicians, there may be more to come.. What instrument do…
THE NOT SO LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 33: THE MUSICAL SECTION: H.H. JUDGE WOLSTENHOLME – THE DRUMMER JUDGE
The next member of the musical section of our Club is retired Circuit Judge Scott Wolstenholme. Scott may have retired from law a few years back but he is incapable of retiring from drumming. I have been playing in a…
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 32: THE MUSICAL SECTION: STEPHEN SIMBLET QC: THE MANDOLIN PLAYING SILK
I said I was looking for a wide variety of music and musicians for the music section of the club. Stephen Simblet QC plays mandolin in Balkan folk music groups (there are links to their performances below). This ties up…
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 29: STEPHEN LOXTON: THE CLERK’S TALE
Next on our list of members is Stephen Loxton, Director of Clerking at Kings Chambers. Steve is working from home with two young children for company. He is one of hundreds (if not thousands)of people involved in the management of…
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 28: DAVID WITHERS
There may, at times, be a slight Yorkshire bias to the selection of club members, be assured that this is not unconscious. However I noticed that South Yorkshire was missing. Today we here from David Withers a partner at Irwin…
COVID REPEATS: THE WHOLE SERIES IN ONE PLACE
There are 50 posts in this series. They represent a personal choice of the 3,614 posts on this blog over the past seven years. COVID REPEATS (1): THE (ALMOST) COMPLETE GUIDE FOR ASPIRANT AND NEW LAWYERS – FROM TWITTER COVID…
BACK TO COURT: USEFUL ADVICE AND LINKS FOR KEEPING SAFE WHILST OUT AND ABOUT IN A PANDEMIC
The courts are, gradually, re-opening. Civil and criminal hearings are taking place. We have to trust that steps are being taken to protect our health. I asked on Twitter for advice that people had in relation to getting to, and…
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 27: DANIEL HERMAN (WITH DETAILS OF THE DANNY TURNBULL SCHOLARSHIP)
Our latest member is Daniel Herman a partner at Stewarts in Leeds. I have asked Daniel one additional question in addition to the usual seven. As everyone knows the constitution of the Club includes the aim of encouraging people to…
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 26: GABOR COVAKS: THE MANDOLIN PLAYING SOLICITOR’S TALE
The Club may be unique in legal history because, in addition to promoting knowledge and skills about litigation, the constitution also has the aims of promoting laywers playing and listening to mandolin music. That is just one of the reasons…
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 25: CLAIRE GREEN: THE COST LAWYER’S TALE (OR TWO TAILS IN FACT)
Our club is going to need a costs lawyer or two. So for our first costs lawyer member I went straight to the top. Claire Green is currently Chairman of the Association of Costs Lawyers ( ACL) as well as…
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 23: SASHA BEAUMONT-HODGES: THE LAW STUDENT’S TALE
It is important for the future of the club that we encourage young members and are aware of the difficulties that they are going through at the moment. For that reason I invited law student Sasha Beaumont-Hughes to become a…
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 22: PAUL MAGRATH: THE LAW REPORTER’S TALE
It occurred to me that a law reporter would would be a very helpful, in not essential, addition to our club ( I have checked and the club rules allow this). So I asked Paul Magrath to join. Paul is…
COVID REPEATS 21: OPENING LINES OF JUDGMENTS (WITH SOME NEW ONES THROWN IN): BJORN AGAIN
Today we are looking at opening lines of judgment. We also have a new opening line from earlier this year. ABBA: (ALTHOUGH THE WINNER DIDN’T TAKE IT ALL…) In April this year in a judgment about an inheritance dispute…
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 21: DONNA SCULLY: FROM DUBLIN TO LIVERPOOL
Our newest member practices in Liverpool. Donna Scully. Originally from Dublin Donna qualified as a solicitor at the age of 30 and is now director of the Carpenters Group. I am Irish, from Dublin. I am a joint owner/Director…
COVID REPEATS 18: “BEHIND THE DIFFIDENT SMILE OF THE SHYEST JUNIOR IS A CONCEIT OF NAPOLEONIC PROPORTIONS”
Today we travel to Australia and looking again at guidance given by the Hon Chief Justice Pat Keane in his keynote address to the Australian Lawyers Alliance Queensland State Conference in February 2013. Remember the main aim of these posts…
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 20: SNIGDHA NAG: THE LAW LECTURER’S VIEW
It is well known that the constitution of the Club requires us to “encourage and educate the legal profession and public in the importance and rules of civil procedure”. Naturally, therefore, the Club needs law lecturers to help us in…
COVID REPEATS 16: THE DOG THAT GOT A BETTER MASTER’S DEGREE THAN A WITNESS (WHEN WITNESSES DIG REALLY DEEP HOLES FOR THEMSELVES)
To lighten up a Saturday we are looking again at the judgment of Mr Justice Ramsey in BSky B -v- HP Enterprises Ltd [2010] EWHC 86 (TCC). This contains some interesting comments on the credibility of witnesses and how the…
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 18: CORI McKEOWN: THE TRAINEE SOLICITOR’S TALE
Our club clearly needs a wide range of members. We have had a pupil barrister join and now we have a trainee solicitor. I wanted some insight into the problems of just starting off in your career and then having…
THE NOT SO LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 17: GORDON DALYELL: MEMBERSHIP FROM NORTH OF THE BORDER
Membership of our club is not confined to any one jurisdiction. Gordon Dalyell was invited to become our first club member in Scotland (and also because there can never be enough Gordons in any organisation). Gordon is a partner with…
COVID REPEATS 10: DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF THINKING A JUDGE IS THE USHER: MORE ADVICE FROM MORE WISE PEOPLE
Here we are looking at advice given in January 2017 from contributors across Twitter all of whom volunteered advice to young lawyers. Every one of these is basically a pearl of wisdom. It is important that I point out that…
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 16: SHAYLLA SHABBIR: THE PUPIL’S VIEW
This is the time of year when pupil barristers are starting to be let lose to hone their skills in courts and tribunals up and down the country. At the moment they are stuck at home. I asked pupil barrister …
COVID REPEATS 9: A LOT OF WISDOM ABOUT LEGAL PRACTICE FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE
This is a repeat of a post that contained a lot of wisdom from a lot of people. Lawyers (including judges) on Twitter sent in dozens of contributions on advice to young lawyers. All of it is worth repeating (and…
COVID REPEATS 7: WHAT THEY DON’T TEACH YOU AT LAW SCHOOL V: WEAR SUNSCREEN & HAVE A PLAN
Here I am repeating advice given by a former chairman of the Bar in Kuala Lumpur. Many of the challenges and difficulties that (at some time) you may think are specific to you, are in fact universal issues that lawyers…
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB : CENRIC CLEMENT-EVANS: ein haelod cyntaf o Gymru
I am keen we have as wide a geographical spread of members as possible, so the next member is based in Wales. Cenric Clement-Evans, solicitor, lecturer and campaigner, based in Cardiff. Where are you working from now? I was…
COVID REPEATS 6: WHAT THEY DON’T TEACH YOU AT LAW SCHOOL 4: OWNING AND FIXING YOUR MISTAKES
Here we are re-visiting a post based on at an article by Elizabeth Collura in Lawyerist.com – Recognisizing, Owning and Fixing Your Mistakes. This is short but to the point. Mistakes happen, they are rarely disastrous. It is a failure to address…
CONCENTRATION, CORONAVIRUS AND WORK: SOME SITES THAT MAY HELP
One of the difficulties caused by coronavirus is a problem in concentration and focusing. Even people who habitually work from home have increased problems in settling down. Here is a list of links that may help. The advice given may…
COVID REPEATS 5: WHAT THEY DON’T TEACH YOU AT LAW SCHOOL 3: SURVIVE AND THRIVE
Here I am repeating really good, well thought out guidance from the Young Lawyers Group of the Law Society of South Wales. Quite honestly this is the type of guidance that every lawyer starting their career should be given. There…
COVID REPEATS 4: WHAT THEY DON’T TEACH YOU AT LAW SCHOOL 2
The fourth “repeat” looks at the second in the series, based on one article by Susan Carter Liebel 9 Things I wish they’d taught me at Law School. “Here I want to recommend a specific article by Susan…
COVID REPEATS 2: DEADLINES AND PROCRASTINATION: HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH IT?
Working in unusual conditions, often away from the office, and in the midst of a pandemic can sharpen the mind. For many of us, however, it makes work more difficult. It is worthwhile repeating a post from last year with…
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 8 : ANDREW KING
The next to join the club is Andrew King co-owner of Lennons Solicitors. Working from home with his wife and four young sons (6, 2 and 1 year old twins…) Andrew has been involved in a remote trial during this…
KEEPING YOUR LAW FIRM GOING IN THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS (10): GUIDANCE FROM NEW ZEALAND
Here we look at guidance to lawyers from New Zealand. The series on “Lawyers in Lockdown” is particularly illuminating, it shows that these issues are universal. We are far from alone. New Zealand The New Zealand Law Society has a…
KEEPING YOUR LAW FIRM GOING IN THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS (9): CANADA
In the 9th in this series we look at advice to and from lawyers in Canada. All of these links offer practical advice which can be used in the UK, and beyond. Canada In ‘COVID-19: law firms going remote, some…
KEEPING YOUR LAW FIRM GOING IN THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS (8) ADVICE FROM AUSTRALIA THAT MAY BOWL YOU OVER
I have spent part of lockdown watching “The Test” – a series about Australia’s cricket team. I have been rooting for the Aussies all the way (except when they played England of course). With the degree of planning and preparation…
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 7: SIMON (“SPIKE”) MULLINGS
The seventh member of the club is legal aid practitioner, Simon Mullings, who describes himself as “a long-beard housing law caseworker and newly anointed co-chair of the Housing Law Practitioners’ Association.” 1. Where are you working from now? I am…
COVID REPEATS (1): THE (ALMOST) COMPLETE GUIDE FOR ASPIRANT AND NEW LAWYERS – FROM TWITTER
I have spent some time (probably too much time) watching repeats of cricket matches over the past few weeks. On the whole these remain almost as interesting (or boring, depending on your point of view) as the first time around. …
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 6: JONATHAN EXALL
I have been looking for the experiences of newly qualified litigators, these have been difficult to find. Eventually I found one newly qualified lawyer I could “persuade”. Working as a solicitor at Chadwick Lawrence in Leeds – Jonathan Exall Where…
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB 5: GILL EDWARDS
The newest recruit to the club is Gill Edwards a Partner acting for claimants in the clinical negligence department of Potter Rees Dolan, currently working from home in Mobberley with a partner, two teenagers and a dog. 1 Where are…
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB (4): ELIZABETH THOMAS
Elizabeth Thomas knows a thing or too about “remote” working and was the ideal candidate to be the next member of our club. Elizabeth is a Partner in Healthcare Litigation at Hempsons (London) but has been working from home for…
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB (3): LUCY MILLS
The next to join our club is Senior Associate at Stewarts Law Lucy Mills. Lucy is working from home, in a desk on a landing, with two boys aged 3 and 5 in the house. Like so many people she…
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB (2): NIGEL POOLE QC
Second up in this series is Nigel Poole QC who is balancing the job of carrying on working alongside being Head of Kings Chambers. Nigel’s view of the importance of social interaction in the workplace is important, it balances the…
THE (NOT SO) LONELY LITIGATOR’S CLUB (1): HILARY WETHERELL
I have meant, for some time, to start a series looking at how litigators up and down the country are dealing with working in social isolation. Hopefully shared experiences and advice will mean that we are not so lonely. I’m…
USEFUL LINKS: SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUALS (WELLBEING AND HEALTH)
Continuing with the series on useful links, here we look at links to help with health and wellbeing. MENTAL HEALTH SAMH is Scotland’s national mental health charity and has been around since 1923. They have a page dedicated…
USEFUL LINKS: SUPPORT FOR LAWYERS DURING THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS (BECAUSE LAWYERS ARE PEOPLE TOO…)
The third in the series on useful links. Here we look at help and guidance for lawyers. GENERAL GUIDANCE The Law Society offers advice and updates on Coronavirus for the legal profession, including advice for: employers firm owners, managing partners and…
WORKING FROM HOME – WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS (1): GUIDANCE FROM THE NICE PEOPLE ON TWITTER
Once resource we can freely use is help from friends and colleagues on social media. I asked the good people of Twitter to give advice about working from home. Here are some of the replies (I may have missed some…
STAYING SANE AS A LITIGATOR 9: SHARING THE “PAIN”
Most of the burden of complying with time periods and court orders lies with the solicitor. However a solicitor’s life can be made easier by making sure that all those concerned with the litigation process know of the deadlines involved…
2019 AND CIVIL PROCEDURE THE YEAR IN REVIEW: WELL BEING: LOOKING AFTER OURSELVES SO WE CAN LOOK AFTER OTHERS
This year has seen a large number of posts on avoiding stress and dealing with the difficulties that lawyers can have in litigation. MARCH: FIND MUGGLES AND DISCONNECT FROM YOUR WORK: “LAWYERS JUST NEED TO HAVE FUN” March had…
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