Media Centre

Professional Update : 9th December 2011

12.12.2011

9 December 2011

Lasting powers of attorney: updated practice note

We have updated our practice note for solicitors who advise clients on drawing up a lasting power of attorney (LPA), or who act as an attorney under an LPA.
Read the LPA practice note
Available in the bookshop: Lasting Powers of Attorney, 2nd Edition

Lender requests for files: new practice note

Lenders sometimes request that solicitors hand over material from their residential conveyancing files. This can create difficulties where the solicitor is or was acting for both the lender and the borrower. This practice note provides information on this complex area of law.
Read the lender requests for files practice note

Judicial vacancies and video support

The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) has announced vacancies for salaried and deputy judges of the Upper Tribunal, Administrative Appeals Chamber. The posts are based in London and Edinburgh.
Application details - closing date: 22 December
Watch a video introduction to judicial appointments - get a valuable insight into the work of the JAC, how the judicial selection process works and get tips for success.

Committals to be abolished for either way cases

The government has announced that it will abolish committals for either way cases next year. The new process will be rolled out gradually across the country from April, and is expected to be fully implemented within a year. The announcement will have no impact on our judicial review.
Read our full comment

Summer riots: praise for defence solicitors

The Law Society has welcomed the lord chief justice's remarks about 'the huge contribution' made by defence solicitors to the efficient running of the courts in the wake of the August riots.
Read lord chief justice's comments

Education and training: share your views

The Society is at the beginning of a process of developing and fine tuning its policies on education and training, to feed into the current review being undertaken by the legal regulators. To share your views on the legal education and training system, please get in touch.
Find out more and share your views
Read our current policies (PDF)

Landmark law conference: register your interest

Law Conference 2012 will bring together experts and leaders in the legal sector to network and address the evolving challenges for our profession. Make sure you're free on Thursday 20 to Saturday 22 September 2012 for what promises to become a landmark event for the profession.
Register your interest at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
More about the event

Develop flexible working: Law Society support

The Law Society has developed a protocol to help firms implement flexible working practices. The protocol is part of our flagship Diversity and Inclusion Charter, a public statement of commitment to equality and diversity by its signatories.
Find out more about the charter
Find out how your firm can benefit from flexible working

Save 15% on all Law Society gifts

Take advantage of our exclusive online gift sale. You can choose from a range of gifts including cufflinks, the new Law Society golf umbrella, business card holders and the Law Society tie.
Visit the bookshop and see Christmas delivery dates

LPP: Prudential appeal to be heard in November 2012

Prudential's appeal against the Court of Appeal's decision that legal professional privilege (LPP) does not extend to non-lawyers will be heard in the Supreme Court on 6 November 2012. The Law Society has been given permission to intervene.
Background information on this issue

Career progression survey

The InterLaw Diversity Forum has launched a survey on career experiences in the legal sector to understand what drives or hinders career progression.
Share your experiences - all responses will be anonymous

Training and events

Castle debates: loss of biodiversity - 1.5 hours CPD

Hear presentations from Sir John Lawton, Richard Benyon MP, and WWF-UK and then join in the free debate. This debate looks at the government’s recent white paper ‘The natural choice: securing the value of nature’.
Book your place - 1 February 2012

Next in the series:
Chemicals in the environment - 6 March 2012
Air pollution - 17 April 2012

Establishing a new legislation - 2 hours CPD

The Welsh Assembly is now creating primary legislation and fields as diverse as planning, health and education are changing rapidly in Wales. Tessa Shellens examines how these changes will affect your practice - the event is suitable for those in private practice and local government.
Thursday 2 February 2012
Thursday 9 February 2012

Localism Act 2011: housing law reforms - 1 hour CPD

This webinar focuses on the key reforms to social housing introduced by the Localism Act 2011. It covers the significant changes to security of tenure, allocations, homelessness, housing finance and the regulatory regime for registered providers of social housing.
Register today - takes place at 13:00 on Tuesday 13 December

New dates: OFR for conveyancers - 3 hours CPD

These seminars clarify the new obligations and responsibilities facing conveyancers, offering practical help to overcome the challenges.
Thursday 9 February 2012, Manchester
Thursday 16 February 2012, Newcastle

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