*/
This year’s Minority Lawyers’ Conference was chaired by Kim Hollis QC and sponsored by Eversheds Solicitors.
The Lord Chief Justice spoke specifically on the question of diversity within the judiciary and was frank about the fact that there is a problem with the judiciary. “If you are truly qualified then you should not rule out a judicial career,” he said.
The conference demonstrated just how global the legal industry has become. Whether it is Islamic finance and arbitration in the Middle East, cross-border allegations of terrorism, or international assets in family proceedings, increasingly English law is now becoming a global business and more importantly, providing a new opportunity to practice on an international level.
This was recognised by the Attorney General: “What does this mean in terms of diversity? As we all know, in law context is everything. The context for our legal profession is now international; it knows no geographical boundaries ... Not only are the clients we might find in our own country now more diverse, we may also have international clients, operating beyond our borders and equally diverse. These clients want lawyers whose talents match or complement their own. They want lawyers skilled in different languages. They want lawyers skilled in cultural understanding and awareness.”
The Attorney General then invoked the “General” part of her title, announcing: “I am issuing a call for action. I go further; this is my Call to Arms. I call each and every one of you to ‘report to me’ for active duty in improving the diversity of the legal profession. I want to see evidence that we are taking appropriate steps and that this work is succeeding.”
The Lord Chief Justice spoke specifically on the question of diversity within the judiciary and was frank about the fact that there is a problem with the judiciary. “If you are truly qualified then you should not rule out a judicial career,” he said.
The conference demonstrated just how global the legal industry has become. Whether it is Islamic finance and arbitration in the Middle East, cross-border allegations of terrorism, or international assets in family proceedings, increasingly English law is now becoming a global business and more importantly, providing a new opportunity to practice on an international level.
This was recognised by the Attorney General: “What does this mean in terms of diversity? As we all know, in law context is everything. The context for our legal profession is now international; it knows no geographical boundaries ... Not only are the clients we might find in our own country now more diverse, we may also have international clients, operating beyond our borders and equally diverse. These clients want lawyers whose talents match or complement their own. They want lawyers skilled in different languages. They want lawyers skilled in cultural understanding and awareness.”
The Attorney General then invoked the “General” part of her title, announcing: “I am issuing a call for action. I go further; this is my Call to Arms. I call each and every one of you to ‘report to me’ for active duty in improving the diversity of the legal profession. I want to see evidence that we are taking appropriate steps and that this work is succeeding.”
This year’s Minority Lawyers’ Conference was chaired by Kim Hollis QC and sponsored by Eversheds Solicitors.
Chair of the Bar reports back
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
Get ready to lead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape
A £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs has been made to the leading UK charity tackling international parental child abduction and the movement of children across international borders
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, outlines the drug and alcohol testing options available for family law professionals, and how a new, free guide can help identify the most appropriate testing method for each specific case
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
There is no typical day in the life as a Supreme Court judicial assistant, says Josephine Gillingwater, and that’s what makes the role so enjoyably diverse
With at least 31 reports of AI hallucinations in UK legal cases – over 800 worldwide – and judges using AI to assist in judicial decision-making, the risks and benefits are impossible to ignore. Matthew Lee examines how different jurisdictions are responding
What has changed, and why? Paul Secher unpacks the new standards aligning the recruiting, training and appraising of judges – the first major change to the system for ten years
The deprivation of liberty is the most significant power the state can exercise. Drawing on frontline experience, Chris Henley KC explains why replacing trial by jury with judge-only trials risks undermining justice
Baffled by the government’s proposed s 41 reforms and by the Law Commission’s preferred model, Laura Hoyano looks at what won’t work, and what will
