Manchester City Council

Cheshire East Council

Recruitment Market Report 2021

Using data from over 2000 local authority legal jobs published on Public Law Jobs between 2017 and 2020, Adam Carey reports on how local government lawyers' salaries and council recruitment fared over the course of last year, broken down by region, practice area and role. Read more
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News

Nov 09, 2021

Law firm makes string of hires following decision to focus more on public sector work

Law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) has strengthened its public sector and local government practice with a number of senior hires, including the former Head of Legal Services and Deputy Monitoring Officer at BCP Council.
Oct 18, 2021

University and DHSC legal teams ‘highly commended’ in Law Society Awards 2021

The legal team at Loughborough University and the Department of Health and Social Care Legal Advisors in the Government Legal Department were both highly commended in the In-house Team of the Year category in the Law Society Awards 2021.
Oct 18, 2021

LLG extends tenure of current president for further six months

LLG has decided to extend the term of its current president, Quentin Baker, until spring 2022, when it is envisaged that the full range of presidential team activities will be available to his successor.
Oct 18, 2021

Weightmans welcomes thirteen school leavers to its solicitor apprenticeship scheme

National law firm Weightmans has welcomed its first cohort of apprentice solicitors to its Apprenticeship Academy, which allows school leavers to qualify as a solicitor and gain a law degree while working.
Oct 05, 2021

Browne Jacobson appoints Antoniou as new London Head of Education

Browne Jacobson has appointed Charlotte Antoniou as a partner and the new head of its London education team.
Oct 04, 2021

Liverpool names Fenwick as City Solicitor and Monitoring Officer

Liverpool City Council has appointed Daniel Fenwick, Director of Legal and Governance at the London Boroughs of Newham and Havering for the last six years, as its City Solicitor.
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Features

Local Government - new starter guide

The following LexisNexis practice note is aimed at trainee solicitors and those who are new to Local Government and explains the role of local government lawyers and provides an overview of the primary legal disciplines they will encounter.

Future of agile working - how tech will solve the connectivity and productivity puzzle?

With law firms asking the question of whether their lawyers will continue working from home post-pandemic, Rebecca McGuirk and Emma Burrows of Trowers and Hamlins ask technology expert, Alan Valentine, about how technology will be essential for hybrid-working.

Wellbeing session 5: Vicarious trauma

Mary Jackson, of LawCare, leads a discussion aimed at helping local government lawyers develop self-awareness regarding the importance of their mental fitness, with a particular focus on learning to recognise and cope with the occupational risk of Vicarious Trauma.

Wellbeing session 4: Reflections on leadership

Amardeep Gill speaks to Gareth Edmundson, Chief Executive at Cheltenham Borough Council. The pair discuss authentic leadership, including Gareth's experience of depression and anxiety and how this has shaped his approach to working with others.
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Sponsored Editorial

Featured Employers

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Leicestershire County Council

About Leicestershire
Both geographically and because of its many excellent transport links, Leicestershire is at the heart of England. With an extremely diverse population, we pride ourselves that Leicestershire is a highly inclusive and vibrant place to live and work.

London Borough of Tower Hamlets

Tower Hamlets is one of London’s most diverse and historically important boroughs.  Based in East London, with excellent transport links and in close proximity to Canary Wharf, our borough is a fascinating place to work with a rich history and heritage and a vibrant and diverse community.

It is an exciting time to join us to help shape our future as we develop new policies, creating a dynamic outcomes-based organisation and revolutionising the way people access services.

The Legal Department of the Future 2019
 

The productivity puzzle

Local government legal departments are struggling with increased workloads, recruitment is increasingly difficult and external advice is expensive. Yet the movement toward shared services and alternative business structures is abating while spending on legal technology remains anaemic. Derek Bedlow looks at what the results of the Legal Department of the Future survey mean for council legal teams.

The race for talent

The recruitment market for qualified local government lawyers is the tightest that it has been for years. At a time when council legal teams are busier than ever it is putting a severe strain on legal department management writes Derek Bedlow.

Reasons to be cheerful

Lawyers in local government are happier than most other professionals, according to this year’s survey. Derek Bedlow looks into why they are reporting record levels of satisfaction with their work and outlines areas where working conditions can still be improved.

The best of times, the worst of times

Local government lawyers are in demand like never before, but this creates many additional pressures on legal teams. To try to find some solutions to the issues identified by the survey, Local Government Lawyer convened some of the country’s most experienced local government lawyers to a roundtable session, held at the Charles Dickens Museum in London. Derek Bedlow reports.
 

 LDOF Supplement Front Cover 

Improving internal efficiency simplified

Building the case for legal evidence management in local government

Changing priorities, new challenges?

Co-sourcing: a new era of flexible resourcing

 

More News

Sep 29, 2021

LawCare research warns of high risk of burnout among legal professionals

Legal professionals are at high risk of burnout, mental ill-health and workplace bullying, harassment or discrimination, legal mental health charity LawCare has said.
Sep 28, 2021

Bevan Brittan strengthens construction offering with hire of two partners and two senior associates

Law firm Bevan Brittan has bolstered its Construction Team with the appointment of two partners and two senior associates.
Sep 13, 2021

Leading planning, property and public law chambers set up mentoring scheme for under-represented groups at the Bar

Five sets of chambers that specialise in planning, property and public law – Cornerstone Barristers, Field Court Chambers, FTB Chambers, Kings Chambers and Landmark Chambers – have set up a mentoring scheme for underrepresented groups at the Bar.
Sep 06, 2021

Anthony Collins bolsters Manchester office with housing partner hire

Anthony Collins Solicitors has appointed housing specialist Thomas Starkey as a partner as part of its effort to boost its presence in the North West.
Sep 01, 2021

Three judges appointed to Court of Appeal

Three judges have been appointed Justices of Appeal to fill vacancies which have arisen in the Court of Appeal.
Sep 01, 2021

Browne Jacobson partner appointed social care sector ambassador for charity

Amanda Wright-Kluger, a partner and solicitor-advocate at Browne Jacobson’s Nottingham office, has been appointed a social care ambassador for Championing Social Care.
Aug 24, 2021

Law firm VWV promotes seven to partner

Law firm VWV has promoted seven lawyers to partner bringing the total at the firm to 91.
Aug 17, 2021

Increased instructions from shareholders and external clients during pandemic lead to surge in profits at council-owned LGSS Law

LGSS Law, the council-owned alternative business structure (ABS), saw revenue rise 14% and profits more than double in the financial year ending 31 March 2021.
Aug 16, 2021

Salford names Puzio as new City Solicitor

Salford City Council has appointed Iolanda Puzio, currently the Chief Legal Officer and Monitoring Officer for Cumbria County Council, as its City Solicitor.
Aug 06, 2021

Local authorities make shortlist for In-House Team of the Year in Law Society Awards 2021

Two council legal teams have been shortlisted for the In-House Team of the Year in the Law Society Awards 2021.
Jul 16, 2021

Head of Law at Dudley wins ‘Inspirational Leader Award’ at LLG Awards 2021

Mohammed Farooq, Monitoring Officer and Head of the Law and Governance Division at Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, won the Inspirational Leader Award 2021 at the LLG Awards 2021 last night (15 July).
Jul 07, 2021

DAC Beachcroft promotes 16 to partner and seven to legal director

Law firm DAC Beachcroft has announced the promotion of 16 partners and seven legal directors, effective from 1 May 2021.
Jun 14, 2021

Lawyers, operations officer at Government Legal Department recognised in Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2021

An operations officer as well as a number of lawyers in the Government Legal Department have been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2021.
Jun 09, 2021

Housing specialists named partners in latest promotions round at Forbes Solicitors

Two housing management specialists are among five new partners at Forbes Solicitors.
Jun 01, 2021

Government Legal Department senior lawyer joins Browne Jacobson as commercial partner

National law firm Browne Jacobson has recruited a senior lawyer from the Commercial Law Group of the Government Legal Department as a partner in its IT and complex transactions team.
May 21, 2021

Browne Jacobson names eight partners in 2021 promotions round

National law firm Browne Jacobson has promoted eight lawyers to partner, two to legal director and 19 to senior associate, effective from 1 May 2021.
May 19, 2021

Weightmans appoints 11 partners in latest promotions

National law firm Weightmans has promoted eleven lawyers to partner in its first promotions round since 2019.

More Features

Wellbeing session 3: My wellbeing strategy workshop

Lawyers in Local Government hosts a webinar discussing wellbeing techniques for legal professionals. Yvonne Oakenfull of Shoosmiths explores some of the components of wellbeing and what it might mean to you.

Wellbeing session 2: Dealing with change and creating a positive future

Amardeep Gill, Jude Jennison, William Murtha and Deborah Evans discuss strategies to deal with change, stress and creating positive future trajectories for yourself, your team and your organisation.

Wellbeing session 1: Coping with helping yourself and others in difficult times

Olwen Brown and Deborah Evans look at the value of talking to someone to explain how you are feeling during stressful times.

Remote working set to become the norm post-Covid, survey finds

Just 4% of local authority lawyers want to return to the office full-time after Covid-19 outbreak as finished, exclusive new research by Local Government Lawyer in conjunction with LexisNexis has found.

Getting a job as a paralegal: tips and interview techniques

Amanda Hamilton considers what makes a successful paralegal applicant, and provides interview tips.

Virtual Training – why didn’t we think of it earlier!?

Member development trainer Bethan Evans relives her experiences of switching from face-to-face to online training during lockdown and looks at how they may affect the physical/virtual divide post-pandemic.

Taking the Diploma

Rob Hann reflects on how studying for the Law Society's Diploma in Local Government Law and Practice became a pivotal moment in his long and varied local government career.

Developing potential

Mark Smulian highlights the role that EM LawShare's Development Network plays in advancing the careers of local government lawyers.

COVID-19 Weekly Brief: Financial management in uncertain times

The current difficulties around the economy and employment resulting from the coronavirus outbreak highlight the importance of getting a grip on your finances, managing your money well and saving for that 'rainy day', says Richard Olive in this instalment of LLG's COVID-19 Weekly Brief.

Local authority legal practice during COVID-19

What is it like working in local authority legal practice during the coronavirus pandemic? Matthew Dineen explains.

In the beginning…

Rob Hann, local government lawyer and author, finds time during the Covid 19 lockdown to share some of his early experiences as a trainee lawyer at Sheffield City Council at a time of major conflict between central/local government.

Places of learning

What is it like to work as an in-house solicitor in Higher Education? Sam McGinty reflects on the transition between local government and higher education and why he loves his job.
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