"So, this is Christmas and what have we done?..."
November flew by so quickly that it was almost a blur. Another month filled with various events and meetings took place. The reception for Newly Qualified Solicitors and New Tenant Barristers, held at the amazing MemSaab, was an incredible evening. The highlight of the event was the announcement of the winner of the Kevin De Silva Legal Article competition. The three finalists, Ella Breminer, Chris Inglis, and Aakriti Garodia were joined by HHJ Owen and President Stephen Luke to present the highly coveted shield.
This year, the competition received a wide range of submissions discussing the topics of toxic workplace environments, resilience in the workplace, and ChatGPT. Ella Bremner from Freeths LLP emerged as the winner, impressing the judges with her article on ChatGPT and its relevance in the digital era. The article is published in this month’s bulletin, so don’t forget to read it!
November ended with the Law Fair, organised by Nottingham Law School, followed by the Mansfield Networking lunch, Maggies Christmas Fair, Nelson's Christmas Drinks, and finally the Paul Smith VIP shopping evening. All of these events were very well attended, and attendees were able to find great deals at Paul Smith's during the perfect Christmas shopping evening.
The special occasion in the Society's calendar, known as the Past Presidents' Lunch, is celebrated on the first Friday of December. This year, it was hosted by Janine McKinney, the Immediate Past President. During Janine's presidency, a young sapling from the Major Oak was planted in a new woodland in Nottinghamshire in early February.
This tree planting event was a part of the jubilee celebrations honouring the late Queen Elizabeth's Green Canopy campaign. To commemorate the occasion, all the past presidents received an acorn tree decoration, and Janine was presented with the official tree plaque from the Society.
KCH Garden Square kindly provided the perfect venue for the final round of the President's Cup negotiation competition. Once again, this year's finalists, Will Jones from Freeths LLP and Lane Castro from Gateley Legal, engaged in a tightly contested battle. Congratulations to Will for emerging as the victor and securing the cup!
The first mince pie of the season was enjoyed over a cup of tea with Practice Manager, Louise Bell, from Stephen Burdon Solicitors. It is always a pleasure to meet our members at their workplaces and engage with the staff about the advantages of the Society and Nottinghamshire Junior Lawyers Division. Feel free to send me an email to schedule a meeting for a cup of coffee and a chat. I would be delighted to see you in the upcoming year!
The annual Christmas Drinks event excellently hosted at Copper, featuring outstanding entertainment from Matt Turner. Thank you to all those who joined us that evening and embraced the festive spirit, adorned in sequins and Christmas jumpers. Jay Glenn from Show Photography, captured the evening perfectly, click here to view the gallery.
At the end of the month, we concluded with a festive gathering for Christmas alongside my colleagues from Derby & District Law Society, Julia Saunders, and Northamptonshire Law Society, Carolyn Coles. These gatherings hold great significance as they allow us to discuss the progress of our respective law societies, exchange tips, and provide support to one another.
Looking ahead to the upcoming year, we have plenty in the diary already. Firstly, the Wine Tasting with Weavers, scheduled for February, is sure to be a delightful experience for wine enthusiasts. Additionally, the quizzical evening at the Southbank Bar, known as the John Pearce Charity Quiz, will be taking place in March.
Nominations for the Annual Awards will be revealed in early January. To make things even more exciting, there will be early bird booking offers available for the Annual Dinner, so be sure to keep an eye out for them!
With all this in mind, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a wonderful Christmas and I look forward to seeing you in 2024!
Sending festive wishes to you all,
Michelle Foster
Head of Operations
Nottinghamshire Law Society