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Spring is here, the sun is shining and thankfully we will be putting the clocks forward at the end of this month, giving me some extra daylight, in what is already a packed working day!
Over the past month, the Society has been actively engaged in various events, starting with a Student Panel Forum at Nottingham Law School in collaboration with The Law Society. It was an honour to sit on the panel and listen to the inspiring career progression stories shared by our Society's President, Lauren Crow, Deputy Vice President, Drew Dennis, and NJLD Chair, Shannon Mould.
Steven Drew from The Law Society, also provided valuable insights on how they support law students in their career journeys. One of the standout tips from this event was the crucial importance of a well-crafted LinkedIn profile to effectively showcase your skills and achievements.
The Private Client Committee recently hosted their second highly successful drinks networking event, generously sponsored by RBC Brewin Dolphin. Chair, Bindiya Patel, and sponsor Alan Rodgers warmly welcomed private client practitioners from our member firms at Pitcher & Piano. These networking events are poised to become a staple in our event diary, providing sub-committees with valuable opportunities to connect with members and strengthen relationships in specialist law areas.
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After a hectic week, I took a well-deserved escape to North Yorkshire during the half-term to recharge, preparing myself to tackle the busy month of March ahead!
Society patron, Marsh, joined us in Nottingham alongside three keynote presenters—Peter Hey, Martin Callinan, and Robert Blech—who delved into the topic of Global Risks in law firms and the transformative impact of AI on our daily work lives. The session was highly illuminating, and as recommended by Peter Hey, we have included the latest Global Risk in Law Firms Report 2024-2025 in this month's bulletin.
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The Hammond Cup Advocacy Competition has officially commenced, starting with two training sessions held at Nottingham Law School. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Professor Jane Jarman, Alwyn Jones, Jane Ching, and Chris Ratcliffe for their invaluable assistance during the evening sessions.
The first round of the competition is scheduled for Thursday, 13th March, with the final round to take place on Wednesday, 30th April.
To complement this year's training, a guidance document has been produced by Professor Jarman, featuring a paragraph from Michael Hammond, written in 2001, explaining the origins of this annual competition.
Michael Hammond, who served as Vice President of the Nottingham Law Students Society in 1967-68, designed the competition to help students hone their advocacy skills.
“The object of the competition is to encourage the development of the art of advocacy in any situation in which a solicitor is likely to find themselves. So far, the annual trials have involved both criminal and civil actions. I hope they will continue to help the ever-changing needs of the trainees.”
The competition, now in its 58th year, has seen over 40 applicants for Criminal and Civil applications, proving that it has truly stood the test of time.
On Tuesday, 4th March, I had the pleasure of visiting the new office of Ellis-Fermor Negus in West Bridgford. It was wonderful to catch up with Jon Holt and meet his legal colleagues on a sunny day. In this month’s press release section, Ellis-Fermor Negus announces the new arrival of Lauren West to the West Bridgford office. It was great to meet her and welcome her to the Nottinghamshire Law Society.
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On Wednesday, 5th March, a courageous team took a daring leap out of a plane over Langar Airfield. I am incredibly proud of what the team achieved both personally and in terms of fundraising. I am sure the President’s Vision will share more about her charitable leap! Thank you to Jay Glenn from Show Photography and Dan Lambourne, for capturing the moments on film!
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Lastly, we come to the fantastic John Pearce Quiz, held at the Bierkeller on Thursday, 6th March. A huge thank you to everyone who attended. Ropewalk Chambers posed some great questions, challenged the creativity of our teams with playdoh, and through the raffle, raised £1,477.00 for their nominated charity, Rotary Sherwood. Thank you to Shannon Mould, NJLD Chair, who helped me with the raffle ticket sales, together we smashed it! Thanks also to Jay Glenn for his amazing photography and capturing the buzzing atmosphere.
The winning team, The Mountweazels from the University of Nottingham, will be setting the questions in 2026!
This year, the quiz saw 55 teams and 288 participants – a record-breaking number!
For those who were there, I’m pleased to report that the missing mobile phone was returned to me over the weekend, much to my relief! Thank you for all the emails of concern sent to me over the past few days.
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Last night, Tom Russell from Truce Mediation presented a seminar to our members at the offices of RBC Brewin Dolphin. Tom shared his valuable tips on how to effectively use a mediator and handle a reluctant negotiator. A big thank you to Tom, Hannah Scothern from Best Practice, and RBC Brewin Dolphin for supporting this event and providing excellent cakes and biscuits!
So, what’s happening next…?
The Annual Awards Dinner will require a lot of my attention over the coming weeks as we come together to celebrate the 2025 Legal Awards of Nottinghamshire at the East Midlands Conference Centre. Again, another sell-out event with over 430 guests in attendance, dressed in their finery!
In addition, we will be sharing information about our 150th Anniversary Dinner, scheduled for Friday, 6th June, at Cleaver & Wake. Stay tuned for more details!
In the meantime, thank you for reading…
Best wishes,
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Michelle Foster
Head of Operations
Nottinghamshire Law Society