Michelle's News - May 2026

What a whirlwind April and start to May have been — so much to fit in, so many people to see, places to visit, and achievements to celebrate!

Now that the official photographs from the Annual Awards Dinner have been released, I hope you’ve had a chance to take a look. What a glamorous evening it was — and what a fantastic atmosphere we created together. Not only did we celebrate the outstanding achievements within our legal community, but we also raised valuable funds for charity. Events like this simply wouldn’t be possible without our trusted supporters, so a huge thank you to Robert Persell (our brilliant Toastmaster), Conference Works, Eventologists, Create Inc., Print Co., and EMCC for helping us deliver such a memorable evening.

It was also a pleasure to attend the Wish Upon A Star Spring Coffee Morning at Buckles Law on 23rd April. It was wonderful to meet new faces and catch up with familiar ones — including our Junior Lawyer of the Year, Molly Reek.

The same day continued at pace, as I joined Landsmiths Solicitors at Cleaver & Wake, to celebrate their 5th anniversary. Congratulations to the team on this milestone — it was a fantastic celebration in beautiful surroundings, and a great opportunity to connect with members and colleagues across the profession.

On Sunday 26th April, I went along to support our legal runners taking part in the London Marathon — on what turned out to be an incredibly hot and challenging day. Huge congratulations to James Firman (running for The Wolfpack Project), Joshua Ganley (Laura’s Centre), Greg Almond (Headway), Aania Bokhari (Care4Calais), and Mark Evans, President of The Law Society, who ran in support of LawCare. You all did an amazing job. I was fortunate enough to catch Joshua at the 18-mile mark in Canary Wharf — although, unsurprisingly with thousands lining the route and cheering on over 50,000 runners, he didn’t spot me!

At the end of April, we were treated to one of the highlights of the legal calendar — the prestigious Hammond Cup final at Nottingham Law School. A huge thank you to Drew Dennis, Darcey White and Gavin Dunn for stepping into their acting roles so brilliantly — truly outstanding performances! My thanks also go to HHJ Coe KC and HHJ Coupland for judging what was an incredibly competitive final. Congratulations to Daniel Blurton on winning, against strong competition from Oyin Makinde, James Reynolds and Jasmin Blackwell-Lynch — it really was a close call.

Behind the scenes, the Education and Training Committee works tirelessly each year to bring these competitions to life. In particular, Professor Jane Jarman’s passion and commitment to advocacy training is invaluable, alongside the continued support of the team at Nottingham Law School. These opportunities are so important in helping junior legal professionals build confidence and refine their skills in a supportive environment — thank you to everyone involved.

On 6th May, I had the pleasure of visiting The Law Society to host an afternoon tea with local law societies from across England and Wales. With over 20 societies represented — from Hampshire to Newcastle, Wales to Sussex — it was a fantastic opportunity to share ideas, discuss challenges, and explore how we can continue delivering value to our members. The energy in the room was incredible, with a real shared commitment to making our societies relevant, engaging, and — importantly — enjoyable.

The day didn’t end there, as we joined Law Society President, Mark Evans, for an evening at the Novello Theatre to see Mamma Mia! — and, my my, what a night it was!

The following day, we attended the Town Hall meeting with The Law Society, including an insightful Q&A with Mark Evans and the new SRA Board Chair, Sarah Rapson. With the SRA’s draft business plan for 2026/27 recently released, there is an opportunity for members to respond to the consultation (closing on 22nd June). We will be sharing further details soon and welcome your views.

On 12th May, we held our AGM — a particularly significant one this year, as members voted for the incoming Deputy Vice President for the first time. Well done to both Gemma Hopper and Natalie Haydon-Yeung for putting themselves forward — your commitment to supporting the Society is truly admirable. Congratulations to Natalie on her appointment as Deputy Vice President for 2026–2027 — we look forward to welcoming you to Council.

The AGM also marked the end of Marie Dancer’s Presidential year. Marie has been nothing short of a “Super Trouper” — leading with energy, warmth and genuine passion. It has been an absolute pleasure working alongside her, helping bring her ideas to life, and sharing so many enjoyable moments along the way. I am delighted she will continue her involvement as Broxtowe representative and Immediate Past President — she is an inspiring and truly valued member of our community.

So, what’s coming up…

The Private Client & Family Festival: Future Proof takes place at Binks Yard on Thursday 4th June. With over 70 attendees already booked, it promises to be a fantastic event exploring key topics such as modernisation of wills, inheritance tax, and nuptial agreements — along with some lighter moments (including a penalty shoot-out!). There is still time to book your place, so don’t miss out.

On Thursday 11th June, we are hosting an in-house breakfast networking event with The Law Society at Browne Jacobson, who have kindly opened their offices to welcome in-house counsel from across Nottinghamshire. Keep an eye on your inbox for the invitation.

Then, on Tuesday 16th June, we have the Nottingham Legal Community Walk, raising funds for Nottingham Law Centre. Starting outside the Justice Centre at 5:30pm, this is a great opportunity to come together as a community for a worthwhile cause. Teams can be registered via the link, and donations are warmly encouraged through our JustGiving page.

We also have the Summer VIP Shopping evening at Paul Smiths on Thursday 18th June - don't miss this opportunity to bag some exceptional summer bargains!

As summer arrives, so too does cricket season! Under the leadership of Captain Aaron Singh, we have three fixtures at Regatta Way:

· 10th June: Lawyers v NHS Medics

· 2nd July: Radford Cup — NLS Solicitors v Barristers

· 22nd July: Lawyers v Accountants

These matches are always competitive, sociable and great fun — whether you’re playing or spectating, we’d love to see you there.

As you can see, we are certainly keeping busy — and there’s even more to come. We’re already planning an exciting programme for the autumn, which we hope to share with you in the June bulletin.

For now, it’s time for me to take a short break in Verona and recharge before the next chapter begins…

Best wishes,

Michelle Foster

Head of Operations

Nottinghamshire Law Society