Summer2013 Dates for 2013


The City of London Solicitors’ Company Mon. 9th Sept.


General Purposes Committee at the Company’s offices at 4 College Hill, EC4 at 5.00 p.m.


Thurs. 26th Sept * Court meeting at 4.30 p.m. followed by Court Dinner at 6.30 p.m. L.


Mon. 30th Sept.


Election of Lord Mayor, Guildhall, 11.45 a.m. followed by lunch at Cutlers’ Hall, Warwick Lane, EC4. Liverymen.


Tues. 1st Oct.


SOLACCSUR Golf Day. Walton Heath Golf Club. Details available from the Clerk.


Mon. 4th Nov. General Purposes Committee, at the Company’s offices at 4 College Hill, EC4 at 5.00 p.m.


Sat. 9th Nov. Lord Mayor’s Show


Mon. 18th Nov. * Court meeting at 11.00 a.m. followed by luncheon at 1.00 p.m.


Wed. 27th Nov. Livery Dinner, Clothworkers’ Hall at 6.45 p.m. Liverymen and Guests. D.


The City of London Law Society


Wed. 25th Sept.


Committee of the City of London Law Society at 11.00 a.m. at the offices of CMS Cameron McKenna LLP, Mitre House,160 Aldersgate Street, E.C.1.


Wed. 27th Nov.


Committee of the City of London Law Society at 11.00 a.m. followed by a Carvery Lunch at 1.00 p.m. at Butchers’ Hall, Bartholomew Close, EC1.


* At Cutlers’ Hall, Warwick Lane, EC4.


(Cont. from cover)


In line with one of the Review’s stated objectives, access, mobility and transferability form clear threads through the Report.


The Training Committee has begun work on analysing the Report in more detail and the Committee’s initial views are that most elements of the Report’s Recommendations deserved cautious support in principle. However, much would depend on the detail of how the SRA proposed to implement those they concluded they wanted to pursue.


Picking up some particular points from the Committee’s early thinking on the Report:


- the Committee welcomes the “incremental” approach of the Review, acknowledging strengths of the existing system as well as probing weaknesses;


- while the Committee has advocated changes to the Qualifying Law Degree (and in turn the Graduate Diploma in Law – GDL), the members are of the view that caution is needed before embarking on significant changes to the QLD. Care would need to be taken if adding more into the QLD threatened non-law graduates ability to be able to complete the GDL in a year;


- it is attractive to develop an access scheme to the profession through a non- graduate apprenticeship, not least as this would support diminishing barriers to entry into the profession. Any such scheme would, however, need to be structured to ensure the high quality standards the profession needs its entrants to achieve were maintained;


- the Committee supports a move to an outcomes-based process leading to qualification, provided it involves some element of work-based development. That approach would permit flexibility


in terms of when an entrant can qualify and the Committee favours setting some minimum period which could be shorter than the current two year period. (Indeed, the Committee has proposed that 16 months could be the minimum when the SRA has reviewed the work-based learning element of the traineeship.);


- while the Committee supports the Report’s focus on apprentices and paralegals, it is important that any accreditation or licensing of them be voluntary. Any attempt to force all paralegals (the range of whose roles is huge across the sector) into a “one size fits all” straitjacket needs to be resisted;


- on CPD, views are going to vary but moving towards some more flexible basis, with time spent on professional work acknowledged as “counting” reflects the reality of professional life;


- the Legal Education Council deserves support and if it comes into being it needs to be an effective body, not an overly- costly one.


The publication of the Review’s report is, of course, only the start of the process, not the end. The regulators will take steps over the coming months to implement such of the recommendations as they think fit and that will lead to the profession being consulted. The Committee will work on the behalf of the CLLS members in responding to the Consultation Papers and will keep members informed of developments.


At this stage, it is too early to decide whether an Open Meeting of the CLLS is needed to discuss the Report. However, that is an option at the appropriate time.


Tony King, Chairman CLLS Training Committee, Clifford Chance LLP


City Solicitor • Issue 82 • 3


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