Lawcast 188: Peter Crisp, Dean of BPP Law School – Funding and privatisation of legal education

Today I am talking to Peter Crisp, Dean of BPP Law School, part of BPP University College. We examine the diversity and funding issues which BPP Law School is addressing and consider the ‘privatisation’ of education generally, but with particular reference to legal education. It is a wide ranging and robust  discussion.   Listen to [...]

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Lawcast 187: Julian Summerhayes on Social Media for lawyers – and the changing face of legal practice.

Today I am talking to Julian Summerhayes – Julian describes himself thus on his website….”I am a non-practising solicitor with a passion for EXCELLENCE, social media, cyclist and a bookworm on all things related to business and personal development.” We look at twitter, Linked-in and the pitfalls for lawyers using social media as part of [...]

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Lawcast 186: Gary Slapper, Director Open University Law School privatisation education – Legal Aid – Dowler case

Today I am talking to Professor Gary Slapper, Director of the Law School at The Open University. We look at the relentless march towards privatisation in legal education, the Legal Aid reforms and briefly examine the criticism of Jeffrey Samuels QC in the Dowler case Listen to the podcast *** And…thank you to Cassons For Counsel,  [...]

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Postcard From The Staterooms: PM Camcorderdirect gets tough on ripping up legal aid at police stations et al

Dear Reader, I shall start my postcard this week with views on the Milly Dowler case – but without comment – save to say that I am interested to see what the Bar Council makes of the criticism in the mainstream media about the cross-examination by the defence Silk. Some in the mainstream media (and [...]

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Rive Gauche: Charon QC on Tea Making (4th cumulative supplement) now out…. Seminal!

Charon QC on Tea Making,  4th Supplement to the 29th Edition (Maninahat Press) £780 + VAT “This inter-disciplinary and seminally important update to the 29th edition of this internationally acclaimed  tractatus from leading and  very contemporary law diva, Charon QC, explores the commoditisation of law students from the academic stage of legal education all the [...]

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Law Review: Legal Aid – European Arrest Warrant – and… Planking

Brian Inkster’s post on The Time Blawg continues to attract debate – with some amusing comments about the ‘flawgers’.  The post and the comments are worth a read. The big story this week is about legal aid – or to be more precise, the lack of it.  Lucy Reed, best known to law bloggers as [...]

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These men will eat you for lunch?: Too many lawyers – The unrelenting march to the privatisation of legal education

Soon, it will be the season for chucking mortar boards into the air as law students celebrate their success in securing the all important First or 2.1 degree to qualify them to join an ever growing list of contributors to the profits of the vocational law schools and join a list of highly qualified ‘legal [...]

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Postcard from The Staterooms: Law blogs – but no *Flawging* ?

Dear Reader, I bowled a couple of bouncers on twitter last night when I asked if law blogging was becoming less gentleman/womanly with law bloggers broadcasting rather than ‘engaging’ and not linking to other blogs as much as they used to do.  Certainly, there are more law blogs than some years ago – a positive [...]

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Rive Gauche: Felicity Gerry takes Rozenberg to task – The Twlawyer floats *Flawgit PLC* et al….

It has been quite a week, so I thought a casual romp through some of the legal stories of the week, without too much analysis, would be a fine way to spend a rainy Friday night at my desk… Barrister, Felicity Gerry took Joshua Rozenberg to task for his comment on the Facebook Contempt trial. [...]

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Law Review: Facebook contempt and contempt by First Minister of Scotland for law?

Today, Lord Judge, Chief Justice of England & Wales, jailed the juror who committed contempt in the ‘Facebook Contempt’ case. Sky news reports: “Solicitor General Edward Garnier QC, who presented the case in person, added: “Jurors should take careful note and know that the law officers will prosecute those who commit contempt. “The jury system [...]

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International Cliche day – a game changing paradigm evidence based shift – and a quick look at the law blogs

Juror prosecuted for contempt in Facebook case is ‘distraught’ The Telegraph: The first juror ever to face prosecution for contempt of court involving the internet was ”distraught” today as she came before the Lord Chief Justice. The Telegraph notes that she had formally admitted contempt of court. Adam Wagner at the UK Human Rights blog [...]

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Postcard from The Staterooms: The Rains came…..

Dear Reader, Perhaps it is my Scots background;  years of running around the Perthshire countryside at school… pointlessly… in thin cotton running shorts and a tight singlet designed to reveal muscles and six-pack ; a duty which I now leave to others – but I enjoy the rain, the bleak landscape, storms.  And, as I write, [...]

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Lawcast 185: Gary Slapper, Director Open University Law School on the New College of Humanities and changes in legal education

Today I am talking to Professor Gary Slapper, Director of the Law School at The Open University.  We look at some topical matters relating to legal education, the reforms being considered by the profession, the influence of the big vocational law schools  on legal education syllabuses and teaching and the recent announcement by Professor A [...]

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New College of Humanities: New Chums on the block…… ?

Frothing at the mouth from bloggers, pundits and others – whether they know what they are talking about or not -  is always amusing, because it tends to lead to polemic at best, ranting at worst. 1.  By a website in writing, dated June 2011, The New College of Humanities (“New Chums” HT to Timothy [...]

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Law Review: Legal tweeters on TV – Miscarriages of Justice – Politicians interfering with the judiciary?

The start of a new week brings a few themes and a matter of some concern. It was interesting to see a few legal tweeters on this College of Law Media Unit film: See @BrianInkster @StephenMayson @ChristianUncut and @TheNakedLawyer Twitter is attracting a fair number of practising lawyers.  @John_Cooper_QC pops in fairly frequently with a [...]

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Muttley Dastardly LLP (22): A trainee is interviewed for a training contract

Eva Braun, Matt Muttley’s PA, elegantly dressed as always in a tailored black suit and high heels,  led a young man into the Partner’s Boardoom and seated him at the opposite end of the long boardroom table.  He had a brown paper bag over his head. Dr Erasmus Strangelove, Director of Psyops, Strategy and Education, [...]

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Rive Gauche: “We, at Muttley Dastardly LLP, marvel at the antics of our fellow lawyers in the City. Long may it continue… mwahahahaha.”

Fridays, for me, are a strange mix of weekday and weekend.  I often find that I don’t get many responses to emails and when I call to speak to a client I am often told they are ‘working from home’.  As I don’t wish to be a ‘stalker’, I tend to leave the matter there [...]

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Law Review: ALBA GU BRÀTH! – First Minister Alec Braveheart’s views on law… and other matters……

First Minister of Scotland, Alec Salmond, has provoked a ‘perfectly *Hope*less Storm’ with his recent criticism of Lord Hope and Scotland’s subservience to the United Kingdom Supreme Court.  The clue is in the name of the UKSC.  It is not an English court.  It is a Scottish, Northern Irish, Welsh and English Court. I watched [...]

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Reputation management…. Battering or *Blattering*?

I have no interest in football, but it is impossible to escape from the fiasco that is FIFA, the fiasco that was *Thefootballerinjunctions* – and ‘persons unknown’ are still outing superinjunctioneers, according to reports in the Press. Our leading vocational law schools have not escaped scrutiny.  RollonFriday.com has had another pop at Nigel Savage, CEO [...]

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Guest Law Review: What Can Solicitors Learn from the Stokes Croft Tesco Protests?

What Can Solicitors Learn from the Stokes Croft Tesco Protests? BY Richard Powell, Solicitor, JWM It would seem that we’re just not very good at complaining and standing up for ourselves in this country. As consumers, when faced with poor service or shoddy goods, we seem habitually reluctant to make a fuss. Of course, there [...]

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