NEWCASTLE LAW SOCIETY NEWCASTLE NEWS – PRESIDENT'S COLUMN

JANUARY 2025

Welcome to the latest edition of the Newcastle News.  The team at Newcastle upon Tyne Law Society wish you a Happy New Year and hope that you had a relaxing and enjoyable Christmas break.

In December our main event was the Managing Partner/Head of Office meeting on 3 December.  Muckle kindly hosted the session which focused on the continuing issues and challenges of the SQE examinations and qualifications.  The usual invitee list was widened to include those responsible for junior lawyer recruitment in our firms.  We also heard from some members who had recently been through the SQE process.  We are compiling the feedback received with a view to making a representation to the SRA on the issues and how the situation can be improved.  If you have any additional feedback which you would like to be included, please contact us.

The team enjoyed a well-deserved break over Christmas, but we are now back and looking forward to a packed calendar in 2025. 

On 9 January I am attending a Law Society workshop on AI, Law and Legal Training.  The Open University and Lincoln University are working together on a research project to co-produce free open educational resources with stakeholders which will provide knowledge, awareness of, and confidence in the use of Generative AI (GenAI) for understanding legal processes and accessing legal information. Academics from law and STEM are working on the project in partnership with Citizen Advice.  The resources will address ethical and responsible knowledge of and skills to use GenAI. The research is being funded by UKRI Responsible AI.  The aim of the research is to create resources which will explain GenAI, its application, implications, and ethical use in legal contexts to support the public, organisations which provide legal advice, legal professionals, small and medium-sized law firms, students, and academics.  The findings from the workshop will directly inform the creation of the open educational resources which will be freely available on The Open University, Open Learn platform in Summer 2025. 

We have recently launched our LegalTech working group and have had an excellent response to the request for expressions of interest.  Our Vice President, Paul Brown, will be taking this initiative forward. I will report to the working group on the outcomes of the workshop on 9 January.

The next LegalTech event will be the seminar at Newcastle University on 29 January.  Details are elsewhere in this edition.  If you are interested in the subject I encourage you to attend.

Finally in January we have the North Northumberland President's Area Visit on 30 January.  We will be meeting members at The Apple Inn, Lucker.  This is a chance for those in the North of our region to hear the Society's plans, provide feedback and raise any issues.

In early February we have another Managing Partner/Head of Office Forum on the 5^th which will take place at the offices of Womble Bond Dickinson.  The meeting will be chaired by The Lawyer magazine and will focus on how the legal sector in the area can increase its profile and generate work in the region.

Please see the Events page on our website Events - Newcastle Law Society for further information on the above and other events which you can attend.

If you would like any more information about any of the above please contact mail@newcastlelawsociety.co.uk.  Please remember to follow us on LinkedIn to stay up to date with developments - Newcastle Upon Tyne Law Society: Overview | LinkedIn