Aston Court news including the County Societies Group and Exeter Legal Walk

The County Societies Group (CSG) met prior to the recent Presidents’ & Secretaries’ Conference in Chancery Lane and were joined by The Law Society’s Chief Executive Paul Tennant OBE and members of his Regional Management Team (RMT). Paul spoke about his plans to make the national Law Society less London centric and more strident and ambitious in its representation of solicitors. He said the solicitors’ profession was very successful contributing more than £24 Billion to the UK economy including £4 Billion in exports. He saw three main activities for The Law Society: to be the voice of the profession; to support excellence; safeguarding the Rule of...

President's Review - Stephen Mahoney

January and early February saw me fulfilling my intention to attend at least one meeting of each of DASLS Sub-Committees.  Having done Contentious Business, Non-Contentious Business, International Relations, JLD and Social during the course of last year, I was pleased to have the opportunity to take part in meetings of Education and Training, the In House Lawyers’ Group and Practice Management in the first month and a half of 2019 and to witness lively discussion and contributions at all of them.  Just for good measure, I took in another International Relations Sub-Committee meeting a couple of days before joining Chair Emma Mitcham along with Rebecca Parkma...

On behalf of Dorset and Somerset and of Devon Air Ambulance Services

Firstly, we would like to say a big thank you to the Devon and Somerset Law  Society for the support shown to both ourselves and our colleagues at Devon Air Ambulance over the past year.     As we move into the very busy summer months both operationally and from an event and fundraising point of view, we wanted to give you a little insight into some of latest news. Our vision is “To provide the maximum patient benefit by delivering a highly effective, clinically excellent and financially secure air ambulance service in the South West Region".  It is deliberately broad and challenges the whole organisation to meet its demands today and into the futur...

A not so unconscious bias

Law was the last profession in England (other than the Church) to bar women from entering its esteemed ranks. She may have fought the law and the law won, but Gwyneth Bebb’s case against The Law Society in 1913 did much to pave the way for women to be admitted to practise as solicitors. Accordingly, 2019 marks 100 years since the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act , which meant that female lawyers could finally be classed as “people “for the purposes of becoming a solicitor.     Thanks to Bebb and her contemporaries (and perhaps helped by women’s suffrage and World War One), there is no bar to women entrants into the profession. Empirical data indica...

President's Review - Nigel Lyons

After a truly magnificent dinner at Exeter Cathedral on the 4th April Stephen Mahoney has passed the reins over to me.     I was very proud to accept Chris Hart’s kind invitation two years ago to be nominated as Deputy Vice President of this Society. As a past President of Plymouth Law Society I knew the strength in depth this Society has. After a personal career move that took me up the A38 from Plymouth to Exeter I have practised now in Devon’s county town for almost 5 years. Over the last 2 years, since I accepted this honour to be your President, I have been immersing myself in the ways of this Society.     I must thank Monique Bertoni and To...

Meet new Deputy Vice President Adrian Richards

Why did you join Devon & Somerset Law Society?   Several years ago, I was asked by a colleague if I could deputise for him at a meeting of the Practice Management Sub-Committee.  I duly went along and somewhat to my surprise was invited back.   I soon found that the Society and the Sub-Committee provided an ideal forum for the exchange of ideas and information as well as providing a wider network of colleagues from across the region.     What is your dream job?   There are several on my list but the one at the top has always been that of a professional race driver.    What has been the most embarrassing moment during your professional care...