Nottinghamshire Law Society

STEPHEN WARNER
President
Nottinghamshire Law Society

DEBORAH HUTCHINSON
Vice President
Nottinghamshire Law Society

Nottinghamshire Law Society was founded in 1875 and  since that time has become a well-respected organisation  within the legal community.

We aim to offer our members forward-thinking courses and pioneering services. We were pleased to be awarded a grant by the 1997 Local Law Society Challenge Fund for Innovation.

Our President

Stephen Warner is currently our President. Stephen is a Partner with Maclaren Warner which he founded some 22 years ago. He specialises in a wide range of non contentious work. Stephen has been involved with the Nottinghamshire Law Society for 18 years. He is an avid charity supporter and you will find details on this website about some of the charity events he has organised this year.

Our Vice President

Deborah Hutchinson is currently our Vice President and the Private Client Partner Principal in Ashton Bond Gigg. She was articled with Larken and Co in Newark and has practiced in Nottingham for twenty three years. She has been involved with the Nottinghamshire Law Society for 15 years, serving on Council and chairing its Elderly Persons’ Committee. This year she has enthusiastically supported Stephen in his charitable fundraising exploits.

Committees

International Committee

The committee was primarily set up to promote the links between the Society and the Bars of the cities of Karlsruhe in the German state of Baden Wurttemberg and Ghent in Belgium. Both cities have long standing civic twinning connections with the City of Nottingham. Over the years numerous visits have been made between lawyers from the three cities and these have included golf and football competitons, social events and visits to institutions of mutual professional interest such as the German Federal Appeal Court and the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Job experience exchanges have been facilitated for young lawyers from the three cities and data has been compiled as to the availability of specialist areas of practise in each others jurisdictions.

Receptions have been organised for international law students attending Nottingham and Nottingham Trent Universities under the Erasmus Programme. Meetings have also been arranged between members of the Society and visiting groups from such diverse legal backgrounds as Turkish and Malaysian Judges and Law Society officials from Central Africa.

More recently discussions have been initiated with the West Kenya Law Society to see whether any help and advice on professional practise can be offered to their members and to provide an opportunity for young lawyers, in particular, to gain experience of each others legal systems and cultures.

 For more information contact: Brendan Haigh This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

A W S Committee

The AWS aims to be the essential national network for women solicitors helping to promote the potential and success of each women solicitor at every stage of her career. The AWS campaigns, carries out research, operates a mentor scheme and holds CPD accredited events and conferences and holds a seat on the Law Society Council. It also organises an acclaimed return to work course covering the main strands of practice for those wishing to revive skills and knowledge following a career break. The AWS actively opposes discrimination against women solicitors and is currently involved in an Equal pay campaign in the legal sector. Membership is free but must be applied for.

Please see www.womensolictors.org.uk

The AWS local branch strives to support the drive and ethos of the national organisation. It has a seat on the council of the Nottinghamshire Law Society and welcomes new members and interest in its local activities. For more information please contact Tracey Orton at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 

Commerce & Industry Committee

 A significant percentage of solicitors are employed in commercial and industrial undertakings, ranging from modestly sized family companies to large National institutions. Their work consists mainly of a mixture of in house advice and legal services generally, and a responsibility for instructing and liaising with specialist legal firms where such a course of action is considered appropriate.

The Law Society, as a membership organisation, has for many years recognised the numbers of solicitors so engaged and the diversity of their various duties and responsibilities.  those employed in such areas, including solicitor staff members of the Law Society, are automatically treated as members of the Commerce and Industry Group, a specific sector of the Society which caters for its members needs.

The Group receives funding from the Society and elects from its membership a management committee which, through its various responsibilities, offers members a wide range of activities designed to meet particular needs. High quality training courses and weekend and annual events are just part of the service which it offers.

Solicitors employed in commercial and industrial organisations have commitments and interests which are substantially different from those in private practice, ranging from Regulatory issues and Solicitors Accounts Rules to their obligation to pay annual Practising Certificate fees. The Group, which has a network of local and regional branches to which all members have access, ensures that the interest of its members are represented on the Council of the Law Society and are considered whenever rule and regulatory changes are contemplated.

 For more information contact: John Lymbury 

Education & Training Committee

The Education and Training Committee (ETC) is an active and enthusiastic committee which includes senior lawyers, professional support lawyers and young solicitors/trainees from a range of local firms.

The ETC meets on a regular basis to discuss the training and development needs of NLS members. It ensures that NLS offers a comprehensive range of value for money courses in a variety of disciplines.

The ETC also organises:

• a welcome pack for new trainees in collaboration with the Nottinghamshire Junior Lawyers Division;

• a welcome evening each year for new trainees;

• a celebration dinner for newly qualified solicitors; and

• the prestigious Nottinghamshire Law Society Awards.

If you have any comments or suggestions or would like to become involved in the ETC, please contact Austin Moore at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or on 0115 983 8216.
 

Non Contentious Committee

The non-contentious business committee of the Society is chaired by David Wilkins of Freeth Cartwright.  The other members of the committee are Stephen Warner of Maclaren Warner, Mark Jenkinson of Nelsons, Philip Brown of Nottingham Land Registry, Carol Fox of Rothera Dowson, Amanda Gordon of Actons, Simon Smith of Broxtowe Borough Council,  Jamie Hemingray of Fraser Brown and Richard Medd of Browne Jacobson.

The committee meets quarterly.  It makes representations to appropriate bodies on behalf of members of the Society, advises members through the medium of the Nottinghamshire Law Society Bulletin of any points of law or practice, acts as a focal point for non-contentious lawyers in Nottingham, offers feedback from the profession to issues raised by the national Law Society, recommends topics for courses and seminars and acts as a liaison with the Land Registry and others.

Anyone who has an issue which that person wishes to be raised with the committee may contact the chairman or any member of the committee or Mike Lewis at Nottinghamshire Law Society who will pass it on to the committee.

For more information please contact: David Wilkins This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 

Resolution Committee

Resolution is a national organisation whose members are family lawyers committed to the constructive resolution of family disputes. Members follow a Code of Practice that promotes a non-confrontational approach to family problems. Members encourage solutions that consider the needs of the whole family - and in particular the best interests of children.

Nottingham/East Midlands have a local branch of Resolution.  The local committee organise, on average, 5 evening training seminars a year on suitable topics for both members and non-members.  These events are also a chance to meet family lawyers and to discuss changes in law & practice and to disseminate information.

A representative from the local Resolution committee sits on the Notts Law Society Council.

We would welcome more family lawyers both attending evening seminars and joining the local committee.  The committee meets about every 2 months to discuss and share information.  We have a representative on the local Family Justice Council and attending Court User groups around the County.

If anybody wants further information they can contact:
    Chair – Judith Speed – Freethcartwright LLP – 0115 9369369
    Vice Chair – Stuart Barlow – Nelsons – 01332 372372
    Treasurer – Patrick Mullins – Robert Barber & Sons – 0115 8789000

Sole Practitioners Committee

I became the Chair of the Sole Practitioners Committee in October 2003 when I set up my niche immigration law firm Paragon Law.  The purpose of the committee is one really to bring together all the sole practitioners in Nottinghamshire to exchange ideas, to act as a tool for networking and cross referral of work between sole practitioners and to put forward any concerns that sole practitioners may have to the Council both at a local and national level.