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Chair's Blog - January 2012

Welcome to the SLG website and the start of a new year. 2011 was a challenging year in the context of the age of austerity with pay cuts and job losses. Some colleagues were eager to leave their jobs; others less so. Let us hope that 2012 will be kinder to solicitors working in local government than the last one.

In early December I attended the LASBA Annual Conference and Dinner in Dublin. Also in attendance was the President and Senior Vice President of SOLAR [Society of Local Authority Lawyers and Administrators in Scotland] together with the Chair of the In House Group of the Scottish Law Society. We had lengthy discussions about the common issues affecting local authorities as well as enjoying the informative seminars and generous hospitality of our Irish colleagues.

The following week the NEC meeting was held at Chancery Lane where a debate about the formation of a new organisation with ASCeS took place together with an update on the current situation with the RGA and the Law Society. More information will be posted on these issues in the next edition of Noter Up, which will also be the last hard copy version of the magazine for a while.

There is much to look forward to in 2012 as regards SLG as this month sees the launch of the SLG Young Solicitor of the Year award for 2012 sponsored by Trowers & Hamlins; last year's recipient of the SLG award went on to attain a Law Society Excellence Award so start drafting those applications now!

As in previous years, the winner of the award will be announced at the SLG Weekend School, taking place this year at the end of March at Warwick University. The online booking facility for the main Weekend School is now up and running and information about the event, including details of the workshops, parallel sessions and list of speakers is available to download by clicking the News & Events tab on the top of this page and then going to the WES page. The School includes a professional skills course for Trainee Solicitors, which is being delivered in conjunction with the College of Law, and a course for Business Support Managers. The main school represents terrific value for money at £399 for 13 cpd points and it provides the opportunity for networking with solicitors across the whole spectrum of local government practice - so please support it.

Wishing you a happy 2012.

Bev Cullen
Chair
Solicitors in Local Government

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Chair's Charity - Rosemere Cancer Foundation