Surrey Junior Lawyers Division Report

REPORT

Surrey Junior Lawyers Division Report

Careers Takeover

June and especially July were busy, with a total of 6 webinars to help junior and aspiring lawyers develop their careers. 4 of these have been recorded and you can find the links on our website in the “Webinars” section.

To watch them just email surreyjuniorlawyersdivision@gmail. com asking to be added to our mailing list if you haven't been added already so you can get the passwords.

Martin Whitehorn organised 4 of these with our friends at Berks, Bucks & Oxon JLD, Herts JLD and Northants Bucks JLD including: “Marketing Yourself” with Emma Lilley of In-House Potter; “Owning the Interview and Running a Legal Community” with Hannah-Mei Grisley of Let's Chat Law, “In-House Lawyer Life” with Tom Haines of the “You've Been Served” podcast and Bongai Gwyneth Mutema, and “Developing Yourself” with Eloise Skinner.

Sapphira Gold and Daniel Crate put together “Alternative Routes into the Legal Profession” with speakers Emma Lester, Lynne Squires, Alma Cachero, Sarah Houston and Nick Richardson. Alex Milson organised a panel event on securing a training, newly qualified or associate position with speakers Jenny Turner, Bal Atwal, Poki Wratten, Karen Grimm, Amy Archer and Christopher Clue.

Rising Star of the Year 2021

Surrey JLD’s Martin Whitehorn winning the Rising Star of the Year Award at the recent SLS Legal Awards 2021.

We were also very pleased that our Martin Whitehorn won Rising Star of the Year at Surrey Law Society’s 2021 Legal Awards.

In his time at Surrey JLD, Martin’s accomplishments have included:

■ Designing Surrey JLD’s website.

■ Administering our Twitter and LinkedIn accounts.

■ Expanding our mailing list and consequent event turnout.

■ Working with Surrey Law Society to deliver its Supporting Surrey webinars.

■ Meeting virtually with other local JLDs to share information and support (Surrey JLD on Tour).

■ Setting up a working group for local JLDs in the Home Counties including Surrey JLD, Herts JLD, Northants Bucks JLD and JLD Berks, Bucks & Oxon.

■ Running virtual support sessions (Cocoa with the Committee).

■ Organising and preparing for a Surrey SQE stakeholder conference on my own, where he gathered Surrey JLD, Surrey Law Society, Guildford’s University of Surrey Law School and University of Law to consult with and challenge the SRA on the Solicitors Qualifying Examination.

Common misconceptions about joining Surrey Junior Lawyers Division

Only solicitors can be members

While some local JLD groups only admit solicitors, that is not the case with us. In short, if you’re part of the junior legal community, you’re a member, whether you’re a student, graduate, paralegal, legal executive, conveyancer, trainee solicitors, solicitor apprentice, solicitor of up to 5 years’ PQE, pupil barrister, junior barrister of up to 5 years’ practice or otherwise trying to progress through law via the Solicitors Qualifying Examination.

I need to both live and work in Surrey to be a member

Not so. We welcome those who live and/or work in and around Surrey including Hampshire and London. Some of our committee members live in South London and we have had junior lawyers attend our events from Berkshire, Kent and South Hampshire so don’t feel you are excluded.

I need to pay a membership fee to participate

We do not charge a membership fee. So far all of our virtual events have been free of charge, while in-person events are subsidised by sponsorship, meaning you pay a nominal amount or even nothing to attend. ■