Surrey Junior Law Division Report

Surrey Junior Lawyers Division is helping junior lawyers in and around Surrey network with each other via Cocoa With The Committee and has been discussing how best to support junior lawyers as we travel around the country (virtually!) as part of Surrey JLD on Tour.

At the time of writing we first met with our sponsor Chadwick Nott’s Penny Heighway, which you can read more about in this issue of Surrey Lawyer. We also got together with Cheltenham and Gloucester JLD and Hertfordshire JLD to talk about the issues junior lawyers have been facing, what local groups have been doing to provide their members with information and support, along with what our groups could do to provide mutual support.

We were pleased to speak with The Law Society’s Lawyers With Disabilities Division, where we discussed not only how our organisations are dealing with current challenges, but also the “Legally Disabled?” survey report, which we recommend you look up to learn more about the barriers faced by disabled people trying to enter the legal profession, along with resources and opportunities available for aspiring and junior lawyers with disabilities: www.legallydisabled.com/research-reports.

Many of our committee studied at The University of Law’s Guildford campus and it was enlightening to speak with the Careers team about the issues ULaw students and alumni are facing and what support the University is providing.

As well as travelling around the country from the comfort of our homes, we are excited to let you know we now have a website and would love to hear what you think about it: www.surreyjld.org.uk.

This summer we also wished a fond farewell to our Treasurer Madeleine Beresford, who was a pillar of strength in making Surrey Junior Lawyers Division the active organisation it is today. Joshua Day, our Sponsorship Secretary and immediate past Chair, has kindly stepped into her shoes.

Want to become a member of Surrey JLD? Aspiring and junior lawyers in and around Surrey become members freely and automatically. To subscribe to our emails and get notified of our events simply send one to: surreyjuniorlawyersdivision@gmail.com.

As well as having you for Cocoa we are more than happy to correspond with you by email. Whether you are a junior lawyer on furlough and seeking clarity, the only trainee solicitor in your firm who wants to connect with others, a law student who wishes to learn more about the resources and mentoring opportunities out there for you, or just wish to learn more about Surrey JLD then do drop us a line. We’re here to help. ■