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Mind over matter

28 October 2011 / Jane Ching , Nick Jarrett-kerr
Issue: 7487 / Categories: Features , Training & education , Profession
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Nick Jarrett-Kerr suggests routes towards the expansion of educational horizons for lawyers

After years of expensive study, newly-qualified lawyers often settle back and reassure themselves that their educational travails are over for good. The problem is that law is a somewhat narrow area of study and lawyers who are no more than proficient technically sometimes find it difficult to advise their clients holistically or to manage their teams proficiently. Many larger law firms now insist that law firm partners have more strings to their bow than just a legal qualification. Areas such as construction law, employment law, banking law, finance law, and medical negligence law (to name a few) are all examples of specialisms where a dual qualification offers immense benefits. Additional language qualifications are also beneficial—some lawyers are now learning Mandarin, for instance, as the importance of the Chinese economy increases.

Ownership & management

As careers develop, so does the need for a wider educational horizon. Law firm partners have to fulfil three roles—those of owners and managers as

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NEWS
Ceri Morgan, knowledge counsel at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP, analyses the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Johnson v FirstRand Bank Ltd, which reshapes the law of fiduciary relationships and common law bribery
The boundaries of media access in family law are scrutinised by Nicholas Dobson in NLJ this week
Reflecting on personal experience, Professor Graham Zellick KC, Senior Master of the Bench and former Reader of the Middle Temple, questions the unchecked power of parliamentary privilege
Geoff Dover, managing director at Heirloom Fair Legal, sets out a blueprint for ethical litigation funding in the wake of high-profile law firm collapses
James Grice, head of innovation and AI at Lawfront, explores how artificial intelligence is transforming the legal sector
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