News & Events

Listed below are the national news items and national events.

Discount for LLG Members to attend the Legal Services Brexit Summit on 12th February 2019 in Central London
Publish date: 06/08/2021
UK legal services, like many other parts of the economy, will be enormously affected by Brexit. The impact will be both direct and indirect – the former through any changes in market access and future cooperation between the UK and the EU in justice matters and the latter through the implications of Brexit for the users of legal services. It is therefore critically important that all stakeholders in UK legal services - law firms, in-house legal teams, central and local government solicitors, and barristers - keep themselves fully informed about current negotiations and what Brexit will mean under the various possible scenarios. The Legal Services Brexit Summit will be held on 12th February 2019 in London and it has been jointly organised by the Law Society of England and Wales and City & Financial Global. This highly topical event will examine the implications of Brexit for the provision of legal services in different practice areas, as well as its impact on clients and any potential opportunities that may arise.
The LLG Grapevine - Week 54 Available Now
Publish date: 19/07/2021
Talking Law in Local Government
LLG Awards Winners 2021
Publish date: 19/07/2021
Click to read a full list of the LLG Awards Winners, Highly Commended and Commended 2021. Congratulations to everyone!!
LLG National Lead Programme for 2021- Reminder of Future Dates
Publish date: 15/07/2021
LLG have so far brought a full programme of interactive zoom meetings this year seeing nearly 1400 of you attending to join us for a variety of subject areas in so far this year. All sessions will take place on a Thursday between 12.00 and 1.00pm, so if you have not joined us yet, grab a sandwich and sit down with LLG and our guest speakers!
LLG Webinar: School Exam Results Appeal
Publish date: 12/07/2021
In this session, Yvonne Spencer & Vicki Bowles from VWV will look at how the process for teacher assessed grades will work this summer, including the practical steps schools should take with pupils, parents and exam boards.
Rosalind Davis Talks About the LLG Work Experience Week 2021
Publish date: 12/07/2021
LLG have launched this fantastic scheme as part of their initiative to promote equality and accessibility within local government legal careers. 40 successful applicants have been placed with local authorities across the county for shadowing opportunities.
Law Society Council Elections - Notice of Election for Local Government Council Seat to Practicing Solicitors- Applications Sought
Publish date: 07/07/2021
LLG have been duly appointed by the Law Society as an approved body for the purpose of nominating a candidate for election to the local government seat of the Law Society Council of a period of one year, commencing on 14th October 2021. LLG are seeking applications from its members who are admitted solicitors on the roll of solicitors in England and Wales and hold a current valid practicing certificate in accordance with Law Society Council Bye-Law 52.
The LLG Grapevine - Week 52 Available Now
Publish date: 06/07/2021
Talking Law in Local Government
The LLG Grapevine - Week 51 Available Now
Publish date: 28/06/2021
Talking Law in Local Government
LLG Awards 2021 - Finalists announced!
Publish date: 25/06/2021
Check out the attached schedule for all the finalists announced for the LLG Awards 2021

Blog

22 October 2021

Publish date: 22/10/2021

I'm sure that all of LLG would join with me in expressing condolences to the family of Sir David Amess, who was killed last week when undertaking his role as MP. By all accounts he served his constituents with a commitment that has been applauded by politicians from all sides and he was also greatly liked and respected. Events such as this and that of the killing of Jo Cox are bewildering in their pointlessness and it is unfortunate that this may undermine our communities by instilling caution and reticence in those who serve the public as MP's and in other roles such as Councillors.

As we move forward from this tragedy, it is important to remember the democratic system that we support in our day-to-day work. One that protects freedoms, promotes equality and tackles social injustice. In our role as local government lawyers, we all play a part in protecting these democratic cornerstones from the ground up...

Safety in governance and public office will clearly be an important talking point over the next few weeks and will no doubt be one of the subjects for discussion the LLG Governance Conference taking place on 4 November 2021. Whilst we must avoid knee jerk reactions which impact upon the ability of our politicians to keep in touch with their constituents/residents it is important that we acknowledge the risks and seek to support our councillors to mitigate these risks.

I'm very much looking forward to the LLG Governance Conference where our focus will be on the ever-changing LA legal landscape. With in-depth analysis on the judicial review regime, divergence from European law, electoral reform, levelling up, governance, scrutiny and the role of the monitoring officer; our expert speakers will deliver a programme that senior lawyers and those aspiring to grow in their careers need to know.

I will be particularly keen to hear from Joshua Rozenberg, (Legal Commentator and Journalist) on his thoughts around the proposed judicial review reform at the conference which I will be chairing. The Judicial Review and Courts Bill is soon to have its second reading in the House of Commons following a reschedule last week due to the death of Sir Amess. The bill addresses two areas of concern for the government. The first is the flexibility of remedies that the court is able to give, which will allow courts to both suspend the effects of a quashing order and limit the retrospective effect of quashing orders. The second is the efficiency and structure of the courts system, which the government says is undermined by a particular route of judicial review. The bill will reverse the effect of the Supreme Court's 2011 judgment in the case of "Cart", which would prevent Upper Tribunal appeals being subject to judicial review.

Whether attending virtually or in person, you will receive a very warm welcome at the LLG Governance Conference and have the opportunity to network with colleagues and build stronger links to the Monitoring Officer community.

Best wishes

Quentin Baker
LLG President