Ishkan Robinson, who is taking voluntary redundancy from Nottinghamshire County Council, reflects on the folly of quick-fix cuts

It is still common to hear sneering at local government lawyers by private practice lawyers who see them as an inferior group. The latter are under the illusion that local government lawyers are not capable of delivering professional advice and support in complex matters. I know from personal experience how misguided that is.

I worked very successfully in the private sector, in finance, before taking the decision to go into local government. I took a substantial pay cut to enter the public sector, endured a significant loss of status and forsook an opportunity for career development. Why, you might ask? Was it a fleeting moment of madness? It was a gamble, but a gamble that paid off in terms of job satisfaction, an unparalleled range of interesting and diverse areas of work at a very senior level from early on in my legal career, and the opportunity to make a real difference to the services delivered to residents of the county that I have proudly served.

Doing my bitI can look back at saving the council millions of pounds in disputed contract claims, and defending at the highest level to minimise significant costs the authority might have faced from prosecutions by other agencies. I have helped distraught, unrepresented parents at pupil exclusion hearings, while maintaining the balance of independence and judicially fair proceedings for all parties concerned. The public protection prosecutions I undertook for Trading Standards formed another part of the work I have been privileged to do. And I undertook all the advocacy in the courts and tribunals for which I have rights of audience, only using counsel in the higher courts, or junior counsel for minor matters where it was more cost-effective to do so.

I have witnessed first hand the dedication and passion of colleagues across the council, who have worked tirelessly, often late into the night, to get the job done. Most of those professional, gifted and talented colleagues have now moved on, but they left a lasting impression upon me. Many of these local government posts will now be cut.

Lost generationThe sad reality of losing so many dedicated professionals is that many talented individuals who would have considered a career in local government will now be deterred from doing so. It may take a generation, or two, before confidence returns, and in the meantime the loss of talented in-house lawyers will result in local government having to pay significantly more to acquire services from the private sector. In consequence, the ‘quick fix’ of saving money by reducing the workforce in the short term will inevitably result in higher spending in the longer term.

And this is not just about money. Ask any of my client officers about the value of having an in-house lawyer who they can turn to under the in-house duty solicitor scheme to get the advice they need, swiftly and conveniently. Being in-house means that you are at the heart of the organisation and understand its needs so much better.

For me, the time has come to move on. I am taking voluntary redundancy after it became clear that half the legal manager posts would be lost by spring 2011.

I feel that I leave with dignity and a sense of loss for the community that I have been privileged to be part of for the last 20 years. My parting message for the colleagues I leave behind and for all lawyers in public service is this: don’t hide your light under a bushel – shout from the rooftops about your successes and let the world know your achievements. One thing local authority lawyers are poor at is publicising their achievements. This is one area at least where we could learn a thing or two from our private sector colleagues.

Ishkan Robinson is principal solicitor at Nottinghamshire County Council