Solicitors' conference to be 'more focused'

Solicitors will be offered a 'shorter, cheaper, more focused' annual conference to avoid the losses sustained over the last few years, its organisers said this week.This year's conference, Solicitors 2000 or S2K, will take place at the Law Society's main site in Chancery Lane and the Royal Courts of Justice, on 3 to 5 November.

The event will kick off on the Friday with the traditional presidents and secretaries conference for local law societies.

Sessions for delegates will include two plenary sessions - an open debate on the profession and one looking at its reputation - chaired by broadcasters John Howard and Joshua Rozenberg.

Nine business sessions will focus on practice management issues including complaints-handling, marketing, professional indemnity, funding litigation cases and legal aid contracting.Conference organiser John Lymbury, who chairs the Law Society's conference committee, said the shorter event was aimed at small to 15-partner practices.

The Law Society was 'trying to get back to the days when practitioners wanted to attend the annual conference because it was of value to their practices and economic', he added.

Sue Allen