Training firm puts education on-line

INTERNET LEARNING: Eversheds plans pilot project

Lawyers will be able to acquire vital knowledge in the privacy of their own offices following the launch last week of an Internet-based in-house training company.

Connect2law, founded by solicitor David Jabbari, director of professional development at the College of Law and a former professional development director at City firm Bird & Bird, aims to provide training and induction via firms' computer networks.

Mr Jabbari said Connect2law will 'pull together a firm's written training and know-how' on their networks.

Its approach, he added, will be to 're-engineer' in-house training in a way that enables firms to 'build their own material to make it more relevant to their needs'.

The emergence of Connect2law underlines the growing importance of e-learning in the legal profession.

According to Mr Jabbari it has already aroused 'serious interest' from a number of large firms.

One of these is Eversheds, which is planning a pilot project with Connect2law.

Alastair Roberts, the firm's director of professional development, explained: 'As a firm, we have a wide geographical spread.

We feel that desktop-delivered training modules would provide an excellent way to maintain core standards and disseminate quality issues.'

A third of Connect2law's equity has been acquired by Adval Group, a learning and business services company.

The College of Law is also involved in the company, working as a content partner on Connect2law's pilot projects to an initial group of firms.

David Kerr, a telecommunications partner at Bird & Bird, was also involved in the company's inception.

LINKS www.connect2law.co

Rowland Byass