A conversation in a legal London hostelry the other night set Obiter thinking about how creative solicitors can get away with winging it (sic) in the new world of self-assessed continuing competence. A colleague at a big firm (which had better remain nameless) was asking for suggestions about how to get a course of flying lessons approved as continuing professional development.

Apparently the strategy is not to mention aircraft. Rather, best put in for ‘a personal and team management and communication master class involving study of the management of human performance, using specialist equipment which exposes participants to situations requiring rapid and accurate decision-making while under stress’.

Outcomes will include enhancing the firm’s ability to pitch for work requiring specialist expertise at all levels.

Obiter is not convinced it will work. But we do know an IT department which managed to get a very fancy bean-to-cup coffee machine approved by describing it as a ‘Java compiler’. (You need to be a bit of a geek to get that joke.)

Does anything similar go on in law firms? Email obiter@lawsociety.org.uk.

Discretion assured.

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