Exe marks the spot
Exeter is so much more than the south-west’s second legal centre, hears Eduardo Reyes at the Gazette’s latest roundtable. As well as offering an enviable lifestyle, the city boasts a fiercely competitive market which is a draw for junior lawyers seeking to make their mark
Global targets
Cast as ‘vagabonds’ in many countries, blackmailed by police and turned down for asylum, transgender people are badly let down by the law. What can be done? Eduardo Reyes reports.
Mersey soundings
Since Liverpool was crowned European Capital of Culture 2008, the city has enjoyed a renaissance that has brought commercial work – and law firms – pouring in. Paul Rogerson reports from the Gazette’s latest roundtable
The only way is up
Some in the law are happy with the success of schemes to improve the profession’s role in social mobility. But serious problems remain, junior lawyers tell Eduardo Reyes, including the experience of ‘imposter syndrome’ after qualification.
Paths of least resistance
Improving access to the profession and creating a more diverse workforce are laudable ambitions, but is the new Solicitors Qualifying Examination the best way to achieve these aims? Grania Langdon-Down reports from the Gazette’s latest roundtable
Talk of the toon
Newcastle’s ships have sailed, but the city’s leading commercial firms are cautiously optimistic as SMEs, services and startups continue to change the face of the Tyneside economy. Paul Rogerson reports from the Gazette’s latest roundtable
Feel the difference
A special roundtable on new ways of providing legal services – in association with Thomson Reuters.
A changing season
As most firms prepare to renew, brokers and solicitors report a hardening market – partly driven by higher-value claims. Eduardo Reyes reports from the Gazette’s roundtable on professional indemnity insurance
New model army
Mergers, finance, technology and succession planning were high on the agenda at the latest Gazette roundtable, which discussed changing law firm business structures. Eduardo Reyes reports
Too much information?
Much is written about the data-driven law firm, but what does that actually mean in practice? How are law firms really using data to support and grow their business? Joanna Goodman reports from the Gazette’s latest technology roundtable
Sitting in judgement
Adversarial justice is founded upon representation and a properly functioning court system that can accommodate robust procedure. But is ‘reform’ pushing our jurisdiction into ‘inquisitorial’ territory? Eduardo Reyes reports from the latest Gazette roundtable
Yorkshire forward
A highly competitive legal sector is just one by-product of a revitalised Leeds, but the city needs to break the long-running stalemate on devolution if it is to take the next step and realise its full potential. Paul Rogerson reports from the Gazette’s latest roundtable
A smaller IT revolution
Weighing up the pros and cons of a particular practice management system is one of the most critical decisions a small firm can make. Yet despite the benefits, a dearth of IT resources can make implementing such a system challenging, reports Joanna Goodman
Roundtable: house parties
Residential property transactions are taking much longer and price transparency presents a new challenge to solicitors in a softening market.
Roundtable: Second to none?
After an IRA bomb tore the heart out of Manchester in 1996, the city faced a long haul to rebuild its confidence. Now lawyers enjoying an economic resurgence claim to be giving London a run for its money.