YLAL at LAPG conference in October 2011

YLAL has once again been invited by the Legal Aid Practitioners Group to run two workshops at its annual conference – this year to be held on Friday 7 October in Birmingham. The title of the Conference is Legal Aid planning for an uncertain future. With this in mind we’ve decided to run one workshop on Legal aid as a career choice . This will be a chance for students and junior lawyers to hear from different types of lawyers on why they chose their area of law. The second workshop will be on the subject of campaigning. We aim to cover issues that arise when lawyers are instructed by campaigners (eg where does the line between being a lawyer and campaigner start and finish?) and how lawyers can be effective campaigners for their own causes legal aid being the main cause of concern here of course!

The College of Law will sponsor 40 of its own students to attend the conference. The LSC has agreed to sponsor five of its trainees who it is supporting through the training contract grant scheme. For five other YLAL members the legal software supplier TikitTFB will cover their entry costs. We’re very grateful to TikitTFB for their generous sponsorship. We believe it’s crucial for junior members of the legal aid sector to attend this important conference so our views can be taken on board and sponsorship from TikitTFB will help those members be there to contribute to the debate.

The College of Law will be contacting students directly to let you know how to apply for free tickets. The LSC will be contacting those who are still lucky enough to be on a training contract scheme to let them know likewise. If you think you are eligible for a free place under one of these schemes but you haven’t heard from the CoL or LSC please email ylalinfo@googlemail.com

For the five YLAL members who don’t fit into the CoL or LSC groups, please email ylalinfo@googlemail.com with your name and place of work or study by midnight on Wednesday 21 September 2011. We’ll then use the good ol’ top hat to choose the lucky five and will let the winners know who they are by the end of Friday 23 September.

For more details of the LAPG conference, see here:
http://www.lapg.co.uk/sites/default/files/LAPG_ConfLeaflet%20FINAL_0.pdf