The Law Society have provided the following update to be shared with our members and contacts:
Covid-19 Law Society Advice and Guidance for Members
- Covid-19 Law Society General Resources and Support
The coronavirus (COVID-19) situation continues to change day by day. The Law Society continues to monitor the situation and develop advice and support to help you through these unprecedented times.
Stay up to date by visiting the Law Society’s regularly updated online resources for its latest advice here:
https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/support-services/coronavirus/
And, stay informed on what the Law Society is doing here:
https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/support-services/advice/articles/coronavirus-covid-19-priority-issues/
In particular, you may be interested to see what we’ve done in numbers since the start of lockdown, over 100 days ago:
| Return, Restart, Recovery, Law Society Campaign
Solicitors have continued to work tirelessly for their clients to ensure the highest standard of service through the coronavirus crisis. This vital work has not been without its challenges, and further challenges will continue to arise for firms and solicitors as we move towards the next stage in response to the virus. The Law Society campaign to support solicitors, firms and the wider national recovery effort – the Return, Restart, and Recovery campaign – seeks to place solicitors within the wider context and identify the role our profession will play to support access to justice and drive our economy forward. Over the coming months, we’ll produce a series of outputs through the campaign to support firms and solicitors to return to the office, restart the economy and drive the recovery after coronavirus. We’ve developed support packages as part of our Return, Restart and Recovery campaign for: • individual solicitors facing redundancy or uncertainty about the future of their career • law firms considering making changes to their business structures, workforces, premises and systems https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/campaigns/return-restart-and-recovery/ The Government’s ‘Plan for Jobs’: What’s in it for Solicitor Firms The chancellor of the exchequer has announced a new ‘plan for jobs’ in a statement to the House of Commons. We’ve picked out some of the key announcements from the chancellor’s statement that will be most relevant to you and your firm: Virtual Execution and E-signature during the COVID-19 Pandemic The Law Society has been issuing advice and support, and will continue to do so, to help solicitors and their clients through this difficult period. This note brings together a variety of established guidance in relation to virtual execution and the use of e-signatures: You can also listen to our webinar on virtual execution and how to use electronic signatures. In the webinar Edward Craft, Chair of our Company Law Committee, and Elizabeth Wall, Head of Know-How for the Global Corporate Practice for A&O, cover:
You can listen to a recording here. Managing your Confidentiality Obligations remotely You can listen to a podcast from Law Society Head of Risk & Compliance, Pearl Moses, about the challenges that homeworking brings to meeting the regulatory requirements around confidentiality: Career Advice during Pandemic You can see here tips on preparing for a video interview: https://jobs.lawgazette.co.uk/article/how-to-prepare-for-a-video-interview/ And hear from Jason Connolly, CEO of JMC Legal, on the considerations to keep in mind when thinking of moving to an in-house legal role: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7R5hVNjhzQ&feature=youtu.be Q&A Event with HMCTS – 5 August The Law Society will be hosting a Q&A event with HMCTS focusing on the impact of COVID-19 on Wednesday 5 August, from 5pm to 6.30pm. The aim is to provide an overview of the work that has been undertaken within the court service and the work that still needs to be addressed as part of the court recovery plan. This will be an interactive webinar and we are asking members to submit any questions they have about the service in advance which will be answered by CEO of HMCTS, Susan Acland-Hood. We invite you to submit questions in advance, but there will also be opportunity to ask questions during the event. Topics we expect to be covered include: – Member safety especially in terms of attending court/tribunal buildings – Experience of remote hearings, including any concerns regarding a client’s understanding, particularly those considered vulnerable – Operation of Cloud Video Platform – Backlogs and listing of cases – Impact on processing times (for example probate and divorce) – Use of existing court estate – Nightingale courts – Extended operating hours Email your questions to hmctscourtreform@lawsociety.org.uk by 12pm on Monday 3 August. The webinar is free to attend, however you must register online here. Bookings will close 48 hours before the start date.
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