Welcome to the Public Law Today/Local Government Lawyer Marketplace Portal.

Here you can find the full range of services that public law departments and lawyers need. For departments, this page provides a directory of specialist legal advisers - including local authority legal departments that provide external services - expert witnesses, consultants, training courses, technology providers and much else besides.

MARKET NEWS Mar 24, 2020 LGSS Law sees £1.425m equity capital injection from three shareholding authorities Mar 16, 2020 Three councils in Staffordshire set up shared legal service Mar 02, 2020 Leeds chambers closes its doors after 60 years Feb 28, 2020 Local government lawyer salaries rise 3% but senior pay rises sharply Feb 28, 2020 LLG launches fact-finding survey in preparation for national graduate scheme launch Feb 03, 2020 Listed law firm snaps up social housing practice Croftons	TENDERS AND INSTRUCTIONS Mar 12, 2020 Law firm advises district council in new leisure deal Mar 09, 2020 Law firm advises social housing provider on deal with L&G to provide 600 homes a year Mar 09, 2020 No5 barristers act as Court of Appeal refuses legal challenge to grant of planning permission for development including new synagogue Mar 06, 2020 Highways England to appoint single supplier to £3m advocacy and litigation services contract Feb 27, 2020 Bevan Brittan to advise city council on roll-out of 5G across region Feb 26, 2020 Council seeks solicitors to advise on use of ‘Bare Trust’ for land pooling on 2,400-home scheme
PEOPLE Mar 27, 2020 Public law specialist Broach moves to 39 Essex Chambers Mar 24, 2020 Leading claimant housing barrister joins Garden Court Mar 18, 2020 Browne Jacobson makes record 22 promotions to senior associate Mar 11, 2020 Fourteen elects O’Donovan and Glaser as joint head of chambers Mar 04, 2020 Education and public law barrister Matthew Wyard joins 3PB Mar 03, 2020 Five Paper bolsters housing and property team with England hire	TECHNOLOGY Feb 12, 2020 Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal implements CaseLines platform as part of digital transformation Jan 30, 2020 City council to hold soft market testing exercise for potential new case management system Nov 12, 2019 Government awards £2m in funding for technology firm to support digital transformation of legal sector Oct 18, 2019 Technology provider Caselines hires ex-practice manager for shared legal service to develop UK business Oct 15, 2019 Bar regulator opts for CaseLines as part of new-look regulatory operations Jul 01, 2019 DPS Software revamps website to boost content for local government lawyers
COMMENT AND ANALYSIS Striking out in a new direction: Setting up an ABS What does it take to set up a legal services alternative business structure? Hilary Irving of North Yorkshire County Council outlines the risks and rewards. The Company Sec in local government As commercialisation grows, Azhar Ghose outlines the increasing importance of the Company Secretary role within local authorities and offers some tips on how it can be performed. One size does not fit all Offering a one-size-fits-all approach will inevitably undermine the relationships we have with our clients, writes Geoff Wild. Personal philosophies Chris Guy, a former local authority head of legal, sets out how he tried to overcome his weaknesses. Aiming for the top How should you go about securing the position of head of legal at a local authority? Chris Guy shares some thoughts. Understanding the objectives of clients What will make your clients relish the opportunity to work with you again: content or delivery? Geoff Wild considers the issues. Professionalism or mucking in? “Perception is reality, but it’s the clients' perceptions that we have to address, not our own” - Read Geoff Wild's latest blog. Ever decreasing circles Gwendoline Davies, Andrew Northage and Robert Starr analyse the latest case to further limit legal professional privilege. Service standards or service excellence? Service standards could have the effect of lowering expectations of excellence when we should be raising them instead, writes Geoff Wild. Brand values or independent thought? Does having a proper regard for ensuring the right degree of independence make you appear aloof, arrogant and uncaring? Geoff Wild reports. Challenge your perspectives … In the first in a series of articles, Geoff Wild considers how clients assess their lawyers. Better than ever Jayne Francis-Ward, head of EMLawShare, sets out the highlights from the legal services consortium's fifth conference. Helping to define the client With Lawyers in Local Government calling for clarification of who local authority solicitors can act for, Crispin Passmore sets out the Solicitors Regulation Authority's view. Selling your services Iain Miller deals with the question of what is permissible under the SRA's Handbook and the Legal Services Act 2007 for those local authorities looking to sell their services more widely. Lead or follow? The number of in-house counsel in the private sector has boomed as the general counsel role has grown in importance. Paul Cummins looks at the lessons for local government lawyers. Dancing with the devil? Tanya Corsie of Iken Business explains why you should be using technology to improve your service. Improving internal efficiency The LexisPSL Local Government team provide a checklist for a continuous improvement model in the context of contemplating the delivery of shared legal services. The shape of things to come Derek Bedlow looks at the implications of the Legal Department of the Future survey for how legal departments organise, recruit and retain their staff. A short guide to shared legal services The LexisPSL Local Government team explain the background to and advantages and disadvantages of shared legal services in achieving improved cost efficiency within the public sector. Can’t get no satisfaction? What effect have the cuts had on local government lawyers’ ambitions and morale? Derek Bedlow looks at the results of our exclusive survey of more than 300 local government lawyers and assesses the implications for local authority legal teams. Up for the challenge? With the local government sector under huge pressure, legal departments are being tested to the limit. Helen Edwards of Kennedy Cater analyses how they are responding.