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 25, 2021 Best value report calls for Legal Services team at Liverpool to be built up as Secretary of State decides to send commissioners into city council Mar 22, 2021 LLG looks for clarity on trading legal services with publication of memorandum on exemption for authorisation Mar 08, 2021 Law Society President to step down later this month as SDT dispute rumbles on Mar 05, 2021 Bevan Brittan hails performance in core markets as it confirms staff pay rise and ‘thank you’ bonus Feb 01, 2021 Cornerstone Barristers expels public law specialist in row over tweeting Jan 19, 2021 Law firm teams up with CommercialGov to deliver governance for commercial activity masterclass for LGA	TENDERS AND INSTRUCTIONS Apr 07, 2021 Transport for Greater Manchester names six law firms to major projects panel Apr 07, 2021 Merseytravel to appoint single firm as advisors on rail matters under £750k contract Apr 05, 2021 Health and care regulator names two firms to panel worth up to £6m Apr 05, 2021 Trowers & Hamlins advises social landlord on strategic partnership with investment firm Mar 31, 2021 Council prepares to retender expiring legal services framework worth £1.6m Mar 22, 2021 Law firms advise social landlords on largest stock swap to date
PEOPLE Apr 05, 2021 Torbay Council names lawyer as chief executive and head of paid service Apr 05, 2021 Devonshires promotes two lawyers to partner Mar 31, 2021 City Solicitor at Liverpool to retire at end of May after 25 years at council Mar 31, 2021 Lawyers who act for social housing providers and local authorities among partner promotions at Winckworth Sherwood Mar 31, 2021 Public Law Group at 39 Essex Chambers takes on three new members Mar 30, 2021 Ex-local authority lawyer joins Public Law team at Spire Barristers	TECHNOLOGY Mar 08, 2021 Sharpe Pritchard launches innovative online local government law platform Feb 10, 2021 Midlands set moves to completely paperless working Jan 06, 2021 Borough council to adopt Lexis Visualfiles case management system Oct 02, 2020 City council to procure case management system in £240k, five to ten-year deal Aug 14, 2020 Thomson Reuters acquires document bundling platform CaseLines Feb 12, 2020 Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal implements CaseLines platform as part of digital transformation
COMMENT AND ANALYSIS Virtual Training – why didn’t we think of it earlier!? Member development trainer Bethan Evans relives her experiences of switching from face-to-face to online training during lockdown and looks at how they may affect the physical/virtual divide post-pandemic. 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.