Herts Law Society prizewinners 2012 - Insite Law Magazine

EditorialEvent ReviewHertfordshire Law Society CPD EducationProgramme 2012-13Klearchos Kyriakides of the Education and Training Committeewrites:The past academic year has been difficult for meand for the School of Law of the University ofHertfordshire. The School and I have had to deal withthe consequences of our relocation from St Albansto Hatfield, a revamp of our LLB Degree and variousconsequential developments.Now that the shockwaves generated by the relocation andother changes have subsided, I am in a position to plan aheadfor 2012/13. Furthermore, I am pleased to confirm that I havenow received assurances that it will be possible to organise CPDevents across the academic year.With the approval of Hertfordshire Law Society’s Council, itis intended to freshen up the CPD programme by introducinga number of slight changes. On the one hand, it is proposed toHertfordshire Law Society Prizeretain a core of four traditional CPD seminars of 1.5 or 3 CPDhours. On the other hand, it is proposed that the programmeshould include an additional four events which would beslightly different from those organised in the past. Presentplans include a CPD visit to a local public body, coupled with atalk (1.5 CPD hours). Such a visit will enable those attending togain a deeper insight into one of the public bodies in our countywith which solicitors have dealings. Options include but arenot limited to one of the local courts, one of the local councils,one of the local prisons, the Hertfordshire Constabulary HQ andthe Hertfordshire Coroner Service.If any readers have any suggestions or comments, I will bepleased to receive them at the Council meeting, by email tok.a.kyriakides@herts.ac.ukIf you do not receive regular e-mails about the lectures andseminars, please let the Society’s Administrator (admin@hertslawsoc.org.uk) have your e-mail address.“Has our racing pigeon been nobbled?”This was one of the more unusual requests that ConcatenoTrichoTech, the main sponsors of the Society’s AnnualDinner, had received, explained Graham Sievers, theirDirector of Business Development, during his amusingaddress after the meal.As many of the family lawyers present already knew,Concateno Cardiff (TrichoTech) has provided solicitors withdrug and alcohol test services for child protection and familylaw casework since 1994.“We’re not just the longest established laboratory in theUK providing hair strand testing,” Graham added, “I believewe are the most qualified for hair analysis, with the widestaccreditation to the international standard for drug andalcohol testing (known as ISO 17025). The outcomes of adrug and alcohol test in family law are so significant that thequality of the analysis should be at a consistently high levelthat only such accredited services can assure.”As well as sponsoring the dinner, Concateno TrichoTechis offering a special alcohol package for Hertfordshire LawSociety members:• Determining chronic excessive alcohol use: the TrichoTesthair alcohol service is the only service in the UK accreditedby UKAS to detect both alcohol markers in hair. A specialpackage offer for members of Herts Law Society includesblood tests, an expert witness report, and the samplecollection for a reduced price. Just mention or enter ‘HertsLaw Society’ on the order form and make sure you includethe email address of someone from your family lawdepartment to qualify for an additional 10% discount offthe alcohol test package.• Accreditation matters: make sure all the tests yourequire are accredited to ISO 17025 – check the serviceprovider’s name and their schedule on the UKASwebsite at UKAS.com• If you require a clinical assessment of a client in addition tothe expert witness report on the drug and alcohol results,then Concateno TrichoTech partners one of the UK’s largestcollection of psychologists and psychiatrists who specialisein substance misuse.Concateno TrichoTech:tel 02920 540542And what happened to the pigeon doping scandal?“Well, as we had not tested feathers before, we asked theenquirer to send us some samples not only from the suspected‘drug cheat’, but also some from a pigeon considered to be‘clean’ as a quality control. We never heard back,” Mr Sieverssaid, not without a touch of disappointment.Pictured on the front page (and above) this time isthe Presentation of the Hertfordshire Law SocietyPrize (formerly the Marcus Godman Prize) by nationalLaw Society President, John Wotton, to Natalie Hughesand Patrick Brennan (jointly). They are both traineeswith Taylor Walton of Luton and Harpenden, andboth achieved Distinction in the Legal Practice CourseExamination. The Society’s Council has great pleasurein recording their congratulations.Readers may recall that the prize was founded by MarcusGodman, a Past President, to be presented at the annual dinnerto the trainee solicitor who had achieved the best results in theLPC exam during the preceding year, and that nominations wereinvited on the invitations to the dinner. When the original prizefund was exhausted, the Society’s Council resolved to continueto fund the award of a cheque, or in this case two cheques.All trainees, who pass the exam during the precedingtwelve months, should ask their firms to nominate them,when booking forms for the 2013 dinner are received. Thedate has been provisionally set for 20th or 27th June 2013.All readers may wish to reserve these dates pending furtherannouncements.The Society also gives a prize for outstanding performancein the second year law examinations at the University ofHertfordshire. This prize is awarded by the University’sBoard of Examiners, and presented to the winner by theSociety’s President at the Annual General meeting. Theaward of the prize is also usually announced during thewinner’s Graduation Ceremony.This year’s winner has already been chosen and a report ofthe prize-giving is planned for the January 2013 magazine.▲ Hertfordshire Law Society Gazettehttp://www.hertslawsoc.org.uk/ ▲