Bristol City Initiatives of interest to the local legal Profession

Posted on19 March 2021

We were pleased to welcome the Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees speak to many of our local Managing Partners and Senior Leaders this week.

The Mayor thanked the local profession for their contribution to the City and also outlined a number of initiatives that might be of particular interest to the local legal community:

West of England Black Interns Pilot: In recognition of the employment gap that exists for black graduates, and inspired by the #10000BlackInterns initiative, we are launching a new internship programme in the region – the West of England Black Interns pilot.

The scheme will provide a four week paid work experience for black and mixed heritage students at the end of the summer, with Hargreaves Lansdown coordinating the recruitment and placement of interns.

To find out more, you can go to the website or email WestEngInterns@hl.co.uk - please get in touch with expressions of interest, including how many interns you’d like to take, as soon as possible.

Bristol WORKS – information on how to sign up to offer experiences of work is available at Bristol WORKS and the team can be contacted directly at works@bristol.gov.uk

Domestic Abuse legal support – if firms are in a position to help improve access to representation and advice for people affected my domestic violence, please do contact us and we can put them in contact with Next Link Housing who are leading this work – mayor@bristol.gov.uk The report of the Mayoral Commission on Domestic Abuse is available to read here, and as part of this work we are asking employers to engage with Hestia’s Everyone’s Business Campaign. Hestia have been commissioned by the government specifically to advise employers on domestic abuse within the workforce.

No Recourse to Public Funds – A ‘One City’ working group is being established on legal support for vulnerable migrants, particularly those that have been accommodated on an emergency basis during the COVID pandemic. For more information, please contact mayor@bristol.gov.uk

Burges Salmon has been an enthusiastic supporter of BLS for many years. BLS provides a valuable role in uniting and promoting the whole of the legal sector across Bristol to benefit both its members and the city. It facilitates collaboration across the sector to ensure that we can all make a difference. Whether that is driving important initiatives in, for example, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and the use of new technologies, liaising with stakeholders and charities in our wider community or providing training to generations of lawyers, the service and support provided by BLS is invaluable. More recently BLS has taken a lead on promoting Bristol’s legal brand, encouraging legal and business services talent to come to the city, which in turn attracts clients and inward investment to our thriving and vibrant commercial community. BLS breaks down barriers and brings those in the profession together for the greater good. We are proud of our long-standing association with BLS.
Roger Bull - Managing Partner, Burges Salmon
Three things to say about my experience of working with Bristol Law Society. Their central team, council members and general hangers-on are just about the nicest, most generous group of people working in the legal sector today. The numerous events, awards, socials and conferences I’ve had the pleasure to attend over the years have been, without exception, top quality and supremely organised. And, thirdly, they consistently exceed and challenge the boundaries of what lawyers might assume a regional Law Society will restrict activities to – from a hugely successful charitable school meals drive to corporate social responsibility and diversity campaigns to being joint architects and coordinators of the region’s unique Bristol+BathLegalTech group, which it has been my privilege to co-chair for the last five years.
Chris Bull - Principal, Edge International
As one of the leading Insurance brokers for law firms in the UK and with a large presence in Bristol it seemed only natural for us to support the Bristol Law Society. Bristol Law Society is one of the oldest and most vibrant of the Law Societies in England and Wales. We are pleased to be working with them on important matters relating to law firms’ liability insurances and Risk Management. From Sole Practitioner to Top 20 law firms we are sure our two organisations can provide excellent support and assistance for the challenges faced by the legal profession.
Matthew Baker - Financial Lines Group, Howden Insurance Brokers Ltd
Joining BLS in 2013 and becoming President in 2018/19 has created many longstanding friendships and business relationships, whilst also unlocking doors to other opportunities in the City. BLS enabled a perfect balance of professional development and also opportunities to give back to the legal and wider community. I am pleased that my Firm has supported BLS in many capacities since 2013 and continues to do so.
Nicholas Lee- Managing Director of Paragon Costs Solutions and Past President of BLS