Lawyers working in non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) often operate in small groups and generally sit outside centrally funded networks such as the Government Legal Service. At the same time they are often required to advise on a diverse range of complex legal issues.
Faced with the challenges that this poses, it is easy for a NDPB lawyer to feel isolated, which is only likely to add to the existing pressure of meeting the needs of their organisation. It was to deal with this problem that the NDPB Lawyers’ Group was established. In this post, we look at what the group can offer and invite others to get involved.
The NDPB Lawyers’ Group first met in May 2010. Its aims are to enable in-house lawyers working within NDPBs to:
- Develop networks.
- Share information and expertise.
- Achieve communal benefits, for example, through the provision of joint training.
The group is now recognised by, and actively engages with, the Law Society and is constantly reviewing what it can do to best represent the interests of NDPB in-house lawyers.
The direction of the group is managed by a core number of members, who form the Executive Committee and meet regularly to identify issues of mutual interest and plan the group’s events. All members, including those on the executive, are volunteers. Current members of the Executive Committee include representatives from Sport England, the Human Tissue Authority, the Legal Services Board, the Health Protection Agency and UK Sport.
One of the key networking and training opportunities for members are the full-day training conferences that are run by the group twice a year. A variety of guest speakers speak at these conferences with subjects previously covered including:
- The public sector equality duty.
- Consultation requirements.
- Freedom of information.
- Advising senior management.
- Effective outsourcing.
- Innovative ways to deliver an in-house legal function.
Attendance at the training conferences is open to all in-house public and regulatory lawyers. The next training day will take place on 30 November 2012 in Birmingham and feature presentations on subjects including intellectual property, data protection/freedom of information and employment law. If you are interested in attending please contact us using the e-mail address below.
More information on the group can found on its website. If you are a lawyer working in-house at an NDPB and feel that you could benefit from joining the group or have a view as to what else the group could be doing, please do get in touch by e-mailing: NDPBlawyersgroup@practicallaw.com.
The group is also keen to work with other categories of public lawyer (whether in central or local government) and with lawyers that that deal with NDPBs on a regular basis. If you are such a lawyer and feel that there is scope for the group to work with you in a mutually beneficial way, please do get in touch using the e-mail address above.