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CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Seminar Programme2018

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTSeminar Programme - Summary table January - December 2018

Client Care and Practice Management

General Group Study/Compluslory Conveyancing

General Group Study

Full details of all seminars are included in this brochure.

Please note that events colour coded pink/green can be used as Compulsory Conveyancing CPD and also General Group Study CPD.

Date Title Location Page

Tuesday 16 January 2018 Home Charter Update Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen 10

Tuesday 16 January 2018 Home Charter Update Portadown Town Hall 10

Wednesday 17 January 2018 Home Charter Update Lodge Hotel, Coleraine 10

Wednesday 17 January 2018 Home Charter Update Montgomery’s, Ballymena 10

Tuesday 30 January 2018 Home Charter Update Silverbirch Hotel, Omagh 10

Tuesday 30 January 2018 Home Charter Update City Hotel, Derry 10

Wednesday 31 January 2018 Home Charter Update Canal Court Hotel, Newry 10

Wednesday 31 January 2018 Home Charter Update Law Society House, Belfast 10

Friday 2 February 2018 PACE: 2015 Codes of Practice & Children and PACE Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen 13

Tuesday 6 February 2018 Legal Bookkeeping Course Law Society House, Belfast 14

Thursday 8 February 2018 Anti-Money Laundering CPD Canal Court Hotel, Newry 15

Friday 9 February 2018 PACE: 2015 Codes of Practice & Children and PACE City Hotel, Derry 13

Friday 9 February 2018 Anti-Money Laundering CPD Law Society House, Belfast 15

Friday 16 February 2018 PACE: 2015 Codes of Practice & Children and PACE Law Society House, Belfast 13

Tuesday 20 February 2018 Social Media Marketing for Law Firms Law Society House, Belfast 16

Wednesday 21 February 2018 Tax Year End Planning Opportunities Law Society House, Belfast 16

Wednesday 21 February 2018 Consumer Rights Act 2015 – City Hotel, Derry 20 The law of Trader-Consumer Contracts

Thursday 22 February 2018 How to Grow a Business – The Overview Law Society House, Belfast 21

Friday 23 February 2018 PACE: 2015 Codes of Practice & Children and PACE Canal Court Hotel, Newry 13

Friday 23 February 2018 Party and Party Costs Law Society House, Belfast 22

Tuesday 27 February 2018 Practical Land Registry Issues Law Society House, Belfast 10

Tuesday 27 February 2018 Library Compact Research Course Law Society House, Belfast 23

Wednesday 28 February 2018 Library Compact Research Course Law Society House, Belfast 23

Thursday 1 March 2018 Administration of Estates: Dealing with the Law Society House, Belfast 24 Affairs of a Deceased Insolvent

Friday 2 March 2018 Clinical Negligence Update Law Society House, Belfast 24

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CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTSeminar Programme

January - December 2018


Tuesday 6 March 2018 The Ideal Cases for which to use Mediation Law Society House, Belfast 25

Tuesday 6 March 2018 Comprehending Conveyancing Law Society House, Belfast 25

Wednesday 7 March 2018 Criminal Finances Bill Law Society House, Belfast 26

Thursday 8 March 2018 Building Your Brand Law Society House, Belfast 27


Wednesday 14 March 2018 Criteria Based Selection and Law Society House, Belfast 28 Competency Based Interview Skills

Thursday 15 March 2018 Cybercrime and the Business Risks to your Practice Law Society House, Belfast 28


Wednesday 21 March 2018 Introduction to Immigration Law and Practice Law Society House, Belfast 29

Wednesday 21 March 2018 Best Practice in the Provision of Immigration Legal Services Law Society House, Belfast 29

Thursday 22 March 2018 How to Grow a Business – Marketing and Sales Law Society House, Belfast 21

Tuesday 27 March 2018 Estate Litigation in Practice: A Typical Chancery Law Society House, Belfast 31 Division Dispute involving a Farming Estate


Wednesday 28 March 2018 Connected Persons/Connected Transactions Law Society House, Belfast 11

Tuesday 10 April 2018 Loans for Mortgage Interest Law Society House, Belfast 32

Tuesday 10 April 2018 Apartments Masterclass Law Society House, Belfast 33

Wednesday 11 April 2018 Pension Options in Divorce and the Evergaldes Hotel, Derry 17 Impact of Pension Freedoms Legislation

Wednesday 11 April 2018 Pension Options in Divorce and the Silverbirch Hotel, Omagh 17 Impact of Pension Freedoms Legislation

Thursday 12 April 2018 Pension Options in Divorce and the Canal Court Hotel, Newry 17 Impact of Pension Freedoms Legislation

Thursday 12 April 2018 Pension Options in Divorce and the Impact of Law Society House, Belfast 17 Pension Freedoms Legislation


Wednesday 18 April 2018 The Charity Commission – What you need to Know Law Society House, Belfast 34

Thursday 19 April 2018 Handling Client Complaints: Overview and Update Canal Court Hotel, Newry 35

Friday 20 April 2018 Handling Client Complaints: Overview and Update Roe Park Resort, Limavady 35

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Tuesday 24 April 2018 Distressed Conveyancing: A Practical Guide to Law Society House, Belfast 11 Domestic Conveyancing in Personal Insolvency


Wednesday 25 April 2018 Wellbeing in the Workplace: Why it matters Law Society House, Belfast 36

Thursday 26 April 2018 How to Grow a Business – People Law Society House, Belfast 21

Thursday 26 April 2018 Handling Client Complaints: Overview and Update Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen 35

Friday 27 April 2018 Handling Client Complaints: Overview and Update Law Society House, Belfast 35

Tuesday 1 May 2018 Probate: A Practical Guide to Estate Administration Roe Park Resort, Limavady 37

Tuesday 1 May 2018 Apartments Masterclass Law Society House, Belfast 33

Wednesday 2 May 2018 Probate: A Practical Guide to Estate Administration Law Society House, Belfast 37

Wednesday 9 May 2018 Anti-Money Laundering CPD City Hotel, Derry 15

Thursday 10 May 2018 Anti-Money Laundering CPD Law Society House, Belfast 15

Tuesday 15 May 2018 International Aspects of Family Law Law Society House, Belfast 37

Tuesday 15 May 2018 Library Compact Research Course Law Society House, Belfast 23

Wednesday 16 May 2018 Basics of Financial Planning Law Society House, Belfast 17

Wednesday 16 May 2018 Library Compact Research Course Law Society House, Belfast 23

Thursday 17 May 2018 Children Order Conference 2018 Law Society House, Belfast 38

Tuesday 22 May 2018 Legal Bookkeeping Course Law Society House, Belfast 14

Wednesday 23 May 2018 Land and Property Services – An Update Law Society House, Belfast 11

Thursday 24 May 2018 How to Grow a Business – Operations Law Society House, Belfast 22

Tuesday 5 June 2018 Mediation – The Business Opportunities for Solicitors Law Society House, Belfast 25

Wednesday 6 June 2018 Business Protection Law Society House, Belfast 18

Friday 8 June 2018 Talking Costs with Clients Law Society House, Belfast 38

Tuesday 12 June 2018 Insurance Mechanisms as a vehicle for attracting Law Society House, Belfast 11 investors in property

Wednesday 13 June 2018 Practice in the Magistrates’ Courts Law Society House, Belfast 39

Thursday 14 June 2018 How to Grow a Business – Finance Law Society House, Belfast 22

Tuesday 4 September 2018 Comprehending Conveyancing Law Society House, Belfast 25

Tuesday 11 September 2018 Estate Planning using Trusts and Other Mitigation Strategies Law Society House, Belfast 18

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Wednesday 12 September 2018 Recent Developments in Mortgage Repossession Law Law Society House, Belfast 32

Thursday 13 September 2018 Who would be an Executor? A Miscellany of Law Society House, Belfast 39 Traps for the Unwary Personal Representative

Tuesday 18 September 2018 Legal Bookkeeping Course Law Society House, Belfast 14


Wednesday 19 September 2018 Consumer Rights Act 2015 – Law Society House, Belfast 20 The law of Trader-Consumer Contracts

Thursday 20 September 2018 Statutory Agencies in the Development Process Law Society House, Belfast 11

Friday 21 September 2018 Mental Capacity 2016: Lessons Learned Law Society House, Belfast 40

Tuesday 25 September 2018 Preparing and Presenting a Case for Hearing before Law Society House, Belfast 29 the Immigration and Asylum Chamber


Wednesday 26 September 2018 Practice Management CPD City Hotel, Derry 40

Thursday 27 September 2018 Practice Management CPD Canal Court Hotel, Newry 40

Thursday 27 September 2018 Practice Management CPD Law Society House, Belfast 40

Tuesday 2 October 2018 Library Compact Research Course Law Society House, Belfast 23

Wednesday 3 October 2018 Library Compact Research Course Law Society House, Belfast 23

Wednesday 3 October 2018 Anti-Money Laundering CPD Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen 15

Thursday 4 October 2018 Anti-Money Laundering CPD Law Society House, Belfast 15

Tuesday 9 October 2018 Conveyancing Conference 2018 Crowne Plaza Hotel, Belfast 41

Wednesday 10 October 2018 Pension Planning in Detail Law Society House, Belfast 18

Wednesday 10 October 2018 Non Contentious Probate Applications: Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen 41 A Guide to Practitioners

Thursday 11 October 2018 Topical Tax for Solicitors Law Society House, Belfast 42

Wednesday 17 October 2018 Non Contentious Probate Applications: City Hotel, Derry 41 A Guide to Practitioners

Thursday 18 October 2018 An Update on Defamation and Privacy Issues Law Society House, Belfast 42 arising out of the use of Social Media

Thursday 18 October 2018 Social Media and Unfair Dismissal Law Society House, Belfast 42

Friday 19 October 2018 Forensic Science Northern Ireland – An Overview Law Society House, Belfast 43

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Tuesday 23 October 2018 Common Commercial Conveyancing Issues Law Society House, Belfast 11

Wednesday 24 October 2018 Non Contentious Probate Applications: Law Society House, Belfast 41 A Guide to Practitioners

Thursday 25 October 2018 European Lawyers Day 2018 Law Society House, Belfast 43

Thursday 1 November 2018 Recent Developments in Succession Law Law Society House, Belfast 44

Tuesday 6 November 2018 Criminal Finances Bill Law Society House, Belfast 26

Tuesday 6 November 2018 Library Compact Research Course Law Society House, Belfast 23

Wednesday 7 November 2018 Library Compact Research Course Law Society House, Belfast 23

Wednesday 7 November 2018 Acting for a Private Landlord Law Society House, Belfast 32

Thursday 8 November 2018 The Implications of Crime, Insolvency and Tax Evasion Law Society House, Belfast 44

Friday 9 November 2018 Non Contentious Costs Law Society House, Belfast 22

Tuesday 13 November 2018 Law Society Financial Advice Roadshow City Hotel, Derry 19

Wednesday 14 November 2018 Law Society Financial Advice Roadshow Silverbirch Hotel, Omagh 19

Wednesday 14 November 2018 Managing Client Complaints in Family Proceedings Law Society House, Belfast 45

Thursday 15 November 2018 Law Society Financial Advice Roadshow Canal Court Hotel, Newry 19

Friday 16 November 2018 Sports Law Conference 2018 Law Society House, Belfast 45

Tuesday 20 November 2018 UK Finance Certificate of Title and Handbook Update Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen 11

Tuesday 20 November 2018 UK Finance Certificate of Title and Handbook Update Portadown Town Hall 11

Tuesday 20 November 2018 Mediation for Partnerships, Committees, Councils, Law Society House, Belfast 25 Governors and Boards

Wednesday 21 November 2018 UK Finance Certificate of Title and Handbook Update Lodge Hotel, Coleraine 11

Wednesday 21 November 2018 UK Finance Certificate of Title and Handbook Update Montgomery’s, Ballymena 11

Wednesday 21 November 2018 Tax Update Law Society House, Belfast 46

Thursday 22 November 2018 The Apprentice and You Law Society House, Belfast 46

Friday 23 November 2018 Immigration Conference Law Society House, Belfast 30

Tuesday 27 November 2018 Drafting Wills and Trusts Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen 47

Tuesday 27 November 2018 Charity Commission: Common Mistakes in Applications Law Society House, Belfast 34 and Update on relevant Case Law

Wednesday 28 November 2018 UK Finance Certificate of Title and Handbook Update Silverbirch Hotel, Omagh 12

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For further information or to book a place on any of these courses please email: [email protected]

Wednesday 28 November 2018 UK Finance Certificate of Title and Handbook Update City Hotel, Derry 12

Wednesday 28 November 2018 Drafting Wills and Trusts Canal Court Hotel, Newry 47

Friday 30 November 2018 UK Finance Certificate of Title and Handbook Update Canal Court Hotel, Newry 12

Friday 30 November 2018 UK Finance Certificate of Title and Handbook Update Law Society House, Belfast 12

Monday 3 December 2018 Capacity and Undue Influence Law Society House, Belfast 48

Tuesday 4 December 2018 Drafting Wills and Trusts Law Society House, Belfast 47

Tuesday 4 December 2018 Library Compact Research Course Law Society House, Belfast 23

Wednesday 5 December 2018 Library Compact Research Course Law Society House, Belfast 23

Wednesday 5 December 2018 Wellbeing in the Workplace: Why it matters Law Society House, Belfast 36

Thursday 6 December 2018 Dealing with Bereaved Clients and those experiencing Law Society House, Belfast 48 Emotional or Difficult Circumstances

Friday 7 December 2018 Judicial Appointments: Information and Advice Law Society House, Belfast 49

Monday 10 December 2018 Investing for Vulnerable Individuals Law Society House, Belfast 19

Tuesday 11 December 2018 Digital Ready People Management in Law Firms Law Society House, Belfast 49

Tuesday 11 December 2018 Topical Conveyancing Issues Canal Court Hotel, Newry 12

Wednesday 12 December 2018 Topical Conveyancing Issues Law Society House, Belfast 12

Thursday 13 December 2018 Building Your Brand Law Society House, Belfast 27

Please note that events colour coded pink/green can be used as Compulsory Conveyancing CPD and also General Group Study CPD.

Client Care and Practice Management

General Group Study/Compulsory Conveyancing

General Group Study

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CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR PROGRAMME 2018

NEW

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RISK MANAGEMENT 2018

In 2005 the Law Society of Northern Ireland introduced the Continuing Professional Development Scheme. Initially the Scheme applied to those solicitors in their first 10 years of practice. Shortly afterwards the Scheme was extended to cover the entire profession. The aim of the Scheme was, and still is, to ensure that members keep up to date with current developments so that the profession continues to operate to the highest standards and ensures that clients are given the best possible service.

Members are currently required to complete a minimum of 15 hours CPD, consisting of a maximum of 5 hours’ Private Study and a minimum of 10 hours’ Group Study, of which 3 hours must be Client Care and Practice Management and, if applicable, 3 hours of Compulsory Conveyancing CPD.

As you will be aware, from 1 January 2017 all Principals, Consultants and Assistants in private practice (PPC, PPP and PPAs) are now required to complete 2 hours Compulsory Risk Management CPD training during the practising year.

There is no increase in the overall total number of CPD hours required per year.

The Society has once again designed a bespoke Law Society of Northern Ireland 2 hour module on Compulsory Risk Management for which there is a reduced charge of £30.00. Full details of the dates, venues, timings and topics will follow in early 2018.

You are reminded that CPD compliance is a regulatory requirement and that the Society will take into account your CPD compliance when exercising its wider regulatory functions.

GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATION – A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE

The Society is delighted to announce that it has successfully partnered with eight other European Union countries to provide comprehensive training on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which comes into force on 25 May 2018. This legislation sets out a revised and updated framework for data protection laws and is designed to ‘harmonise’ data privacy laws across Europe (regardless of Brexit) as well as give greater protection and rights to individuals.

This unique training on the GDPR for legal professionals, members of the judiciary, supervisory authorities and data protection officers provides full EU guidance on data protection reform. It will also allow for the promotion of networking between lawyers attending the national seminars, facilitating exchange of good practices among the participants.

This training has international recognition and local application not only in relation to how legal practitioners handle personal data within their own offices but also in relation to the advices which they deliver to clients regarding the use and retention of personal data.

Those attending will have access to the training material from the nine participating Bar Associations and Law Societies, an invaluable resource for this crucial area of law. The Society is also able to draw on European experts from Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Ireland, United Kingdom, France and Belgium.

The training will take the form of lectures, workshops and use of case study scenarios giving practical examples of how GDPR will specifically impact the day to day work of those attending to providing the “how to” guide for GDPR.

The course will provide at least 5 hours CPD and will, thanks to EU financial assistance, be delivered at a reduced rate.Details of these sessions and other training events in relation to the GDPR will be publicised in coming weeks via the E-nformer, CPD Updater and the Society’s website.

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CONVEYANCING LUNCHTIME SERIES 2018

Cost: £35 per session

CPD Hours: 1 Compulsory Conveyancing/General Group Study per session

Further to the introduction of Compulsory Conveyancing CPD in January 2014, the Society has once again organised a series of lunchtime Conveyancing CPD events for 2018. The events will take place over the course of the year and in various locations to make them as accessible as possible to all conveyancing solicitors. All sessions will run for 1 hour, cost £35 and attract 1 Compulsory Conveyancing/General Group Study hour.

In addition to the lunchtime sessions, the Society will also be offering Comprehending Conveyancing workshops (two over the course of 2018), the newly added Apartments Masterclass and the Conveyancing Conference in October 2018 – details of these events are also included in this brochure.

Date Various – see Time and Location

Tuesday 27 February 2018

Title and Presenter

Home Charter UpdateAndrew Kirkpatrick, Assistant Secretary, Law Society of Northern Ireland

Practical Land Registry IssuesSimon Murray, Murray Kelly Moore Solicitors and Wally Gamble, former Senior Mapping and Casework Officer

Time and location

Tuesday 16 January 2018Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen 10am -11am

Portadown Town Hall2pm – 3pm

Wednesday 17 January 2018Lodge Hotel, Coleraine 10am – 11am

Montgomery’s, Ballymena1pm – 2pm

Tuesday 30 January 2018Silverbirch Hotel, Omagh 10am – 11am

City Hotel, Derry 3pm – 4pm

Wednesday 31 January 2018Canal Court Hotel, Newry 10 am – 11am

Law Society House, Belfast 1.30pm – 2.30pm

Law Society House, Belfast 1pm – 2pm

Cost £35

£35

CPD Hours

1 Compulsory Conveyancing/General Group Study


CONVEYANCING LUNCHTIME SERIES 2018 (Continued)

Date Wednesday28 March 2018

Tuesday 24 April 2018

Wednesday 23 May 2018

Tuesday 12 June 2018

Thursday 20 September 2018

Tuesday 23 October 2018

Various – see Time and Location

Title and Presenter

Connected Persons/Connected TransactionsNigel Thompson, Moore Stephens

Distressed Conveyancing: A Practical Guide to Domestic Conveyancing in Personal Insolvency Napier & Sons

Land & Property Services: An UpdateChristine Farrell, Land & Property Services

Insurance mechanisms as a vehicle for attracting investors in propertyReema Mannah, TitleSolv

Statutory Agencies in the Development ProcessVariety of speakers

Common Commercial Conveyancing IssuesDawson McConkey, Carson McDowell

UK Finance Certificate of Title and Handbook UpdateLaw Society of Northern Ireland

Time and location

Law Society House, Belfast1pm – 2pm


Law Society House, Belfast 1pm – 2pm




Tuesday 20 November 2018Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen 10am -11am

Portadown Town Hall2pm – 3pm

Wednesday 21 November 2018Lodge Hotel, Coleraine 10am – 11am

Montgomery’s, Ballymena1pm – 2pm

Cost £35

£35

£35

£35

£35

£35

£35

CPD Hours








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CONVEYANCING LUNCHTIME SERIES 2018 (Continued)

Date Various – see Time and Location

Various – see Time and Location

Title and Presenter

UK Finance Certificate of Title and Handbook UpdateLaw Society of Northern Ireland

Topical Conveyancing IssuesSteven Cockcroft,Johns Elliot Solicitors

Time and location

Wednesday 28 November 2018Silverbirch Hotel, Omagh 10am – 11am

City Hotel, Derry 3pm – 4pm

Friday 30 November 2018Canal Court Hotel, Newry 10 am – 11am

Law Society House, Belfast 1.30pm – 2.30pm

Tuesday 11 December 2018Canal Court Hotel, Newry1pm – 2pm

Wednesday 12 December 2018 Law Society House, Belfast1pm – 2pm

Cost £35

£35

CPD Hours



PACE: 2015 CODES OF PRACTICE & CHILDREN AND PACE

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Date: Various – see belowTime: 1pm – 2:30pm Venue: Various – see below

Cost: £50

CPD Hours: 1.5 General Group Study

This session will cover the current Codes of Practice, in particular the most recent additions introduced in 2015 to include:

• Necessity Test;• Transgender;• TPIM Notices;• EU Directive 2010/64;• Identification Issues.

Recent PACE case law and future potential changes to the Codes of Practice will also be discussed.

The seminar will also focus on the area of Children and PACE and how children are dealt with following the structure of the Police and Criminal Evidence (NI) Order 1989. This section will identify issues of direct relevance to children and discuss areas including:

• Stop and Search; • Entry, Search and Seizure;• Arrest;• Detention;• Questioning and Treatment;• Youth Engagement Clinics.

This session will be of particular benefit to practitioners attending police stations and youth courts. The seminar will be supported by a range of useful resources provided on a memory stick. This will include all versions of PACE Codes of Practice, information on the Appropriate Adult Scheme and Youth Engagement Clinics as well as a significant database of criminal case law compiled by the presenter – Seamus McIlroy – Director of Legal Services, Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland.

To increase accessibility the session will take place in the following locations:

Friday 2 February 2018 Killyhevlin Hotel, EnniskillenFriday 9 February 2018 City Hotel, DerryFriday 16 February 2018 Law Society House, BelfastFriday 23 February 2018 Canal Court Hotel, Newry

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LEGAL BOOKKEEPING COURSE

Date: Various – see belowTime: 9.30am – 1pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £150

CPD Hours: 3 Client Care and Practice Management

This course is aimed at those people within a legal practice who are involved in the bookkeeping/finance function. The session is designed to assist those attending to review and update their current knowledge and will also discuss the implications of the current Solicitors’ Accounts Regulations which came into effect on 1st June 2014. The session will be delivered by experienced professionals in this field – Brian Speers, Managing Partner, CMG Cunningham Dickey Solicitors and Celine Corrigan, Director, Corrigan CA Limited, Chartered Accountants. Topics to be covered include:

- Client funds – what is client money, handling client money, recording receipts, transfer to and from deposit, transfer between client ledgers, accounting for interest, accounting for commission and other ancillary income, payments from the client account, managing residual balances, corrective action if mistakes occur;

- Office account – client to office transfers, managing office balances, bills of costs and VAT;

- Solicitors’ Accounts Regulations – changes arising from the Solicitors’ Accounts Regulations;

- Cheque handling and record keeping;

- E-banking and security from fraud.

To increase accessibility this course will run three times during 2018:

Session 1 Tuesday 6 February 2018 Session 2 Tuesday 22 May 2018 Session 3 Tuesday 18 September 2018

The session will assume a level of knowledge consistent with someone who has experience of this function. It will be interactive and practical in nature and therefore numbers will be capped at approximately 16 delegates.

Attendance at this seminar will fully cover the 2018 Client Care and Practice Management CPD requirement. Any additional Client Care and Practice Management hours gained can be carried over into the General Group Study section.

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ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING CPD

Date: Various – see belowTime: 1pm – 2.30pmVenue: Various – see below

Cost: £50

CPD Hours: 1.5 Client Care and Practice Management per session

Anti-money laundering Update 1

An overview of latest developments including:• How is the profession responding and adapting?• Regulations 18, 19, 20 and 21 – how are you getting on?• National Risk Assessment.

To increase accessibility this session will run on the following dates:

Thursday 8 February 2018 Canal Court Hotel, NewryFriday 9 February 2018 Law Society House, Belfast


An overview of latest developments including:• Criminal Finances Act 2017 and tax evasion issues;• Legal Sector Guidance;• Financial sanctions; • Policies, Controls & Procedures;• Data protection.


Wednesday 9 May 2018 City Hotel, DerryThursday 10 May 2018 Law Society House, Belfast


An overview of latest developments including:• Focus on client due diligence (CDD);• What CDD do you have to do? • What evidence do you need?• Enhanced due diligence;• Ongoing monitoring;• Source of funds;• The conflict between GDPR and CDD requirements.


Wednesday 3 October 2018 Killyhevlin Hotel, EnniskillenThursday 4 October 2018 Law Society House, Belfast

The seminar will be delivered by Sue Mawdsley - an experienced solicitor with Legal Risk LLP and co-author of The Money Laundering Reporting Officer’s Handbook: A Guide for Solicitors.

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LAW SOCIETY FINANCIAL ADVICE SERIES

Date: Various – see belowTime: Various – see belowVenue: Various – see below

Cost: £20

CPD Hours: Various see below

The Law Society of Northern Ireland, in conjunction with Law Society (NI) Financial Advice Ltd, is once again delivering a comprehensive series of CPD sessions which will be of benefit to practitioners. To increase accessibility the sessions will take place in a variety of locations and at various different stages of the year.

1. Tax Year End Planning Opportunities

Wednesday 21 February 2018 1pm – 2pm Law Society House, Belfast

This session will cover:• Making the most of most of tax allowances;• General considerations for high earners;• Options for clients facing large CGT bills;• Pension contribution limits;• Pension Lifetime Allowance and protections available for those with large pension pots;• ISA types and limits.

Case studies will be used to highlight opportunities and vulnerabilities.

CPD hours: 1 Client Care and Practice Management

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING FOR LAW FIRMS

Date: Tuesday 20 February 2018Time: 1pm – 2pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £35

CPD Hours: 1 General Group Study

Have you Googled yourself or your business name lately? How do you rank on Google search? Have you thought about the online experience your clients have with your firm? Do you know what social media sites you should be on to build your brand and generate new business?

This session will focus on building your brand on social media, social media content management and taking control of your digital footprint to help reach a wider audience.

The session will be delivered by organisational development specialist, management training expert, HR and marketing professional Linzi Conway, Key to Success Consultants. Linzi is an experienced LAMDA qualified speaker and trainer with almost two decades of experience in business growth. Linzi is a CMI Chartered Manager, a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, a Chartered Marketer and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

2. Pension Options in Divorce and the impact of Pension Freedoms Legislation

Frequently a party’s pension can be the biggest asset in a marriage with available cash and property values decreasing. This session will look at pension options in divorce and the impact of pension freedoms legislation.

The topics to be covered include:

• Overview of the Pension Freedoms legislation and the impact on existing pension plans;• Overview of the main options for pensions in a divorce settlement and their relative pros and cons: - Earmarking; - Offsetting; - Sharing;• Impact on an individual’s tax position and Pension Lifetime Allowance;• Consequences for Lifetime Allowance Protections (Primary, Enhanced, IP/FP 12, 14 & 16) including pitfalls to avoid;• Benefits of Financial Scenario Modelling to validate, challenge or agree asset split;• Implications of non-funded statutory pension schemes.

To increase accessibility this session will take place in the following locations:

Wednesday 11 April 2018 Everglades Hotel, Derry 10am – 11am Silverbirch Hotel, Omagh 3pm – 4pm

Thursday 12 April 2018 Canal Court Hotel, Newry 9.30am – 10.30am Law Society House, Belfast 1.30pm – 2.30pm



3. Basics of Financial Planning

Wednesday 16 May 2018 1pm – 2pm Law Society House, Belfast

This session is aimed at clients in the earlier part of their career and will cover the following topics:

• The difference between financial planning and financial advice;• An explanation of typical employer benefits and quantification of their worth;• The protection policies that all young solicitors should be considering;• How mortgages work and the important aspects to compare;• Savings vehicles for clients at the start of their career.



LAW SOCIETY FINANCIAL ADVICE SERIES (Continued)

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4. Business Protection – The vulnerabilities and most common mistakes made by Limited Companies, Partnerships and LLPs

Wednesday 6 June 2018 1pm – 2pm Law Society House, Belfast

This session will cover:

• Ownership – Options to protect the business (and beneficiaries) against death of a business owner or partner and consequences of getting the planning wrong;

• Profit – Key Person cover;• Debt – Business loan protection;• Relevant Life – A hugely tax efficient way for directors and key employees to fund their life cover needs;• Group Life – Beware the impact of the Pension Lifetime Allowance.



5. Estate Planning using trusts and other mitigation strategies

Tuesday 11 September 2018 1pm – 2pm Law Society House, Belfast


• Annual Allowances and exemptions;• Use of Trusts such as Discounted Gift Trust or Gift & Loan Trust to reduce or cap IHT liability;• Legacy Trusts for those with no immediate family beneficiaries;• Use of strategies such as IPDI Trusts to protect beneficiaries from previous marriages;• Use of Discretionary Will Trusts to utilise unused Nil Rate Band for remarrying widows / widowers. Increases to the NRB

for a couple to more than the current £650,000 limit;• Business Property Relief;• Agricultural Property Relief.



6. Pension planning in detail

Wednesday 10 October 2018 1pm – 2pm Law Society House, Belfast


• Pension contribution limits and restrictions;• Pension Lifetime Allowance amounts and protections STILL available for large funds;• Using a pension to buy property;• Pension Freedoms legislation and the consequences of being trapped in a scheme that can’t accommodate them;• Death Benefits and the impact of Group Life Schemes on the Lifetime Allowance;• Pensions in IHT planning;• Pensions versus other retirement savings plans;• Options for drawing on pension funds since pension freedoms were introduced.




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7. Law Society (NI) Financial Advice Roadshow

This will be a 90 minute session combining “best bits” information from the sessions detailed above that are taking place in Belfast. It will comprise:

• Estate Planning using trusts and other mitigation strategies;• Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax mitigation strategies;• Retirement planning strategies;• The new freedoms for withdrawals from pensions for individuals and their dependants;• Business Protection for partnerships and limited companies.

To increase accessibility this session will take place in the following locations:

Tuesday 13 November 2018 1pm – 2.30pm City Hotel, Derry Wednesday 14 November 2018 1pm – 2.30pm Silverbirch Hotel, Omagh Thursday 15 November 2018 1pm – 2.30pm Canal Court Hotel, Newry


CPD hours: 1.5 Client Care and Practice Management

8. Investing for vulnerable individuals

Monday 10 December 2018 1pm – 2pm Law Society House, Belfast


• The roles and responsibilities of Trustees and Attorneys;• Suitable investment strategies for Personal Injury Trusts;• Elderly care options, costs and allowances;• Estate deprivation;• Treatment of the home if elderly care is required.



Date: Various – see belowTime: 1pm – 4.30pmVenue: Various – see below

Cost: £90


The first part of this session will cover the new consumer protection laws relating to sale of goods contracts, service contracts and sale of digital content contracts. It will examine:

- the new statutory rights which replace the former implied terms (implied by ss 12-15 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979); - the additional remedies now available to consumers in instances where the seller/service provider breaches one of the

statutory rights and the extent to which a seller or supplier is entitled to exclude liability thereof;- the new statutory provisions relating to the responsibility for loss or damage to goods before the consumer has

possession thereof.

The second part of the session will examine the new criteria which must be complied with for an exclusion clause/unfair term to be effectively relied upon by a business party contracting with a consumer. It will conclude with an examination of those terms which appear in the Schedule to the Act and are deemed to be unfair and ineffective.

To increase accessibility this session will be delivered in the following locations:

Wednesday 21 February 2018 City Hotel, DerryWednesday 19 September 2018 Law Society House, Belfast

The seminar will be delivered by Brian Collins. Brian has forty years experience teaching Consumer Law at the University of Ulster and other educational institutions. He acted as a consultant to DG XXIV (Consumer Policy Directorate) of the European Commission and has published a number of articles on consumer law in various publications (English, French and Spanish).

CONSUMER RIGHTS ACT 2015 - THE NEW LAW OF TRADER-CONSUMER CONTRACTS

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Date: Various – see belowTime: Various – see belowVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: Various – see below

CPD Hours: Various – see below

The Growing a Business Series is comprised of 5 sessions which have been designed to run sequentially and complement each other – however they can be undertaken on a stand alone basis.

The sessions will be delivered by Dave McClements, Partner, Core Consulting. Dave is a business consultant with 21 years experience in developing organisations and has worked with various sectors in the UK and Ireland. This has involved consulting on business strategy, marketing, sales, people development, operations and financial matters relating to business growth.

GROWING A BUSINESS SERIES

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Completing all 5 sessions will fully cover the 2018 Client Care and Practice Management and General Group Study CPD requirement – delegates can claim 13 hours in total for attendance at all 5 sessions in the series. If all 5 sessions are booked together a discounted fee of £300 will be offered.

Session 1 Thursday 22 February 2018 9.30am – 1pm

How to Grow a Business – The Overview

This workshop will look at “How to Grow a Business”. Delivered by a business growth consultant with experience of the legal and professional services sector, the session will highlight 10 practices that enable business growth. This will be presented in the context of the “Business Growth Cycle” which will detail the stages of the corporate life cycle.

This is an overview session of all of the business growth issues discussed during the series. These are addressed in more detail in the following 4 workshops. It is advised, although not compulsory, that delegates attend this overview session before electing to attend the sub sessions.

Cost: £70 CPD hours: 3 Client Care and Practice Management

Session 2 Thursday 22 March 2018 9.30am – 1pm

How to Grow a Business – Marketing and Sales

This session will explore how a business can use marketing and sales to grow. It will address two main areas. Firstly, the meaning of marketing to law firms and how it can determine business strategy. Secondly, how professional integrity can be maintained whilst also promoting the services of the firm. Participants are encouraged to attend Session 1 before attending this session.

Cost: £70


Session 3 Thursday 26 April 2018 9.30am – 1pm

How to Grow a Business – People

This session addresses how a business can use its people to grow. The session will discuss how to work with, manage and motivate staff. Participants are encouraged to attend Session 1 before attending this session.

Cost: £70


GROWING A BUSINESS SERIES (Continued)

COSTS SERIES

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GROWING A BUSINESS SERIES (Continued)

Session 4 Thursday 24 May 2018 9.30am – 11.30am

How to Grow a Business – Operations

This session will look at how a business can use operations to grow. As professional service providers we often do not treat what we do like a production line. Concentrating on the effectiveness and efficiency of what we do can be very beneficial. This session will provide practical tools and techniques in running the operational aspects– addressing what we do, how we can measure what we do, what we should measure and what we should do with the results. Participants are encouraged to attend Session 1 before attending this session.



Session 5 Thursday 14 June 2018 9.30am – 11.30am

How to Grow a Business – Finance

The final session will explore the main aspects of finance within a business as well as understanding how finance can be used to facilitate growth. It will look at “finance for non financial managers” and explain the key aspects and workings of a company’s financial reporting system, what to focus on as managers and how finance can be used to deliver business growth.



Date: Various – see belowTime: 12.30pm – 4pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast


CPD HOURS: 3 Client Care and Practice Management per session

As part of the feedback from the Client Complaints Committee on issues which arise, a series of seminars has been organised to address different areas of costs. These seminars will provide an overview of specific areas of costs and explain the statutory provisions and relevant case law.

The seminars will be delivered by Paul Kerr, Costs Drawer. Each session will run independently and will last for 3 hours. The seminars will also allow for a Q & A session - questions should be submitted to the Society in advance of the seminar.

The sessions will run as follows:

Party and Party Costs Friday 23 February 2018

Non Contentious Costs Friday 9 November 2018

Attendance at one of these seminars will fully cover the 2018 Client Care and Practice Management CPD requirement. Any additional Client Care and Practice Management hours gained can be carried over into the General Group Study section.

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LAW SOCIETY LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICE: COMPACT RESEARCH COURSE

Date: Various – see belowTime: Various – see belowVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £90

CPD HOURS: 3 Client Care and Practice Management

The Law Society of Northern Ireland boasts a modern and well equipped Library and Business Centre for its members. It holds a comprehensive collection of electronic and hard copy legal resources together with access to a vast network of external resources and specialised legal collections. The Library also provides a range of services which many solicitors use on a regular basis including its very popular enquiry and research service, the document delivery service, the Library Updater and the Libero Database, which is an important portal of legal information for practitioners in this jurisdiction.

The Library and Information Service is once again running its in-depth Compact Research Courses for solicitors. The numbers at each session will be capped at approximately 4 to ensure maximum benefit for each participant. The emphasis of the course will be very much “hands on” with participants encouraged to use the resources and facilities available to develop their legal research experience and techniques. The course is led by Heather Semple, the Society’s Head of Library and Information Services.

Topics to be covered will include:

• the law making and law finding processes in Northern Ireland and the intricacies of conducting legal research in a small jurisdiction like Northern Ireland to ensure you are using good law;

• whether to use hard copy or electronic resources and the development of search strategies according to the best bibliographical resources available;

• commercial resources available through the Law Society Library;• use of the Libero database;• part of the session is an interactive tutorial on best practice, tips and techniques for using the internet for legal research.

The courses can be adapted and tailored according to participant requirements.


The sessions have been extremely popular and booking is essential – please ensure you contact the CPD Department directly and receive a booking confirmation if you want to attend one of the sessions. We will be unable to cater for anyone who turns up without booking in advance. Please inform CPD staff on booking if you have attended this course before as preference will be given to those who have not previously attended.

The course will run on the following dates:

Session 1 Tuesday 27 February 2018 1.30pm – 4.30pmSession 2 Wednesday 28 February 2018 10am – 1pmSession 3 Tuesday 15 May 2018 1.30pm – 4.30pmSession 4 Wednesday 16 May 2018 10am – 1pmSession 5 Tuesday 2 October 2018 1.30pm – 4.30pmSession 6 Wednesday 3 October 2018 10am – 1pmSession 7 Tuesday 6 November 2018 1.30pm – 4.30pmSession 8 Wednesday 7 November 2018 10am – 1pmSession 9 Tuesday 4 December 2018 1.30pm – 4.30pmSession 10 Wednesday 5 December 2018 10am – 1pm

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ADMINISTRATION OF ESTATES: CASE STUDIES IN DEALING WITH THE AFFAIRS OF A DECEASED INSOLVENT

Date: Thursday 1 March 2018Time: 1pm – 2pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £35


This session will use worked examples to explore the implications of the Administration of Insolvent Estates of Deceased Persons Order (NI) 1991 including a step-by-step guide to the legislation and practical insight on how to handle estates in financial crisis from the perspective of executors, the deceased’s family, beneficiaries and creditors.

This session will be delivered by Maria Glover. Maria is a licensed Insolvency Practitioner and a Partner in Napier & Sons. She represents private clients before the Bankruptcy & Companies Master on a daily basis. With over a decade of experience in this specialised area of practice, Maria is widely recognised for her technical expertise.

CLINICAL NEGLIGENCE UPDATE

Date: Friday 2 March 2018Time: 1pm – 2.30pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £50


This session will provide an update on “Clinical Negligence - Recent Developments, Case Law and Practice” by Paddy Mullarkey, Partner, O’Reilly Stewart and will also include a presentation by Mr Robert Wheeler, Consultant Neonatal and Paediatric Surgeon, Department of Clinical Law, University Hospital of Southampton on “Consent: A Clinician’s Perspective” looking at the medico-legal issues arising in the wake of Montgomery v Lanarkshire 2015. It will be of interest and benefit to practitioners working in this area.

MEDIATION SERIES 2018

Date: Various – see belowTime: 1pm – 2pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £35

CPD Hours: 1 Client Care and Practice Management per session

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) has become central to the justice system. It has been cited as a ‘tool of active case management to be encouraged and facilitated by the courts’. Mediation is one of the most popular forms of ADR and the Society is continuing with its annual series of seminars to ensure that solicitors consider mediation as an option.

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MEDIATION SERIES 2018 (Continued)

The topics to be covered in the 2018 Mediation series are:

Topic: Mediation - The ideal cases for which to use mediationDate: Tuesday 6 March 2018

Topic: Mediation - The business opportunity for solicitorsDate: Tuesday 5 June 2018

Topic: Mediation for Partnerships, Committees, Councils, Governors and BoardsDate: Tuesday 20 November 2018

The seminars will be delivered by Brian Speers, CMG Cunningham Dickey Solicitors. Brian is regarded as one of the most experienced solicitor mediators in Northern Ireland and has pioneered the use of mediation for the resolution of commercial disputes. He has lectured extensively in mediation both locally and internationally.

COMPREHENDING CONVEYANCING


Cost: £180 – for all 4 sessions

CPD Hours: 8 Compulsory Conveyancing/General Group Study

The Society is committed to ensuring that there is up to date and relevant CPD available for all solicitors involved in conveyancing. This course, taking place over a 4 week period, will look at the domestic conveyancing process from start to finish:

1. The Commencement: estimates of costs, taking initial instructions, terms of business, pre-contract enquiries, searches, property certificates, planning and building control issues.

2. The Contract: the Conditions of Sale, drafting contracts, special conditions, selling and buying, advising your client, apartments, deposits, fixtures and fittings.

3. Completion: drafting deeds, mortgage instructions, reports on title, CML requirements, completion letters and undertakings.

4. Post Completion: SDLT requirements, CFR, the Land Registry, Registry of Deeds, ground rents, accounting to the client, bills of costs, sending deeds.

The course is aimed at those solicitors who have limited practical conveyancing experience as well as those solicitors who have conveyancing experience but would like a refresher of the basics.

The course will run over 4 consecutive weeks. Numbers will be limited to approximately 30 on each course. To accommodate as many people as possible the course will run twice during the 2018 year:

Course 1 Tuesday 6,13,20,27 March 2018

Course 2 Tuesday 4,11,18,25 September 2018

Attendance at this course will fully cover the 2018 Compulsory Conveyancing CPD requirement. Any additional hours gained can be carried over into the General Group Study section.

The seminar will be delivered by David Gaston, retired solicitor.

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CRIMINAL FINANCES BILL

Date: Various – see belowTime: 1pm – 2.30pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £50


This session will focus on tax-related regulation and governance that impact on legal firms including: The Criminal Finances Act

The Act introduces a new criminal offence of “Failing to Prevent the Facilitation of Tax Evasion”. Broadly, the offence will apply where an offence of tax evasion is committed and an associated person of a partnership or company has criminally facilitated that offence. Associated person is drawn very widely to include employees, sub-contractors and agents. The offence applies to both UK and foreign taxes. The offence is strict liability and the only defence available is for the corporate or partnership to demonstrate that it has reasonable ‘prevention procedures’ in place. Draft guidance on the meaning of reasonable procedures has been published which indicates that organisations will be expected to carry out appropriate risk assessment and to put in place specific but proportionate procedures. The “Enablers of Tax Avoidance” legislation

This legislation was included in the recently enacted Finance Act No2 2017 and impacts very broadly. Potentially any adviser or funder of a transaction involving certain forms of tax avoidance is within its ambit. If triggered, the sanctions include penalties and naming and shaming for the advisers and funders involved in the transaction. The session will also cover changes in relation to the Disclosure of Tax Avoidance Schemes rules which could be increasingly relevant to some legal practices. To increase accessibility this session will run on the following dates:

Wednesday 7 March 2018Tuesday 6 November 2018

The session will be delivered by Martin Fleetwood and Jon Preshaw, PWC.

BUILDING YOUR BRAND – MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS


Cost: £35


This workshop will address how legal firms can build and position their business and brand supported by communications and marketing. In an era when many clients are dazzled when it comes to choosing the right legal advice, many professional firms are seeking support to raise awareness of the services they offer, within the constraints of the professional rules.

This session will advise on strategies to clearly understand how to position your business and brand, how to engage your existing and future markets and what communications tools are easiest to apply for your target audiences. In simple terms the session will discuss your brand, how to raise awareness of it, locally and further afield, and how, through focused communications and marketing, you can achieve ‘stand out’ and increase your business.

In an era where building brand trust is so crucial, the session will explore brand reputation and management. In addition, given the scrutiny across all social and media platforms, the session will provide advice on how to manage the key communications risks alongside. Attendees can expect to learn about:

- How firms can promote and position their brand;- Creating a strong, trusted brand;- What successful branding, communications and marketing look like;- Protecting brand and reputation;- Benefits of communicating;- Strategies to target customers and track success.

To increase accessibility the session will take place on the following dates:

Thursday 8 March 2018Thursday 13 December 2018

The seminar will be delivered by Maurica Mackle, Mackle Communications. Maurica won the 2017 CIPR Gold Award for Outstanding Independent PR Practitioner. She is a Chartered PR Practitioner, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and a judge for the Institute’s annual Pride Awards. Her PR consultancy works across the charity, public and private sectors, media and politicians.

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CRITERIA BASED SELECTION AND COMPETENCY BASED INTERVIEW SKILLS

Date: Wednesday 14 March 2018Time: 1pm – 3pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £70


Criteria based assessment is the primary method of selection used by the statutory agencies in the Criminal Justice system in Northern Ireland, as well as across the wider public sector in general. Taking a criteria-based approach to selection means assessing an individual’s specific skills, knowledge, experience and competencies as they pertain to a particular job. The criteria based approach to selection often includes a competency based interview and this type of approach to interviewing is often viewed with trepidation by candidates. This is because the format of the competency based interview is very different to unstructured interviews and requires a specific approach in order to succeed. As with any technique, understanding and practice enhances skills.

This practical seminar is designed to increase knowledge and understanding of the Criteria-Based approach to selection as well as providing practical tips and guidance on how to complete an application form and structure your interview responses using a competency based approach.

Fiona Keenan, Director of Keenan HR Consulting Limited, will deliver the session. Fiona is recognised as being a specialist trainer on the Criteria Based approach to selection. Fiona has over 20 years professional experience in the fields of recruitment, selection and interview coaching and has been using and training others in the use of the criteria based approach to selection for more than 17 years. She has previously held Senior Management positions for Marks and Spencer plc, Vision Information Consulting and was a senior manager for the HR Consultancy Team at Deloitte Consulting.

Fiona has also served as an Independent Assessor for the Office of Public Appointments for seven years, a Judicial Appointments Commissioner for the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission, a Non Executive Director for the Department of Education and as an internal verifier for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

CYBER CRIME & THE BUSINESS RISKS TO YOUR PRACTICE

Date: Thursday 15 March 2018 Time: 1pm – 2pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £35


Legal practices are changing. The increased use of technology and evolving forms of data storage and communication present new forms of business risk. Cyber crime is at the forefront of these risks with the annual cost to the UK estimated at £27 billion.

Away from the hype, cyber crime is impacting legal practices globally and locally. It presents challenges to how law firms run their business with criminals seeking to access your data, your client information and your business critical services. In this session, Cybercrime & Security Experts will examine the following:

• Why cyber crime is an issue for your practice;• What constitutes cyber crime, using examples that are relevant locally;• The business impact of cyber crime in real terms; • Practical and immediate steps that you can implement, to protect your clients, your business and your reputation.

This session will be delivered by Siobhan Gallagher, who leads PwC’s Belfast based Cyber Risk team.

IMMIGRATION SERIES 2018

A range of Immigration events will be taking place over the course of 2018. The events have been designed to provide timely, relevant and topical updates, advice and guidance for members.

In addition to the Introduction to Immigration Law and Practice and the practical session on Presenting and Preparing a Case for Hearing before the Immigration and Asylum Chamber, the series this year will include the inaugural Immigration Conference - in conjunction with the Immigration Practitioners Group. The Conference will showcase a range of speakers and contributors and will include judicial input, expert speakers on areas of interest to practitioners and we will hear from Third Sector stakeholders working in the area of Immigration and Asylum.

The series seeks to enhance the knowledge base for practitioners engaging in or thinking of working in the field of Immigration and Asylum Law.

Date Wednesday21 March 2018

Tuesday 25 September 2018

Title and Presenter

Introduction to Immigration Law Practice

This session is aimed at those solicitors who are interested in learning more about Immigration Law Practice (immigration appeals and judicial review)

Fionnuala Connolly BL

and

Best Practice in the Provision of Immigration Legal Services

This seminar will cover how legal services are provided to immigration and asylum law clients with a view to ensuring best practice, based on guidelines developed by the Northern Ireland Community of Refugees and Asylum Seekers (NICRAS)

Maria McCloskey, Napier & Sons, Chair of Immigration Practitioners Group

Presenting and preparing a case for hearing before the Immigration and Asylum Chamber (First-tier Tribunal) and Upper Tribunal and ancillary proceedings

This practical session will provide guidance and information on the preparation of cases for hearing as well as practical advice when advocating on behalf of a client before the Immigration and Asylum Chamber

Fionnuala Connolly BL

Time and location

Law Society House, Belfast

12.30pm – 2.30pm


12.30pm – 4.30pm

Cost £70

£120

CPD Hours

2 General Group Study

3.5 General Group Study

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IMMIGRATION SERIES 2018 (Continued)

Date Friday 23 November 2018

Title and Presenter

Immigration Conference

Time and location


9.30am – 3.30pm

Cost

£150

CPD Hours

5 General Group Study

Speakers will include:

Fionnuala Connolly BL - Fionnuala was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 1996. She worked for several years at the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg and as a Senior Associate with White and Case LLP in Brussels. Fionnuala is author of Immigration Law in Northern Ireland: A Practitioners Guide (SLS 2011) and co-author of Planning and Judicial Review Case Summaries 1976 – 2016 (Planning Online, 2016). Fionnuala regularly delivers papers on immigration law, human rights, judicial review and administrative law and her areas of practice include immigration law, planning law, EU law, inquests, judicial review, administrative law and human rights. She is Chairperson of the Bar Immigration Practitioners Association (BIPA), President of the Franco-British Lawyers Society for Northern Ireland and the Bar of Northern Ireland representative on the CCBE (Council of Bars and Law Societies in Europe) United Kingdom Delegation.

Maria McCloskey - Maria is an associate solicitor at Napier & Sons. She recently graduated from QUB with a Masters in Human Rights Law, submitting her dissertation on the subject of “Protecting Unaccompanied Children Seeking Asylum in the UK: How the UK is Failing Despite its Commitments ‘on Paper’’. Maria is currently working on a part-time basis with NICRAS on a ‘legal services’ project and she was recently elected to the position of Chairperson of the Law Society’s newly formed Immigration Practitioners Group.

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ESTATE LITIGATION IN PRACTICE: A TYPICAL CHANCERY DIVISION DISPUTE INVOLVING A FARMING ESTATE

Date: Tuesday 27 March 2018Time: 1pm – 2.30pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £50


Disputes about estates after death are increasing year on year. The impression is that a disproportionately large number of these involve the farming community. This seminar will take the form of a case study, based on a typical estate dispute involving a farming family. The themes covered will include:

- capacity and undue influence; - family provision claims; - proprietary estoppel; - partnership issues; - construction and rectification of wills.

While the case study focuses on the post death difficulties and the ways in which the estate litigation may proceed, there will also be a consideration of how the difficulties might have been prevented (or, more realistically, minimised) by the taking and evaluating of instructions and by the drafting at the will making stage.

This session will be delivered by Sheena Grattan BL. Sheena is a practising Chancery barrister in Northern Ireland specialising in private client work. Previously she was a senior lecturer in the Law School of Queen’s University, Belfast lecturing in Equity (including Trusts), Land Law, Inheritance and the Law and Revenue Law, having started her career as a solicitor in private practice. Sheena is the author of several legal texts including Succession Law in Northern Ireland (SLS), and, with James Kessler QC, Drafting Trusts & Will Trusts in Northern Ireland (Bloomsbury). She is a founding member of the STEP: Northern Ireland branch and in 2012 was the recipient of a STEP Founder’s award for outstanding achievement. She has been an examiner and tutor for both the Administration of Trusts and Administration of Estates components of the STEP/CLT Diploma programme in Northern Ireland since its inception.

HOUSING SERIES



CPD Hours: 1 General Group Study per session

The Law Society in conjunction with the Chartered Institute of Housing will be delivering a series of three Housing events during 2018.

Loans for mortgage interest Tuesday 10 April 2018

From 6 April 2018, help with mortgage interest costs on a mortgage will be by way of loan payment secured on the property. This seminar will outline the changes involved and in particular will consider the Loans for Mortgage Interest Regulations (NI) 2017 and their implications for solicitors.

Recent developments in mortgage repossession law Wednesday 12 September 2018 This seminar will consider recent Northern Ireland cases in mortgage repossession law and in particular the discretion of the court to grant an order for possession of residential property.

Acting for a private landlord Wednesday 7 November 2018

This seminar will examine in detail the documents which a landlord is required to give a tenant at the commencement of a tenancy.

The sessions will be delivered by Charles O’Neill, Director of Product Development in Co-Ownership Housing. Charles has previously held a number of legal and operational roles. A solicitor by profession, he has a keen interest in housing law and policy and has written textbooks on the law of mortgages and private tenancies in Northern Ireland.

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APARTMENTS MASTERCLASS

Date: Tuesday 10 April 2018, Tuesday 17 April 2018, Tuesday 24 April 2018 and Tuesday 1 May 2018

Time: 5.30pm – 7pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £595


This course is intended to provide a comprehensive and practical examination of the issues arising in connection with the conveyancing of apartments, from the perspective of setting up an apartment scheme to what to look out for when buying an apartment for a client. The course will consider:

- the apartment lease;- the management company;- rights and reservations;- common areas;- service charges;- restoration of management companies if dissolved;- transfers of common areas;- the proper role for managing agents.

It will be led by Brian Speers, CMG Cunningham Dickey Solicitors who has nearly 30 years of advising developers in setting up apartments schemes and in acting for management companies, managing agents and buyers. Brian has spoken regularly on this topic at Law Society CPD events.

Attendance at this course will fully cover the 2018 Compulsory Conveyancing CPD requirement. Any additional hours gained can be carried over into the General Group Study section.

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CHARITY COMMISSION SERIES




Session 1 Wednesday 18 April 2018

The Charity Commission – What you need to know

The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland is the independent regulator of charities in Northern Ireland, responsible for ensuring a dynamic and well governed charities sector in which the public can have confidence.

This session will provide members with an insight into the work of the Commission, including an overview of the duties imposed on charity trustees by the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 and how charity regulation could impact on your clients’ day to day operational activity.

The seminar will cover a number of key areas:

• An introduction to the Charity Commission;• Getting registered - The importance of purposes and the public benefit requirement;• Cy-près and other casework;• The Charity Commission’s regulatory powers.

Colleen Gallagher, Legal Adviser at the Charity Commission will present an overview of the regulations and what lessons have been learned so far.

Session 2 Tuesday 27 November 2018

Common mistakes in applications and update on relevant case law

With regulations continuing to stem from the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 and greater obligations being placed upon charities, this session will:

• discuss the main developments in 2018;• look at what charities can expect in 2019;• highlight decisions of the Charity Tribunal and the High Court;• cover lessons for the sector from the latest casework and investigatory work of the Commission.

Yvonne Bell, Legal Adviser at the Charity Commission will present an overview of the regulations and what lessons have been learned so far.

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HANDLING CLIENT COMPLAINTS – OVERVIEW AND UPDATE

Date: Various – see belowTime: 12.30pm – 2.30pm Venue: Various – see below

Cost: £40


In 2007 the Department of Finance and Personnel (as then was) published the concluding recommendations of Professor Sir George Bain’s legal services review group. This group had, in early 2004, been tasked with reviewing the regulation of the provision of legal services in Northern Ireland. The main recommendations in the Bain review included proposals to reform the Complaints handling systems of the Law Society and Bar Council along with a proposal to establish the post of Legal Services Oversight Commissioner to oversee complaints of both Solicitors and Barristers in Northern Ireland.

The Legal Complaints and Regulation Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 was introduced following consultation. The Act amends the way in which legal complaints are overseen and introduces a number of new statutory measures.

This series of CPD sessions, sponsored by the Client Complaints Committee, will provide members with an update on developments including the new Solicitor Complaints legislation and how it will work. It will also address the important issue of establishing, maintaining and developing good client care policies and procedures. The sessions will outline best practice guidance in order to reduce complaints, provide advice on how to handle complaints if they arise and discuss measures to ensure effective communication with clients. They will include input from a variety of presenters:

- the Chair of the Client Complaints Committee;

- Director of Client (Solicitor) Complaints - John Mackell;

- A local practitioner to discuss the benefits, challenges and practicalities of implementing client care policies and procedures within the firm.

To increase accessibility the sessions will take place in the following locations:

Thursday 19 April 2018 Canal Court Hotel, NewryFriday 20 April 2018 Roe Park Resort, LimavadyThursday 26 April 2018 Killyhevlin Hotel, EnniskillenFriday 27 April 2018 Law Society House, Belfast

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WELLBEING IN THE WORKPLACE – WHAT IT IS AND WHY IT MATTERS

Date: Various – see belowTime: 1pm – 2.30pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £50

CPD Hours: 1.5 Client Care and Practice Management

The culture and practice of law can compromise wellbeing because of its competitive nature, long hours and weight of responsibility. This session will outline the five recognised steps to improving wellbeing and explain why wellbeing matters because of the benefits it brings including greater self-esteem, optimism, resilience, greater motivation and creativity and very importantly, more productive work.

As well as knowing how to look after ourselves, it is also important to look out for others, including our colleagues and staff and consequently this session will talk about the benefits of a supportive legal community and the value of LawCare’s peer support programme.


Wednesday 25 April 2018

Wednesday 5 December 2018

The session will be delivered by Trish McLellan – Co-ordinator for Scotland and Northern Ireland, LawCare. LawCare is the charity that supports and promotes wellbeing in the legal community throughout the UK and Ireland.

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PROBATE: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO ESTATE ADMINISTRATION

Date: Various – see belowTime: 1pm – 3pmVenue: Various – see below

Cost: £70


This practical guide to estate administration has been designed to provide maximum benefit to sole practitioners and small/medium firms. Topics to be covered include:

- Knowing your client;- Getting instructions;- Securing the client;- Missing beneficiaries;- Administration of estates in general and the most common issues/problems;- Issues around wills;- IHT – forms, valuations, IHT by instalments, who pays transfer, specific request for land;- Deed of variation;- Farming APR and BPR;- Charging clauses;- Thresholds, payments, timelines;- Estate accounts, accounting for interest, CGT, loss relief, corrective accounting;- Common pitfalls and how to avoid them.

The seminar will be delivered by Michael Graham, Cleaver Fulton Rankin. Michael is Head of the Private Client Department, and specialises in trusts, tax, the administration of estates and issues affecting elderly and vulnerable clients. Michael is the former Chair of the Northern Ireland branch of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and also sits on the Law Society of Northern Ireland committee for Non-Contentious Business. Michael is a member of the Executive Committee of Will to Give, a local charity created to promote charitable giving by will in Northern Ireland.

To increase accessibility this seminar will take place in the following locations:

Tuesday 1 May 2018 Roe Park Resort, Limavady Wednesday 2 May 2018 Law Society House, Belfast

INTERNATIONAL ASPECTS OF FAMILY LAW

Date: Tuesday 15 May 2018 Time: 1pm –2.30pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £50


This session will cover international aspects of family law including:

- Relocation;- External/international relocation and internal relocation; - Relevant guidance in preparing applications;- Relevant case law;- Registration of orders.

This session will be of interest and benefit to family law solicitors and will be delivered by Karen O’Leary, Caldwell & Robinson Solicitors.

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CHILDREN ORDER CONFERENCE 2018

Date: Thursday 17 May 2018Time: 10am – 4pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £150


The 2018 Children Order Conference has been organised for Thursday 17 May 2018. It will include a mix of topical presentations and interactive workshops.

To ensure the Conference is current and topical, emerging topics will be selected in the run up to the event. Further details will be made available to members in early 2018.

TALKING COSTS WITH CLIENTS

Date: Friday 8 June 2018 Time: 1pm – 2.30pm Venue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £50


Costs remain the issue about which clients are most likely to complain, regardless of the type of work undertaken. They may not be something you are comfortable discussing, but being upfront about fees will pay dividends in the long run, both for you and for your clients.

Too often, lawyers avoid talking about money or, if asked directly by the client, become hesitant and evasive. The practical consequences of not talking about money are considerable. They include:

• the client becoming frustrated or confused about likely costs;

• the work starting before costs are agreed;

• the different perceptions about what is covered and what is not;

• the client feels ‘unsure’ about service levels and how much s/he should budget;

• it causes later misunderstandings and problems with payment and level of fees.

Talking to clients about fees is complicated. To help navigate the issue this session will include information on:

• The regulatory context;• Communication with clients;• Managing expectations – a discussion of the best ways to talk to clients about costs, fixed fees, hourly rates,

‘unbundling’ where the client and lawyer divide work between them and combining legal aid with private paying work;

• Keeping clients happy;• Awareness of the issues which can cause complaints;• Assessment of risk;• Dealing with complaints and good practice in complaints handling.

The seminar will be delivered by Vicky Ling, a consultant specialising in legal aid practice and a founder member of the Law Consultancy Network.

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PRACTICE IN THE MAGISTRATES’ COURTS

Date: Wednesday 13 June 2018Time: 1pm – 2pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £35


This session will focus on practice in the Magistrates’ Courts with particular emphasis on the use of hearsay applications in domestic violence cases. The seminar will be delivered by District Judge McNally.

WHO WOULD BE AN EXECUTOR? A MISCELLANY OF TRAPS FOR THE UNWARY PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Date: Thursday 13 September 2018Time: 4.30pm – 6pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £50


This session examines a selection of issues which may typically arise in an administration of an estate from the perspective of the personal representative. It covers both so-called “non-contentious” probate and also the role of the personal representative in various types of estate disputes. Topics covered will include:

- problems getting off the ground; - dealing with caveats; - citations; - when renunciation might be the best option; - friction between personal representatives; - the self-dealing rule and the power of appropriation; - conflicts of interest generally; - validity disputes - do executors have a duty to propound a will? - the personal representative’s role in 1979 Order claims; - the personal representative’s role in external claims against the estate; - the statutory power of compromise and its limitations; - Beddoes applications; - the scope of the PR’s right to an indemnity in respect of costs.

The session will be delivered by Sheena Grattan BL. Sheena is a practising Chancery barrister in Northern Ireland specialising in private client work. Previously she was a senior lecturer in the Law School of Queen’s University, Belfast lecturing in Equity (including Trusts), Land Law, Inheritance and the Law and Revenue Law, having started her career as a solicitor in private practice. Sheena is the author of several legal texts including Succession Law in Northern Ireland (SLS), and, with James Kessler QC, Drafting Trusts & Will Trusts in Northern Ireland (Bloomsbury). She is a founding member of the STEP: Northern Ireland branch and in 2012 was the recipient of a STEP Founder’s award for outstanding achievement. She has been an examiner and tutor for both the Administration of Trusts and Administration of Estates components of the STEP/CLT Diploma programme in Northern Ireland since its inception.

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MENTAL CAPACITY 2016: LESSONS LEARNED

Date: Friday 21 September 2018Time: 1pm – 2pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast



This session will look at the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the lessons that can be learned for practitioners in Northern Ireland as we move towards the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act 2016.

It will cover:

• The professionalisation of capacity assessments;• The growth in disputes;• The abuse and misuse of Lasting Powers of Attorney;• Lasting Powers: the devil is in the detail;• The Public Guardian’s growth;• The cost of Deprivation of Liberty.

The training will be delivered by Caroline Bielanska, Solicitor, TEP, Independent Consultant, Mediator, Author, Trainer and Dementia Friends Champion. Caroline is the former Chief Executive and former Chair of Solicitors for the Elderly, an organisation she helped to found in 1999. She lectures regularly and is well known in her specialist field, advising older and vulnerable adults who have limited physical and/or mental capacity. She is the winner of STEP’s Vulnerable Client Advisory Practice of the Year Award 2017 and Trusted Advisor of the Year Award 2017. She is the author of many leading text books, including Cretney & Lush on Lasting and Enduring Powers of Attorney (8th Edition).

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT 2018


Cost: Free of charge


The Law Society of Northern Ireland is committed to providing support to members on challenging issues and offering ideas and suggestions on how firms could maximise the opportunities available to them. We continue to do this by offering a FREE series of CPD sessions to be delivered across Northern Ireland. There will be input from a range of professionals on relevant and topical issues. To ensure the events are as topical and useful as possible speakers and topics will be advertised later in 2018.

To increase accessibility the seminar will take place in the following locations:

Wednesday 26 September 2018 1pm – 2.30pm City Hotel, DerryThursday 27 September 2018 9.30am – 11am Canal Court Hotel, NewryThursday 27 September 2018 1.30pm – 3pm Law Society House, Belfast

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CONVEYANCING CONFERENCE 2018

Date: Tuesday 9 October 2018Time: 10am – 3.30pmVenue: Crowne Plaza, Shawsbridge, Belfast

Cost: £150


As part of the Society’s Compulsory Conveyancing CPD programme, the 2018 Conveyancing Conference has been organised for Tuesday 9 October 2018.

The programme will cover current conveyancing issues relevant to all those who undertake conveyancing transactions. To ensure the Conference is current and topical, emerging topics will be selected in the run up to the event. Further details will be made available to members in early 2018.

Attendance at this conference will fully cover the 2018 Compulsory Conveyancing CPD requirement. Any additional hours gained can be carried over into the General Group Study section.

NON CONTENTIOUS PROBATE APPLICATIONS: A GUIDE TO PRACTITIONERS

Date: Various – see belowTime: 1.30pm – 3pmVenue: Various – see below

Cost: £35


This seminar in conjunction with the Probate Office is aimed at assisting solicitors and legal staff who deal with Probate Applications.

The seminar will enhance the understanding of practitioners as to the problem areas in relation to probate applications. It should also result in a greater first time success rate for applications received benefiting the profession, applicants and the Office.

To increase accessibility the session will run in the following locations:

Wednesday 10 October 2018 Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen Wednesday 17 October 2018 City Hotel, Derry Wednesday 24 October 2018 Law Society House, Belfast

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TOPICAL TAX FOR SOLICITORS

Date: Thursday 11 October 2018Time: 1pm – 2pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £35


This seminar will cover the following topics:

• Incorporation – is it still worthwhile?• Business Property Relief and the family business;• Inheritance Tax and the family home;• Planning for care home fees;• Tax implications of gifts and Gifts with Reservation of Benefit;• Tax consequences of divorce/separation.

The seminar will be delivered by Seamus McLernon, Director, MB McGrady & Co, Chartered Accountants and Nicola McCartan, Tax Manager, MB McGrady & Co, Chartered Accountants. It will be of benefit to both recently qualified solicitors and those wishing to update their knowledge on the topics above.

SOCIAL MEDIA LAW SERIES

Date: Thursday 18 October 2018Time: Various – see belowVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £35 per session/£60 for both sessions


12noon - 1pm

An update on defamation and privacy issues arising out of the use of Social Media

This session will be delivered by Emma Hunt, Director, Mills Selig, Belfast. Within Mills Selig, Emma has developed a practice in advising on issues arising out of the use of social media and other online forums. Emma has acted for a local company in one of the first reported decisions in this jurisdiction involving defamatory publications on Facebook.

1pm - 2pm

Social media and unfair dismissal

This session will be delivered by Kiera Lee, Director, Mills Selig, Belfast. Kiera is head of the Employment department at Mills Selig, and has over 15 years’ in-depth experience in this complex, fast-changing area of law. She acts mainly for employers on tribunal cases and on how to avoid them. Additionally, she provides support to the Mills Selig Corporate team, giving expert advice on employment aspects of restructuring and acquisitions.

These sessions will run back to back – delegates can attend one session or both sessions. If attending both sessions there will be a reduced fee of £60.

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FORENSIC SCIENCE NORTHERN IRELAND – AN OVERVIEW

Date: Friday 19 October 2018Time: 1pm – 2pm Venue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £35


Forensic Science draws upon a wide range of different scientific disciplines, all of which must conform to the fundamental rules and principles underpinning the physical sciences, whilst at the same time satisfying the sometimes different needs and principles of Law and of Policing.

This session is aimed at all those who deal directly or indirectly with forensic evidence.

It will look at how all the principles outlined above are reflected in the organisational structures, facilities, staff, technology and processes deployed in an accredited forensic laboratory to deliver forensic science to the highest standard, in the interests of justice.

It will highlight the challenges facing a forensic Expert Witness, as an independent and objective servant of the Court, and how these are systematically met.

The session will be delivered by Stan Brown, Chief Executive, Forensic Science Northern Ireland.

EUROPEAN LAWYERS DAY

Date: Thursday 25 October 2018Venue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: Free of Charge


The Law Society annually recognises European Lawyers Day by holding a CPD event and will do so again on Thursday 25 October 2018. Speakers and topics will be detailed closer to the event.

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RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN SUCCESSION LAW

Date: Thursday 1 November 2018Time: 1pm – 2.30pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £50


This session will cover recent important developments in the area of probate - both contentious and non-contentious. The precise content is being left flexible so that the seminar can include the inevitable developments which will occur over the course of the year. This session will be practical and relevant to those involved in will drafting or the administration of estates.

The session will be delivered by Sheena Grattan BL. Sheena is a practising Chancery barrister in Northern Ireland specialising in private client work. Previously she was a senior lecturer in the Law School of Queen’s University, Belfast lecturing in Equity (including Trusts), Land Law, Inheritance and the Law and Revenue Law. Sheena started her career as a solicitor in private practice. She is the author of several legal texts including Succession Law in Northern Ireland (SLS), and, with James Kessler QC, Drafting Trusts & Will Trusts in Northern Ireland (Bloomsbury). She is a founding member of the STEP: Northern Ireland branch and in 2012 was the recipient of a STEP Founder’s award for outstanding achievement. She has been an examiner and tutor for both the Administration of Trusts and Administration of Estates components of the STEP/CLT Diploma programme in Northern Ireland since its inception.

THE IMPLICATIONS OF CRIME, INSOLVENCY & TAX EVASION

Date: Thursday 8 November 2018Time: 1pm – 2.30pm Venue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £50


This presentation will examine a range of contentious scenarios within law enforcement, insolvency and debt recovery involving the repossession and seizure of a client’s assets – with reference to assets being realised under the Insolvency (NI) Order 1989 and seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Discussion will centre on the wide-ranging powers conferred on the authorities by key legislation and client’s rights and obligations.

The session will be delivered by Maria Glover, Napier & Sons Solicitors and Aidan Larkin, Wilsons Auction Group.

Maria is a Partner in Napier & Sons and a licensed Insolvency Practitioner. She represents private clients before the Bankruptcy & Companies Master on a daily basis. With over a decade of experience in this specialised area of practice, Maria is widely recognised for her technical expertise.

Aidan leads the Asset Recovery Department for Wilsons Auction Group in the UK and Ireland. He manages the asset realisation process for a wide variety of clients ranging from National Law Enforcement Agencies, Public Sector Organisations, Lending Institutions and Insolvency Practitioners.

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MANAGING CLIENT COMPLAINTS IN FAMILY PROCEEDINGS

Date: Wednesday 14 November 2018Time: 1pm – 2pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £35


The vast majority of dealings between solicitors and clients are conducted in an efficient and satisfactory way. However occasionally, for a variety of reasons, problems can arise and when this happens it is important that solicitors deal with the situation efficiently and in accordance with the Solicitors (Client Communication) Regulations 2008.

The Client Complaints Committee is continuing with its series of seminars to assist the profession in understanding the types of complaints received by the Society, suggesting practical ways to avoid complaints arising and outlining procedures to effectively manage complaints when received from clients.

This seminar will focus on client complaints received in the practice area of Family Law and will discuss common themes of complaints including a lack of detailed costs information, communication problems, a delay in the resolution of cases and failing to respond appropriately when complaints are raised in-house. The session will be delivered by Suzanne Rice, McKeown & Company Solicitors. Suzanne is a collaborative divorce solicitor, advanced advocate and accredited panel member of the Children (NI) Order 1995 by the Law Society of NI and NIGALA. Suzanne is also a member of the Law Society’s Client Complaints Committee.

SPORTS LAW CONFERENCE 2018

Date: Friday 16 November 2018Time: 9am – 3pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £90


The annual Sports Law Conference is now an established and anticipated part of the Law Society CPD programme. Over the last number of years we have had many high profile and expert presenters – offering practitioners in Northern Ireland a unique opportunity to hear from leaders in the field. Building upon this success, the 7th annual Sports Law Conference will take place on Friday 16 November 2018. Presenters and topics will be detailed in the New Year.

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TAX UPDATE

Date: Wednesday 21 November 2018Time: 1pm – 2pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £35


This practical session will provide an update on various tax issues that will be of interest and relevance to solicitors and their clients. To keep the session as useful and topical as possible the detail of the seminar will be finalised during 2018 and advertised to members in the run up to the event.

The session will be delivered by Nigel Anketell, Chartered Accountant.

THE APPRENTICE AND YOU

Date: Thursday 22 November 2018Time: 9.30am – 1pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £60


As a master you have a hugely important role in the education and development of your apprentice. Good training allows apprentices to adapt faster to working in a legal office, gain confidence more quickly, take on more responsibility and ultimately contribute more effectively. This seminar is aimed at existing masters, prospective masters and those who play a part in the training of apprentice solicitors.

It is designed to equip attendees with a basic knowledge of educational theory as well as practical advice and guidance on how to maximise the master/apprentice experience for all involved in it.

The seminar will be delivered by David Gaston, retired solicitor.


If the seminar is oversubscribed places will be allocated to those who have an apprentice or have registered with the Society to take on an apprentice.

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DRAFTING WILLS AND TRUSTS


Cost: £70


This practical guide to drafting wills and trusts has been designed to provide maximum benefit to sole practitioners and small/medium firms. Topics to be covered include:

• Who is the Client?• Capacity;• The Golden Rule;• Commencement;• Executors;• Guardians;• Types of Gift;• Tax issues;• Use of the Nil Rate Band and the Residence Nil Rate Band;• Wills for Business Clients;• Charitable Gifts;• Administrative Provisions;• Trust Planning.

The seminar will be delivered by Michael Graham, Cleaver Fulton Rankin Solicitors. Michael is Head of the Private Client Department, and specialises in trusts, tax, the administration of estates and issues affecting elderly and vulnerable clients. Michael is the former Chair of the Northern Ireland branch of STEP and also sits on the Law Society of Northern Ireland committee for Non Contentious Business. Michael is a member of the Executive Committee of Will to Give – a local charity created to promote charitable giving by will in Northern Ireland.

To increase accessibility this seminar will take place in the following locations:

Tuesday 27 November 2018 Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen 12noon – 2pm

Wednesday 28 November 2018 Canal Court Hotel, Newry 10am – 12 noon

Tuesday 4 December 2018 Law Society House, Belfast 1pm – 3pm

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CAPACITY AND UNDUE INFLUENCE – LESSONS (NOT) LEARNED UNDER THE MENTAL CAPACITY ACT 2005

Date: Monday 3 December 2018Time: 1pm – 2pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast



This session will look at the lessons learned over the period since the Mental Capacity Act 2005. It will consider the assessment of mental capacity in and out of the court room and also how the mental capacity jurisdiction in England and Wales has interacted with the inherent jurisdiction to protect those who are capacitous but vulnerable to undue influence, duress or coercion. The seminar will draw upon a major Wellcome Trust funded project ‘Mental Health and Justice,’ looking at contested capacity assessment (www.mhj.org.uk).

The training will be delivered by Alex Ruck Keene. Alex Ruck Keene is recommended as a ‘star junior’ in Chambers & Partners for his Court of Protection work. He has been in cases involving the Mental Capacity Act 2005 at all levels, up to and including the Supreme Court. He also writes extensively, has numerous academic affiliations, including as Wellcome Research Fellow at King’s College London, and has created the website www.mentalcapacitylawandpolicy.org.uk.

DEALING WITH BEREAVED CLIENTS AND THOSE EXPERIENCING EMOTIONAL OR DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES

Date: Thursday 6 December 2018Time: 12.30pm – 2.30pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £70


On a daily basis solicitors are interacting with many different types of clients with a wide range of problems and issues which require a variety of skills. This can of course include dealing with and advising those who have recently been bereaved, are grieving, are going through a matrimonial breakup or a range of other emotionally charged situations.

This practical lunchtime seminar aims to assist practitioners to better understand how the client may feel and how to deal with them in a sensitive and effective manner. The seminar will be delivered by David Gaston, retired solicitor.

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JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS – INFORMATION AND ADVICE

Date: Friday 7 December 2018 Time: 1pm – 3pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £70


The Society is continuing with its series of support and information sessions for solicitors with a seminar on the application and appointment process for judicial appointments. The seminar will cover all aspects of the selection and assessment process.

The event will be delivered by an experienced professional in the field of recruitment, assessment and selection – Mrs Ruth Laird CBE.

Mrs Laird has over 30 years experience in the field of human resource management and organisational development, working across the public, private and voluntary sectors. She was formerly Director of the National Trust, NI, Director of HR, BBC, NI, and a Fair Employment Commissioner. Mrs Laird is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Personnel and Development and has previously served as a Judicial Appointments Commissioner, a Civil Service Commissioner and an Independent Assessor for Public Appointments. She has held public appointments as a non-executive director of the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority, Translink and the NI Prison Service. Mrs Laird has recently completed two terms of office as a member of the Council of Ulster University. Current appointments include Parole Commissioner, Civil Legal Services Appeal Panel and the Mental Health Review Tribunal.

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DIGITAL READY PEOPLE MANAGEMENT IN LAW FIRMS

Date: Tuesday 11 December 2018Time: 1pm – 2pmVenue: Law Society House, Belfast

Cost: £35


The world of Human Resources (HR) and people management is changing at a fast pace. A strong awareness and understanding about how technology could be adopted for the benefit of the firm is crucial.

This session will focus on resourcing, retaining, training and managing people in the digital age.

The session will be delivered by organisational development specialist, management training expert, HR and marketing professional Linzi Conway, Key to Success Consultants. Linzi is an experienced LAMDA qualified speaker and trainer with 20 years of experience in HR Management and Business Growth. Linzi has worked extensively within the legal sector in Northern Ireland and is a CMI Chartered Manager, a Chartered Marketer and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Linzi is currently a member of the Board of CMI Northern Ireland.

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For further information or to book a place on any of these courses please email: [email protected]

© 2018The Law Society of Northern Ireland

Law Society House96 Victoria StreetBELFAST BT1 3GNNorthern Ireland

Tel: 028 9023 1614Fax: 028 9023 2606DX 422 NR BELFAST 1

e-mail: [email protected]

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