28 October - Chester Ghost Walk.  Come and join us from 6.15pm at the Pied Bull, Northgate Street, Chester for some (post ghoul hunting) nibbles and drinks before embarking on a night-time ghost walk around Chester to discover the city's mysterious and murky past.  Tickets are just £5 per person, please email social@cnwjld.org.uk to confirm your attendance, or complete the booking form below. Why not come along in your fanciest scary costume (optional) and get your hands on the prize for the best costume. Places are limited so please ensure you email us your details and how many tickets you require as soon as possible. To assist with numbers and booking confirmations it would be helpful if you could confirm your attendance by 14 October 2011.

25 November - Launch Night. As we welcome the new CNWJLD committee and say goodbye to the old, enjoy a free evening of wine tasting at a Corks Out, Watergate Street, Chester courtesy of our sponsors Wesleyan for Lawyers. 

ELECTION TIME

The existing CNWJLD committee is nearing the end of its elected year and is preparing to hand over the reins to a new committee for 2011/2012.

Nominations for the Committee will be open from 9am on Monday, 10th October until 5pm on Friday, 28th October so if you're interested in representing Junior Lawyers in the Cheshire & North Wales Area, we'd love to hear from you!

If we receive more than one nomination for the same position, the nominations will be put forward for an electronic vote between 9am on Monday, 31st October - 5pm on Friday, 14th November.

The New Committee will be announced at our exciting Launch Night, kindly sponsored by Wesleyan for Lawyers, on Friday 25^th November in Corks Out, Chester. Make sure you are there to welcome in the new committee and enjoy a free wine tasting event.

More details about the positions available are set out below.

HOW TO JOIN THE COMMITTEE

We'd love to welcome you on board to help organise our events and represent our Members (being involved also looks great on your CV!)

If you wish to nominate yourself for a position on the committee please e-mail elections@cnwjld.org.uk  between 10th October and 28th October with the following information:

o Your name

o Your firm/organisation

o Your current status e.g. paralegal, trainee, solicitor 2PQE

o The position you wish to nominate yourself for

o A brief description of why you are the one for the job!

o A photograph of you (which will be displayed on the website).

WHO WE ARE

The CNWJLD is a local branch of the National Junior Lawyers Division which is part of the Law Society. The JLD was set up to provide support, advice, information and networking opportunities. The CNWJLD is your representative in the area and our National Representative attends national JLD meetings where the JLD implements policies on your behalf through lobbying and campaigning.

The CNWJLD is a community for your needs and represents all student members enrolled with the Law Society, Trainees, and Solicitors with up to 5 years' pqe. We also welcome members who are paralegals and legal executives.  

CNWJLD represents Junior Lawyers throughout Cheshire and North Wales. We cover a very large area compared to other local groups and hold regular events for you to meet other Junior Lawyers, attend training events and voice your concerns and opinions.

FANCY JOINING THE COMMITEE?

There are currently 9 positions on the committee, one of which is reserved for a College of Law Student (as Student Representative). We are seeking ambitious and dynamic junior lawyers from across the area to join the committee. The CNWJLD is growing in popularity and if you're interested in continuing our success, we want you! The positions available on the committee are:

The Chair

The Chair is responsible for chairing the Committee and acts as the group's spokesperson and is therefore a first point of contact.  The Chair is the committee member most seen in local publications promoting the work of the group. The Chair is required to network with other local JLD branches and local Law Society groups. The Chair is responsible for carrying the decisions of the committee and a person with good decision making and communication skills is desirable for this role.

Vice Chair/Secretary

The Vice Chair/Secretary works closely with the Chair and has responsibility for membership, organising committee meetings, taking minutes and assisting the other committee members where needed. The Vice Chair/Secretary must have excellent organisational skills and be IT literate as they will be required to produce the minutes of meetings and assist with mail shots as and when required.

The Treasurer

The treasurer is very important to the group and answers the 'can we afford to...?' questions.  The Treasurer is responsible for keeping the accounts up to date and writes the cheques for the group. The treasurer will maintain accurate accounts to be produced at the committee meetings; raise invoices and arrange transactions for the group. The treasurer will also need to liaise with banks, sponsors and the website officer to arrange website payments, advertising costs and event budgets.

Social Secretary

The social secretary organises the annual 'gala' event and co-ordinates a mix of other social events throughout the year. An ideal candidate for this position would be enthusiastic with excellent ideas for new and interesting events. The social secretary will be responsible for contacting local venues to negotiate party bookings and prices and helping to arrange seminars. 

National Representative

The national representative represents the views of the group on a regional and national level and keeps members up to date with relevant issues e.g. Solicitors Regulation Authority and changes to the minimum wage for trainee solicitors. The National Representative will be responsible for liaising with the group's members to understand any issues or concerns they have which should be raised with the national JLD. The National Representative will be required to attend National JLD Meetings (travel expenses reimbursed) held around the country approximately every two months.

Student Representative  

pan>The Student Representative ensures that the student membership of the group is informed of all events and liaises with the committee members to raise the concerns of student members.

Publicity Officer

The Publicity Officer's main duty is to publicise the group and encourage sponsorship.  The Publicity Officer works closely with the Chair to co-ordinate press releases. The publicity officer is also responsible for advertising events, designing posters and promotional flyers and assisting with the preparation of the monthly newsletter.

Funding Officer

This is a very important position as funding is the backbone of the Group and without it events and seminars could not take place. The funding officer is responsible for liaising with local businesses, recruitment agencies, financial advisors, and other businesses to obtain sponsorship for group events and assists in gaining a regular income for the group through website and other advertising. The Funding Officer will be required to foster relationships with potential sponsors and advertisers and maintain a good working relationship with them.

Website Officer

The website officer is responsible for maintaining and publicising the group's website and ensuring that the information contained on it is kept up to date. The Website Officer will also be responsible for producing the newsletters, reminders and maintaining the mailing list. It is also the Website Officer's responsibility to manage the Facebook Social Group and develop and manage the professional networking LinkedIn Group. An ideal candidate for this role will have excellent computer skills and have some experience in web publishing.

 JLD NEWS

JLD elections 2011: call for nominations

Could you take up the challenge of representing your peers in a national and international forum? The JLD executive and national committees invite students and junior lawyers to stand for election - the deadline for nominations is 19 October 2011.

Sign up now for JLD Raleigh expedition to Borneo

Want to do something amazing in 2012 while gaining your CPD points? The JLD expedition with Raleigh will be going to Borneo, Malaysia from 8-25 March 2012. Participating in this project helps underprivileged youths in Borneo and in the UK, providing them with the opportunity to access a better life.

A new trainee recruitment model

Grace Cowling, a member of the JLD executive, reviews the Acculaw trainee recruitment model and assesses the implications for junior lawyers and the profession.

Careers Diversity Conference

The Law Society is organising a careers diversity conference at the Law Society in London on 17 October. Volunteers are required to participate in some of the sessions including a mock trial and panel discussion on life working in the solicitors profession.

ABS and junior lawyers

Emma Dickinson, assistant solicitor at Simpson Millar LLP, writes about the potential benefits of alternative business structures (ABSs) and the impact on the legal profession.

Join the Law Society Sections - special rates for junior lawyers

Junior lawyers are eligible to join the Competition, Private Client, Property and Law Management Sections at reduced rates.