Your QM Law For All Society Newsletter
Welcome to the eighth issue of our newsletter, Unorthodox
June 21 is going to be a very special day but until then, why not sit back and relax with another issue of 'Unorthodox'! Brought to you by yours truly, the LFAS Newsletter Team.
Want to be part of the 2021/22 LFAS committee? Nominate yourself for a role now!
We will be sending out more details on our upcoming election including:
What it's like being part of the LFA committee and our experience running the society
How to nominate yourself for a role
How to write a smashing manifesto
How to get people to vote for you
Keep checking your inboxes! Exciting new LFAS event: Joining the Bar
What's going on in the world?
1) Facebook will combat Covid-19 misinformation.
Facebook has decided to pursue a policy change allowing them to take down accounts making false claims related to Covid-19. There have been many fake claims such as the virus being man-made, the vaccine containing microchips and also causing autism. What does this mean? Facebook will send notifications to users who like, share or comment on Covid posts that spread misinformation. Users will receive a notification taking them to a page that explains why the post they have interacted with has been removed. This policy will be put in place to educate users on false claims, especially since such claims have frequently been debunked by health experts already. Facebook will be enabled to become 'arbiters of truth' and allow the company to decide what is considered harmful. Why is this important? Facebook was under investigation for its role in the Cambridge Analytica Scandal just 2 years ago. With its decision to introduce this new policy, the question of whether such a 'shady' company should be allowed to restrain online expression on its platform. However, with the scandal aside, the policy aims to improve public confidence in the Covid-19 vaccine and prevent the further spread of misleading information on their platform. They will do this by deactivating accounts posting claims that cannot be backed up by scientific evidence to avoid the damaging effects false claims have had on global health.
2) Amazon Fresh opened it's first UK store in Ealing Amazon has been taking on various new ventures in the last few months, such as the launching of Amazon Pharmacy towards the end of 2020. Now Amazon has expanded its Amazon Fresh services by creating physical stores. The first stores were opened in 2020 in Chicago and LA, and now Ealing in the UK. The store focuses primarily on selling food to go, ready meals and essential items. Amazon supposedly intends to open more stores primarily in the capital and surrounding suburbs. What does this mean? The physical stores have been made to provide a unique shopping experience that removes the need to check out your items. In theory, you should be able to just walk in, take what you need and walk out, receiving the bill directly to your Amazon account. However, the experience doesn't run quite as simply as this, according to journalist Izabella Kaminska in her article about her experience with the service. To enter you need your mobile phone, the Amazon app preinstalled on your phone for the registration process, and the tech-savviness to understand how to get yourself started. Furthermore, certain age-restricted items such as alcohol are still monitored by staff, who ask for proof of ID. Why is this important? Amazon's physical stores raise a lot of questions about security and access. The array of cameras hanging from the ceiling follow your every move in order to track the items you pick up and leave with, which some may say feels almost dystopian or just overly intrusive. Others however may argue that Amazon already has a lot of data on us and this isn't particularly different. Another concern is how this shopping experience limits access for customers who don't have accounts or their phones with them. Amazon Fresh already had delivery deals in the UK, such as their partnership with Morrisons,so it will be interesting to see if Amazon Fresh branching out with its own physical stores will take off, or just end up being a wasted venture
3) Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill The PCSC was introduced on the 9th March to 'restore confidence in the criminal justice system', after years of neglect and underfunding. What does this mean? The bill outlines a lot of new measures and aims, with some of the main ones being (directly quoted government website);
'Homicide reviews following deaths of adults involving offensive weapons to better understand the drivers of violent crime and stop it from happening in the first place'.
'Extended ‘positions of trusts’ laws to protect teenagers from abuse by making it illegal for sports coaches and religious leaders from engaging in sexual activity with 16 and 17-year-olds'.
Life sentences for killer drivers
'Whole life Orders for the premeditated murder of a child as well as allowing judges to hand out this maximum punishment to 18 to 20-year olds in exceptional cases to reflect the gravity of a crime. For example, acts of terrorism which lead to mass loss of life.'
Why is this important? The new bill is crucial to ensuring that people are receiving appropriate sentences for their crimes and justice is being served to those impacted by the violent actions of others. New laws such as the law regarding adult positions of trust are being introduced as a result of reports that flagged the potential for adults such as sports coaches and religious leaders to take advantage of children. ______________________________________________________________ A tip from me: For great daily commercial updates, follow TheBusinessUpdate on Instagram! They break down key stories into the story in brief, key take away, interview essentials, and further sources to learn more about the story.
Opportunities
Secrets to Success London and South East - with Baker McKenzie, BCLP, Norton Rose Fulbright and ULaw
Our top podcasts to tune in to:
1) Serial - an investigative journalism podcast narrative crime stories. The first episode, The Alibi, is about the murder of Hae Min Lee in Baltimore, 1999.
2) Thinking Like A Lawyer - a podcast that takes everyday topics and analyses them through a legal perspective.
3) Legally Pod: The Law Podcast - different episodes cover different areas of law. The first episode would be worth checking out for learning more about the SQE, while the last one would be beneficial to those who wish to pursue a route in criminal law.
Our partnership with TCLA
The Corporate Law Academy (TCLA) is an educational platform founded in 2018. It is designed to turn good candidates into great candidates at all levels of the process. They detail how to write the top 1% of applications. They break down how to excel in case studies and partner interviews. They teach the fundamentals of commercial awareness. They have put hundreds and hundreds of hours into their training platform which equips aspiring solicitors with the knowledge and skills they need to break into the legal profession. As a member, you can benefit from a 20% discount on all TCLA premium subscriptions. This can be accessed through the coupon code: SOCPARTNER12
A premium subscription would include:
Access to TCLA’s private premium forum with over 75 past successful applications and cover letters
Access to TCLA’s past webinars
Detailed commercial breakdown for over 30 law firms
Access to all their courses including the most advanced course, TCLA’s Mastering the City Course, Understanding Private Equity, The Interviewees’ Guide to M&A, Becoming an Exceptional Candidate, Legal Tech Crash Course, Managing your Training Contract.
Silver and Gold members also receive additional resources, including additional reviews and access to Video Interview Simulator inState Another partnership of ours, inState, has recently posted about their upcoming programmes and offerings for 2021.
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