Education is what SCL is for. It may often be education at a high level but it is genuine education.
The focus on education is to be underlined by a series of workshops designed to focus on practical skills and equip IT lawyers for life under pressure. It is not quite oily hands and wrenches but the importance of learning how to turn the screw in the right way and at the right time is common to workshops of all kinds.
The first of the workshops, convened by Jonathan Smith, will look at IP for Technology Lawyers and will take place on 17 March at baker & McKenzie’s London office. Arguably, IP is the oil in the technology engine and it is simply not possible to operate as an adviser to the driver without IP skills. The speakers are Michael Hart of Baker & McKenzie, Keith Beresford of Beresford & Co and Jeremy Morton of Simmons & Simmons. The subjects covered include “look and feel”, database rights and software patents and should be of equal appeal to in-house and private practice lawyers.
If the level of the first workshop is high then an even more challenging event awaits. The SCL Masterclass Workshop – The Public Sector Role for IT Procurement will be held at Olswang in London on 19 May. Convened by Clive Davies, the workshop will feature contributions from Mark Turner, Roger Bickerstaff, Alan Wood and Paul Johnston. The importance of the special environment for contracts with local and central government departments is increasing dramatically for most operators in IT – and for their lawyers. To some extent this is the product of the amount of money now being invested in bringing forward government plans for e-government. But, whatever the source of the rise in importance, there are special features in this environment, especially ultra vires, best value and the minutiae of democratic accountability and openness.
Later workshops focus on outsourcing and data protection and will be held in June and September.
