The Next Generation of Legal Professionals 2026
13/05/2026
Held in partnership with
Save the date!
Date: Wednesday 13th May
Time: 09:00 – 16:45
Venue: Manchester Hall, 36 Bridge Street, Manchester, M3 3BT
Cost to attend:
MLS Members: £125.00 + VAT
Non-members: £170.00 + VAT
As emerging professionals in the legal field, YOU represent the future of our industry.
This our conference designed and dedicated to those just starting starting out in the legal industry or in the early stages of their legal careers – including but not limited to: junior lawyers, newly-qualified solicitors, trainees, and recent graduates.
This conference aims to offer insight into the soft skills that come along with the profession, assisting you in navigating the legal sector and enhancing your understanding of how to elevate your profile and make a significant impact.
While you do receive an invaluable formal education, there are certain skills that you may not learn about in a traditional textbook. How do you console an emotional client while still being focused and informative? Do you feel confident speaking up during meetings? How do you best support your neurodiverse colleagues and clients?
Acknowledging this, our theme this year is ‘communication‘, and we’ll be covering everything from communicating with clients and the judiciary to expressing your character and building a personal brand.
We are committed to supporting you throughout your career journey and empowering you — the next generation of legal professionals.
Held in partnership with Potential Unearthed the conference will be chaired by their joint owner and Director, Mike Ode.
See our programme below, with more speakers to be announced soon. Stay tuned!
Communication Styles: What Colour are You?
How do you come across to others? Are you direct, fluffy, or detailed? Mike will help you to assess your own preferred communication style so you can become more confident when communicating at all levels.
- Assess your own communication style
- Identify your strengths and potential areas to improve
- Learn how to tweak your style when communicating with others
Mike Ode, Potential Unearthed
Client Communication, Care and Experience
As a legal professional, you will be dealing with clients day-to-day – often during the most stressful times of their lives.
We have selected speakers from a range of specialisms to cover the different types of clients you can come across and, as a result, the different ways you could have to explain things and act — from criminal to family law. Using their years of experience, they will offer their top tips and advice on managing clients, handling difficult/emotional situations, communicating and explaining the legal system, and ensuring all clients have a positive, well-informed experience.
Daniel Weed, Director, Managing Partner and Compliance Officer at Burton Copeland
With 28 years’ experience in the criminal justice system, 25 of them as a qualified solicitor, there is very little Daniel hasn’t experienced both by way of defending clients and management, having been a member of the management team since 2009.
Daniel experience lies in many disciplines including Pre charge advice on a private paying basis, Professional Discipline, Serious Crime in Crown Court, Coronial Court cases and Magistrates Court advocacy.
Daniel receives regular instruction for criminal and regulatory matters from individual professionals, referrals from Royal College of Nursing, Police Federation, Insurance Companies and other legal professionals from the Bar and non-criminal defence solicitors. He has advised members of the National Crime Officers Association, members of the National Foster Association, members of the legal and medical profession, press, and professional sports people.
Daniel has regular success in preventing matters often getting to the doors of the Court or Misconduct Hearings and after 25 years of qualification can offer bespoke, affordable, direct advice and can offer persuasive written submissions early into a case to prevent investigations becoming proceedings.
James Brown, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Hall Brown Family Law
Named as a Leading Expert in the independent directory Chambers and Partners and leading individual in Legal 500, he is described as “technically brilliant and a strong advocate for his clients.”
James has acted for and advised a wide range of clients from teachers, doctors and lawyers through to celebrities. He has particular expertise advising entrepreneurs and their ex-partners/spouses having acted in cases involving £100,000 up to £900 million at every level from Magistrates Court to Supreme Court. James strives to protect his client’s privacy despite acting for high profile clients.
James’ reported cases include the Supreme Court case of Sharland v Sharland [2015] UKSC 60 – a technically complex case and one of a handful of family law cases deemed significant enough to be heard by the Supreme Court and Giggs v Giggs [2017] EWHC 822 when James acted for Stacey Giggs (wife of professional sportsman Ryan Giggs).
He trained and worked at London’s leading family law firm qualifying in 2004. He returned home to Manchester in 2007, became a Partner in 2011 and co-founded Hall Brown Family Law in 2016. Within two and a half years the firm had been ranked in Tier 1 of Legal 500 and named one of the country’s Best Law Firms by The Times newspaper and has grown to become one of the largest specialist law firms in the country with teams in Manchester, London, Leeds, Birmingham and Sheffield. The firm has been listed by the Sunday Times as in the top 10 Best Companies to work for in the UK and by Best Companies by one of the top 5 law firms to work for in the country.
James prides himself on his accessible, no-nonsense approach. He is a robust and thorough advocate for his clients and is not afraid to be firm when required. However, as Chambers and Partners guide acknowledges, “he thinks creatively about solutions,” to bring his clients resolution as swiftly and painlessly as possible.
Chris Ross, Partner & Head of Manchester Office at Mills & Reeve LLP
Chris advises a variety of businesses on corporate transactions including acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures and restructuring. Whether advising large corporates or working with owner managers on transactions, Chris has been a part of the North West deals market for over 18 years.
Chris also leads the food and agribusiness sector for Mills & Reeve in the North West.
Chris has been recommended as “exceptional” in The Legal 500 and hailed in Legal Week as a “rising star” in mergers and acquisitions (M&A).
Communicating Your Character: Networking and Building a Personal Brand
Hear from our panelists and ask for their advice as they share their tips and tricks for building a personal brand and conveying your personality in a professional but purposeful way.
The panel session will then be followed by a networking lunch — the perfect opportunity to put what you’ve just learnt to use!
Dan Adejumo, Senior Associate at Eversheds Sutherland & Chair of the Black Solicitors Network (North)
Kirsty Wright, Trainee Solicitor at DWF & Co-Chair of the Manchester Trainee Solicitors Group
Kirsty McKenzie, Chartered Legal Executive at Hall Brown Family Law & JLD (Junior Lawyers Division) Director for Manchester Young Lawyers
Court Etiquette and Communication
Speaker TBA!
Staying Authentic with AI
Speaker TBA!
Supporting Neurodiversity in the Workplace
The first half of the session will be covered by Emma Hamnett, who is the Neurodiversity Champion at Fletchers. She will be speaking about her own personal, lived experiences working in the legal profession as a neurodiverse individual and offer tips on how to support neurodiverse colleagues.
We will then hand over to Kathryn Lloyd to discuss how to best help and represent neurodiverse clients. Kathryn has extensive experience in this area, with her sensitive and emphatic manner lending itself to working with clients who require additional support.
Emma Hamnett, Paralegal & Neurodiversity Champion at Fletchers Solicitors
Kathryn Lloyd, Senior Associate at Olliers Solicitors
Public Speaking and Presentation Skills: Build your Confidence
How confident are you at speaking up in meetings? How nervous do you feel when you have to answer client questions?
In this session, Mike will share some strategies that will help to build your confidence.
- The perception of others does not have to be your reality. Learn how to shift your mindset so you get rid of the baggage that’s weighing you down
- PARA – Learn how to use this simple framework when answering questions in client and team meetings
- 321 – Learn how to use this practical technique when networking, during an interview, or when making small talk
Mike Ode, Potential Unearthed
How to book
If you’d like to secure your tickets early, you can book your places by emailing [email protected].
Once processed, we will send over a booking confirmation email with an invoice attached. Invoices can be paid via bank transfer or by credit card over the telephone.
By booking a place at this event, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions details of which can be found here.
Want to have more profile at one of our events? Check out the sponsorship packages available or email [email protected] to discuss a bespoke package.
Our online booking system is currently broken, please DO NOT attempt to book via the form below as this will not be processed. All bookings and payments are processed via email at [email protected]
By booking a place at this event, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions details of which can be found here.