Young lawyers set up Brussels group

EUROPEAN Commission vice-president Sir Leon Brittan QC will be the first speaker to address the newly formed Brussels Young Solicitors' Group (YSG).

Formed at an inaugural meeting last week, the group has already signed 50 members and more are expected to join.

The group is being co-ordinated by an organising committee, including Taylor Joynson Garrett's John Grayston, Frazer Clarke, the European Parliament and YSG representative on the Law Society's Council, Marie Pattullo of the Legal Resources Group and Patrick Oliver of the Joint Brussels Office of the Law Societies.

Oliver says the group was formed because there was no established body representing young UK solicitors in Europe.

He says there is no formal group representing assistants and young solicitors in Brussels.

"We thought it was important that there was a group for them, so that people in the institutions and lawyers from other nationalities know of the British legal presence in Brussels," says Oliver.

"It is also important that the legal community in the UK knows there is a substantial amount of EC work done by British lawyers in Brussels."

Brittan is to speak at a meeting to be held on 30 November at a venue in Brussels and Oliver says plans are under way for more activities.