A New Dawn for the ILCA - 10th January 2008

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The appointment of Dawn Chapman as the ILCA’s 17th chairperson is set to herald a notable advance in official recognition for its members as regulators of all financial matters in any legal practice.

As practice manager of a firm in the North East, Dawn is well placed to understand the daily pressures on a busy practice and the vital role that financial staff can play in compliance issues, providing they are given the opportunity.  With millions of pounds passing through the hands of accounts staff every year it is, she contends, in the best interests of the partners to ensure that such staff are fully trained and qualified to protect the partners from unwitting breaches of Law Society financial regulations.

Encouraged by the recent formal recognition of the Association of Law Costs Draftsmen, and the views expressed by the CEO of Solicitors Regulation Authority about the role of ILCA, Dawn has set herself ambitious objectives for her tenure as chairman.  They are:-

• to be formally recognised by the Law Society or Legal Services Board.
• to have at least one ILCA qualified legal cashier in every solicitors office
• using CPD to show that ILCA members are fully committed to retaining a high professional standard

Dawn takes over from Alison Gorringe, who was in the Chair for the last three years and who successfully headed a private practice accounts team and encouraged them all to become fully qualified.  Her three year term was unusually long but was brought about by the untimely death of past-chairman Barry Hilton which meant it was important for Alison to retain the Chair for an extra year.  One of her most memorable achievements was seeing the fulfilment of Barry’s dream to set up a university-based Foundation Degree Course for ILCA members who want to go right to the top of their chosen profession.

Dawn Chapman will be ably assisted by Sarah Charlton who steps up from the Executive Council to take the position of deputy chairperson.  Sarah is currently best known for her Master Classes in Practice Management which she runs on behalf of the Institute.

For further information about these appointments or any other aspect of the work of the Institute of Legal Cashiers & Administrators, please contact the executive secretary Margaret Macdonald on 020 8302 2867 e-mail: exec.sec@ilca.org.uk or visit the web site www.ilca.org.uk

 Editors Notes

The Institute of Legal Cashiers & Administrators is a not-for-profit organisation, and qualifies its members by moderated examination.  It was formed in 1978 by a group of Cashiers committed to bringing the role of legal cashier up to the same professional standards as their accountant counterparts in industry and commerce.  Today there are some 2,800 members many of whom have been formally trained by the ILCA to Diploma, Associate, or Fellowship level. 

The Institute encourages the development of its members' competence through educational courses, training seminars, publications, exhibitions, advisory service and other membership facilities, as well as close liaisons with other sections of the legal community.  Two examples of this liaison are (1) regional training courses are run in conjunction with local law societies, attracting expert speakers on subjects of interest to the legal profession (2) ILEX refers their members to the Institute with regard to training in respect of accountancy matters.    The late ILCA President Barry Hilton was a significant contributor to "The Legal Accounts Manual", and he advised on the Law Society's "Complying with the Solicitors Accounts Rules: a Practical Guide".

For further details either visit the web site www.ilca.org.uk or contact the Executive Secretary, Margaret Macdonald at the ILCA, Marlowe House, 109 Station Road, Sidcup, Kent DA15 7ET  tel: 020 8302 2867 e-mail: exec.sec@ilca.org.uk