Two of our alumni have technology-led start-ups underway:

LAWPOD

LawPod in all its glory!

Lucy Sherwood, City alumni, has launched a brand-new CPD website, LawPod, with her co-founder Rob Bayne. Currently focused on Family Law, the site currently offers podcasts from a variety of family law practitioners but will be branching into other areas in the coming months.

Their launch on the 6th July 2012 was accompanied by the release of an exclusive interview with Mr Justice Ryder setting out the process and timetable for the Family Justice Modernisation Programme.

The changes brought about by the modernisation programme along with the family justice review constitute the most comprehensive and far reaching review of the family justice system since the Children Act 1989.

Mr. Justice Ryder comments: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to create and fashion a court in the image that you and I want. The vision we are developing of a new style of family justice is not only right for children, it reflects the public’s expectations of us.”

The full interview with Mr Justice Ryder can be downloaded from www.lawpod.org

Lucy Sherwood, Co-Founder of LawPod commented: “LawPod has been created to make CPD learning more stimulating, topical and relevant for legal professionals.  This interview with Mr Justice Ryder is a perfect example of our vision for CPD in the future.”

STUDENTS NOTE! Rob and Lucy are happy to offer you access to LawPod content free of charge (full-time students only). Send them an email from your law school account with proof of your course start/end dates and all this premium content will be yours.

TASKHUB

Aurore demonstrating TaskHub to Boris Johnson

On 29th June 2012, one of our 2010-2012 cohort, Aurore Hochard, from the Graduate Entry LLB programme got the opportunity to present her new startup TaskHub to the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson in French! The Mayor had come to officially open the Wayra Academy in London.

Aurore and her partner Rahul Ahuja were one of 16 companies selected (from 1031 entrants) to join the Wayra UK Academy at the end of May. Wayra described as ‘the technology accelerator of O2’s parent company Telefonica’ by TheNextWeb will give the 16 selected teams office space and a fantastic support network of coaches, mentors and of course, technology for at least six-month period.

Taskhub is described by Aurore as “a buyer initiated peer-to-peer marketplace for services that will help create micro economies in communities across London and the rest of the UK soon after”.

So has studying law been any use to Aurore with regards to this new direction in her life?

Although my experience as the COO of a start up and becoming a solicitor seem like 2 very different fields, I believe I would not be where I am today if I had not studied law at City. Thanks to all for your help, I have learnt how to read fast, be critical, analytical, concise and thorough and how to make connections in a very closed industry when I did not have any friend/parent solicitor who could help me.

There’s a great feature on Wayra and some of the successful companies, including TaskHub, via TheNextWeb. Watch this space!