The past few months have seen a few hastily written copyright protection laws being drafted, nearly passed and then abandoned after massive public outcry in both Europe and the USA. These bills were SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) in the USA and ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) in Europe. SOPA and PIPA have effectively been abandoned, and ACTA has been put on the back burner while European lawmakers review it to make sure it is constitutional and does not violate any fundamental human rights.

We have previously reported on how the changes to legal aid and civil costs were likely to mean more people would have to act on their own behalf as litigants in person (“Going it Alone,” October 2011). The full extent of the reforms remains uncertain as the Government’s Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill remains stalled in the House of Lords. Despite the uncertainty, organisations are continuing to ready themselves for substantial change. This month we will look at the recommendations of the Civil Justice Council made in November 2011 and consider the work of one of the partnering organisations – The Personal Support Unit (PSU) – which is likely to play an increasingly important role in the legal proceedings of the future.

Spring is in the air, and many people start to think about spring cleaning their homes at this time of year. But what about our lives? We can bring positive energy into our lives by eradicating negative areas and old habits.

Much like your home, your mind gets cluttered and needs care. It can get overloaded with old attitudes, old emotions and old memories, and it needs a good clean out of the stuff that you have collected and are holding on to out of habit or neglect. If you let these things go and free up some room for a positive mindset and new, exciting challenges, you can gain a flexible, simple and happier lifestyle.

This month we had hoped to advise you about the current state of reforms to the civil litigation system. We are not able to do this, however, as the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill (LASPO) is having a rough ride through the House of Lords. For those of you who have studied on the Diploma course and developed an interest in how the Lords influences (and arguably, improves) our laws, this is a good bill to follow. You can find the latest details on the Parliament website, www.parliament.uk, under Bills & legislation.

Thank you to all of the Student and Affiliate Members who attended the presentations for Berwin Leighton Paisner's Trainee Legal Secretary Scheme. This is an exciting opportunity to work for an award-winning international law firm. You can find out more information about the scheme and download the application form by visiting www.blplaw.com/TLS.

In December I gave you tips on how to prepare to take minutes at a meeting. This month we will focus on how to take the notes at a meeting, whether it is a formal meeting with an agenda or an informal team meeting. So, after you have prepared, here are the top ten tips to help you take notes at meetings:

The subject of three-parent in vitro fertilisation has come as somewhat of a surprise to me: I had no idea such a thing was scientifically possible! However, the Department of Health has apparently approached the fertility regulator to find out whether or not three-parent IVF may be an acceptable technique in the future and has therefore opened a public consultation over this issue.

If you ever find yourself getting tense or stressed out at work, there is an exercise which can help you. It was developed by American physiologist and physician Edmund Jacobson in the late 1930s, and it works on the basis of gradually tensing and then releasing tension in individual muscle groups in sequence. Muscles are always more relaxed after being tensed and released. This practice automatically brings physical relaxation which, in turn, calms the mind and our emotions. It works particularly well in reducing anxiety and insomnia but also in improving concentration and increasing self-esteem and a sense of control over moods. The whole practice lasts for 15 or 20 minutes, and the more regularly you practise this, the more you will get from it.

Considering that the current legislation regulating the scrap metal industry is contained in the Scrap Metals Dealers Act 1964, it is not difficult to imagine how this law has become flaccid and unfit for purpose in the twenty-first century. It is fair to say that when this statute was brought into law, there was nothing like as many thefts of metal across the country as there are today.

Are you excellent at what you do? Have you reached 'the top of your tree'? Are you seeking a greater challenge although you don't want a new job? Or are you looking at how to make more of the role you have? If so, it can sometimes feel as though you don't know where to start! So here are the top ten tips to help you seek out challenges and add value to your role.