Lawyer Facebook group goes global

Claire Cooper says fellow lawyers have been quick to get involved

A solicitor has helped to launch a nearly 3,000-strong international lawyers group via Facebook.

As a result, Claire Cooper, 26, from Cardiff, will be one of the speakers at the Brussels conference of European Lawyers this weekend.

The organisation started a year ago after she started talking via the website with colleagues overseas.

Professionals from as far apart as Brazil, Russia, Italy and the United States are now joining in.

Ms Cooper, a family law specialist with the Cardiff-based Wendy Hopkins Practice, launched the group on Facebook about a year ago.

She joined two more representatives in Turkey and France to organise the group, which now discusses issues commonly faced in different jurisdictions.

We had an idea that Facebook was the best way to contact like-minded lawyers, but we were certainly not prepared for the immediate impact of social networking

Claire Cooper

The group now has more than 2,800 members worldwide, most of whom are lawyers and academics, but also has developing interest from other professions, like accountants.

"It's staggering," said Ms Cooper, who has been qualified for a year. "The two guys had been thinking about starting up the group and then I got involved.

"It just came out of nowhere. People got involved really, really quickly.

"We had an idea that Facebook was the best way to contact like-minded lawyers, but we were certainly not prepared for the immediate impact of social networking."

European Lawyers held a social networking event in Paris in January which about 30 of the group attended.

Now a formal conference is taking place in Brussels this weekend, and Ms Cooper, one of six speakers on European law, said they had exceeded their target number of 50 delegates from the group.

Power of networking

Ms Cooper said: "In the modern era of needing reliable and quick resources over many continents it is fundamental to lawyers to be able to rely upon good contacts in alternate jurisdictions.

"It is hoped that the group will go from strength to strength and grow into an international organisation facilitating networking and lecture events across the globe."

The solicitor and the two others are still organising the expanding group.

She said:"We've got group members in southern California, so maybe we could meet in San Francisco next time."

Melanie Hamer, her practice managing partner, said it was an "excellent example of the power of internet networking for young professionals".

She also said she was not aware of a single professional initiative that has taken off at such a remarkable speed.