Mr Byron Jones

(he/him)

LLB Solicitor (non-practising)

Research

I do not have research responsibilities as part of my role, but I keep up to date with changes to the law and procedure for the subjects that I cover, and my roles on the Law Society's Wills and Equity Committee and with the local (Cardiff and District) law society assist me in keeping up-to-date with the latest developments affecting the legal profession, particularly in my fields of interest - Wills, Trusts, Estates, Equity, Taxation, Mental Capacity, Social Care, Welfare Benefits and Private Client work.

I am the author of Oxford University Press's SQE textbook 'Wills, Administration of Estates, Trusts and Solicitors' Accounts', currently in its second edition. The text is one of a series of textbooks to prepare candidates for Part 1 of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). The book is available in print form and electronically as part of a suite of online resources. It is relevant to all candidates for the SQE, including international students.

Teaching

I am the module leader for the GDL module, Equity and Trusts.

My other teaching responsibilities have been mainly on the Legal Practice Course (LPC). I have taught a wide range of LPC subjects and skills: the main ones include Professional Conduct and Regulation, Solicitors' Accounts, Taxation, Wills and Administration of Estates, Interviewing and Advising, and Private Client. I have also taught a range of other subjects, such as Conveyancing, Housing Law, Business Law and Practice, and Mergers and Acquisitions.

Biography

Byron studied for a law degree at University College, London, graduating in 1986. Following graduation, he took the Bar Finals Course at the Inns of Court School of Law and then worked in the Tax Division of Arthur Andersen & Co, accountants, in their London office. In 1989 he moved back to South Wales to qualify as a solicitor.    From 1989 to joining the University in 1993 he worked as a trainee and an assistant solicitor with Hugh James, Jones and Jenkins (now Hugh James), in Cardiff and Talbot Green.

In 1993 he joined the University, to work on the newly validated Legal Practice Course (LPC), continuing his legal practice for a short while before concentrating full time on his teaching activities. In 2004 Byron was appointed LPC Course Leader for what was then a full time course only, and in 2010 took on the additional role of LPC Course Leader for the part time course when the part time mode was first offered by Cardiff. He continued as LPC Course Leader until 2020.

In 2017, Byron was appointed Deputy Head of Cardiff Professional Legal Studies (CPLS), the department that delivers the LPC, the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and a range of short courses to the legal profession. In September 2019, Byron was appointed Head of CPLS.

Byron is the module leader for Equity and Trusts on the GDL. On the LPC, he has been module leader for several core modules (Professional Conduct and Regulation, Solicitors' Accounts, Wills and Administration of Estates), the elective module of Private Client, and the skill of Interviewing and Advising. Byron has also taught Conveyancing, Housing Law, Business Law and Practice, and Mergers and Acquisitions.

Byron has been a Law Society and SRA external examiner for a wide range of other LPC providers (University of Wolverhampton, the College of Law, Sheffield University, Nottingham Trent University, Kaplan Law School, Northumbria University).  Currently, he is an external examiner for the LPC at City, University of London. He has also undertaken several periodic reviews and consultancy work for other universities.

Byron is currently a member of the Cardiff and District Law Society's council, a director of the Central Applications Board Limited, a member of the Law Society's Wills and Equity Committee, and a member of the SRA's Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) Reference Group.

He is the author of one of the textbooks in Oxford University Press's series of texts to prepare candidates for the SRA's new Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) - 'Wills, Administration of Estates, Trusts and Solicitors' Accounts', which is currently in its second edition.