Upcoming events
Family Justice Council: Student Seminar
Panel on Neurodiversity in the Family Justice System
6pm to 7.15pm on Monday 26 January 2026
Durham University and via MS Teams
Durham University and the Family Justice Council (FJC) are delighted to partner in presenting a panel on the FJC’s work on neurodiversity in the Family Justice System.
The panel will be chaired by Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division and Chair of the Family Justice Council. The panel will include Private Law Solicitor Jenny Beck and Social Worker Vinice Cowell, Co-Chairs of the Family Justice Council Neurodiversity Working Group, and Durham Law School academics Dr Dafni Lima and Dr Kat Langley.
This event is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students across England and Wales and will offer an invaluable opportunity for students to hear from members about the work of the Family Justice Council, what it’s like to be a member of the Council and the recent work on neurodiversity in the family justice system. There will be an opportunity for a Q&A with the panel and, for those in person, a chance to network with the speakers at the drink’s reception following the event.
This is a great opportunity for students with an interest in family law, psychology or social work.
Please note that this event is hybrid, with the panel being hosted at Durham Law School. In-person places are highly limited, and priority will be given to students in the local area. Those joining virtually will be able to contribute to the Q&A.
To register to attend the event, please complete the Registration Form no later than midday on Monday 19 January 2026. You will be asked to indicate whether you wish to attend in-person or online via MS teams.
As spaces at the venue are limited, we will inform those who have requested to attend in person whether they have been successful by Thursday 22 January 2026.
An MS Teams link will be sent to those wishing to attend online shortly before the event.
To learn more about the FJC, please visit the other Family Justice Council pages.
You can also read biographies of the event’s speakers, who are pictured below.
Family Justice Council: Experts Committee
Schwartz Round
“When Your Best Doesn’t Feel Good Enough — Working in
the Family Court”
— 29 January 2026, via MS Teams
The Family Justice Council Experts working group is hosting a virtual Schwartz Round on 29 January 2026, from 5pm to 6pm. This event will be beneficial to professionals who work within the family justice system and will take place remotely on MS Teams.
It will be chaired by Mr Justice David Williams in his capacity as Chair of the Family Justice Council Experts Committee.
The Schwartz round will be facilitated by Dr Nicola Cosgrave, Honorary Consultant Clinical Psychologist, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, and Dr Laura Golding, Schwartz Rounds Mentor/Associate, The Point of Care Foundation. A panel of 2-3 storytellers will share their story on the theme above. The Schwartz Round will be a confidential space in which individuals’ identities are protected. We ask that you do not take notes of the stories shared, and recording is not permitted.
To register to attend the event please complete the following form: Registration Form. Please note that there are limited spaces.
Registration will close on Wednesday 21 January 2026. Those who have secured a place will be informed by Monday 26 January and provided with the Teams Link.
What is a Schwartz Round?
Schwartz Rounds are predominantly used in a medical setting. They provide a structured forum where staff (clinical and non-clinical) come together regularly to discuss the emotional and social aspects of working in healthcare.Rounds have been shown to help staff feel more supported in their jobs, allowing them the time and space to reflect on their roles. To find out more about Schwartz rounds please visit the Point of Care Foundation website.
How will a Schwartz Round apply to Family Justice?
The work of the family courts has a lot in common with healthcare settings. It involves deeply difficult, often traumatic situations, where the people and families involved face some of the most challenging experiences of their lives. In which the professionals aim to deliver a high-quality response but are also experiencing the day-to-day difficulties of working within a context of high stress and emotion, as well as functioning within a heavily stretched system.
The family justice system includes a range of professionals (judges, court staff, social workers, solicitors, barristers, experts) all of whom experience the system slightly differently given their individual roles. The purpose of the Round in a family justice context is to explore the challenges and rewards that are intrinsic to working in the system, not to solve problems or to focus on specific aspects of a case.