Bermuda's budding legal eagles will have the chance to learn about British law and forge links with their British counterparts thanks to a new programme launched by the Law Society of England & Wales.

The Law Society has invited applications for the 2010 Commonwealth Professional Fellowship Programme from other law societies and bar associations in the Commonwealth.

As part of Law Society International's ongoing work to develop relations with legal sectors around the world, the six-week programme - which will be held in the UK, will allow participants to share their experiences as well as gain an insight into the institutions responsible for regulating and representing the legal profession.

The Fellowship is open to senior executives from law societies and bar associations of developing Commonwealth jurisdictions and will run from January 4 to February 12, 2010.

Des Hudson, chief executive of the Law Society, said: "The idea is that not only will the those on the programme return to their own organisations with new ways to develop key areas of their work, but they will go back with new contacts and links with the Law Society and external stakeholders."

The Commonwealth Fellowship initiative will involved everything from attachments to the Law Society, Solicitors' Regulation Authority and Legal Complaints Service departments and sessions on practice standards, compliance, complaints, corporate governance, membership services, education and training, law reform, finance and business planning , human rights advocacy and commercial services to work-shadowing with the chief executive and senior management team and networking opportunities with UK law firms.

The deadline for applications to the 2010 Commonwealth Professional Fellowship Programme is May 1, 2009.

For an application pack contact sarb.bajwa@lawsociety.org.uk">sarb.bajwa@lawsociety.org.uk