Doing a law degree was great. Not because of the law, I should say, but because the 10 or so hours a week of formal studying left lots of time for other, somewhat more fulfilling activities. It would be wrong to say I got nothing from my degree – and compared to the soul-destroying Law Society Finals it was an absolute riot – and so I have been unsure how to react to the debate about the College of Law’s new two-year law degree, following BPP’s lead.

For legal aid and personal injury lawyers it’s not so much the hope that kills (because there isn’t much of that) but the uncertainty. Both are gearing up for the potentially radical changes in their practice areas brought about by the government’s green papers on legal aid reform/cuts and on implementing much of the Jackson report respectively. It is now a little over two weeks until the consultation period on both closes (on Valentine’s Day, no less) and lobbying activity is stepping up.

With January running out, it really is time to stop doing 2011 lists, so here is the last instalment of themes I expect to pervade Legal Futures’ coverage during this year. This time I look at legal services and the web, outsourcing in all its many guises, and the changing face of litigation practice.

Last week I highlighted alternative business structures, the Legal Services Board and diversity as three of the key themes I expect to pervade Legal Futures’ coverage of the market in 2011. Here are three more, again in no particular order: the Legal Ombudsman, professional indemnity insurance, and outcomes-focused regulation/the new Solicitors Handbook.

It is hard to resist the journalist’s natural inclination at this time of the year to fill space with predictions for the year ahead. But 2011 is a hard year to predict – 6 October is unlikely to be the big bang so beloved of headline-writers over the years (myself included), although undoubtedly some organisations will seek first-mover advantage by making announcements that day.