President's Update – 4 June 2021

Dear colleague,

Today was an exciting day as we held our first major in- person event since lockdown began – a sign that things are slowly but surely returning to normal.

The Lord Chancellor (pictured below with myself and Law Society chief executive, Paul Tennant) chose Chancery Lane to outline his court and tribunals recovery plan. I echo his praise of the solicitors, barristers, judges and other court professionals who've kept the wheels of justice turning

during the pandemic.

I also had the honour of being interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour as part of a discussion on how to increase diversity within the legal profession. I spoke about the importance of the profession reflecting the communities we serve, and the need to challenge the stereotypes of what a solicitor should look like, sound like, or the type of background they should come from.

You can hear the interview here (from 17m 29s).

I'd also like to remind you that our member consultation on plans for next year is running for another week until 9am on 14 June. It's important that we hear from as many members as possible, from as many backgrounds and specialisms as possible. Please encourage members in your networks to complete the survey at www.lawsociety.org.uk/consultation.

Below is an update on all the activities we’ve been undertaking to support members. Kind regards,

Stephanie @LawSocPresident

President's diary

Coming up next week

In addition to meeting with Council, Board and the PRAC/MCC Away Day, I have a number of meetings scheduled for next week:

Monday: I'll have an introductory call with the Solicitor General, The Rt Hon Lucy Frazer QC MP.

Tuesday: I'll be hosting a Law Society webinar called ‘Race for inclusion: Room at the top for black women in law’.

Wednesday: I'll be speaking at Litig, the Legal IT Innovators Group.

Media round-up Lines to take

We were in the media last week to If you're speaking on behalf of the Law promote the role and value of the Society, please use our latest position on profession: issues:

> Download media round-up > Download lines to take

Our work with parliament and regulators

Independent Criminal Legal Aid Review

We have responded to the independent criminal legal aid review (ICLAR) call for evidence – a major review of criminal legal aid led by Sir Christopher Bellamy.

In our response, we warn that the criminal defence profession could collapse if the government does not increase funding.

Large areas of the country face a future with few or no duty solicitors available to represent defendants, with adverse consequences for victims, witnesses, and the effectiveness and efficiency of the criminal justice system.

Our response, which can be accessed on our website, includes an analysis of the criminal legal aid market and suggests some solutions that could help to alleviate the situation. But, ultimately, additional funding is essential.

Our work in Wales, Brussels and beyond

Wales

The Wales team met with a number of stakeholders this week, including:

• Andrew Felton, Law Council lead within the Welsh Government, to discuss timetable and next steps for the Law Council for Wales • Natasha Asghar MS, member of the Senedd, to discuss the legal sector in Wales • Chair Elect of the Law Council of Wales to discuss proposals for governance and membership structures

Finally, we also attended the Cheshire and North Wales Law Society committee meeting.

For the latest news from our Wales office, follow @LawSocWales on Twitter.

Brussels

On Wednesday 2 June, Rita Giannini, EU policy adviser attended the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) PECO meeting.

Also on Wednesday, Rita and trainee solicitor Mark McTeggart attended a webinar on ‘Northern Ireland (NI) and the European Union (EU): future cooperation on Law Enforcement/Criminal Justice matters’. The event was with NI Justice Minister Naomi Long MLA and focused on future issues that may arise between NI and the EU.

For the latest news from our Brussels office, follow @LawSocBrussels on Twitter.

International

We met with the UK Government’s G7 Director and Foreign Affairs Sous Sherpa to highlight resolutions drafted by G7 Bars & Law Societies ahead of the G7 Summit in June.

Today, Law Society representatives joined the first meeting of the Legal Services Working Group of the UK-Malaysia Joint Committee on Bilateral Trade and Investment Cooperation. The aim is to strengthen cooperation between the two nations and improve market access in the legal services sector.

The meeting included representatives from the Department for International Trade, Ministry of Justice and the Bar Council of England and Wales, together with a delegation from Malaysia – including their legal affairs department, attorney general chambers, Bar Council of Malaysia, Sabah Law Society and Sarawak Advocates.

The initial discussion will focus on agreeing governance and terms of reference of the working group. For the latest news from our international office, follow @LSInternational on Twitter.

Did you see this week's Professional Update?

For the latest updates on conveyancing, 'failure to disclose' offences and the the new civil damages claims service pilot:

> Go to Professional Update

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