Celebrating 200 years of supporting solicitors

Throughout 2025, the Law Society’s 200th year, there will be lots of opportunities to come together, be inspired and celebrate our profession.

Solicitors are at the heart of all we do. In towns and cities across England and Wales, as well as internationally and online, there will be many activities to enjoy. Here are some of the highlights.

What's to come

Law Society bicentenary logo: a side profile of Lady Justice next to the words '200 years'.

Spring into summer

Bicentenary tour of England and Wales

We will continue to celebrate the historic impact solicitors have in regions across England and Wales, having already visited Cardiff, Bristol and Birmingham.

Law Society president, Richard Atkinson, or vice president, Mark Evans, will join members and partners at upcoming evening events in Newcastle, Norwich, Liverpool and London.

We will also continue the series of member lunches that commenced earlier this year, which look towards the future of the profession.

These events are an opportunity to:

  • reflect on the positive influence regions have on the legal profession
  • share ideas that will help shape how we continue to the profession in the future

Book a celebration event

Explore the highlights of our recent Birmingham event

Fundraise with the London Legal Walk 

Raising vital funds for charities that give free legal advice is crucial to our sector. We’re delighted to support the London Legal Support Trust with an annual highlight, the London Legal Walk.

Taking place on 17 June, this impressive charity walk welcomes over 16,000 participants. It is an unmissable opportunity to connect with colleagues, clients, friends and family and fundraise for an important cause.

Be part of our community by joining the Law Society team.

Register for the London Legal Walk today

Digital in-conversation series

The bicentenary is a great opportunity to highlight the work that takes place across the legal profession and how it impacts society.

There will be a series of online in-conversation events which will explore a range of topical themes.

The events will be open to all. They will feature insight from subject matter experts and will be a great opportunity to learn more about the impact of solicitor’s work.

More details will be coming soon.

Autumn to winter

Open House Festival

Our headquarters at 113 Chancery Lane, London also has a long and rich history. It opened its doors as the home for solicitors in 1831.

The bicentenary provides a unique opportunity to explore and learn more about this impressive building, opening our doors to the public on Saturday 13 September.

Members of the public have the chance to experience it as part of London’s Open House Festival, running from Saturday 13 to Monday 22 September. Why not bring your friends and family? 

Bicentenary art commission

Later in the year, we’ll launch our new bicentenary art commission.

This work is part of a wider review of our existing collection and looks to reflect the modernity and diversity of the profession and our communities.

2025/28 corporate strategy

As we approach the end of 2025 and welcome the opening of the next legal year in October, we’ll also be launching our new corporate strategy.

Valuable contributions and insights gathered from our members and partners will help us effectively prioritise over the next three years.

What's happened so far 

Digital exhibition

January kicked off with the launch of the bicentenary, including our digital exhibition.

‘The Law Society 200 years; a celebration of law’, is a fascinating insight into two centuries of social change.

It explores how the changes have impacted solicitors across England and Wales, the law and shaped the Law Society.

Delve into this interactive timeline to discover more

In-person exhibition

The first part of our physical exhibition also commenced, hosted in the magnificent library at 113 Chancery Lane.

Visitors can continue to come and enjoy this impressive space and view fascinating materials from our archive.

The second of our physical exhibitions recently commenced, exploring the Law Society and legal aid.

If you’ve not visited the library before or accessed the wealth of resources that are available to all members, find out more about our library.

International receptions and roundtables

The start of the year also saw president, Richard Atkinson, visit Hong Kong to engage with key partners at an international roundtable event, hosted by the British High Commission.

The Law Society works all year round to represent, support and promote the interests of our members across the globe. There will be other significant visits to Dubai, Brussels and New York taking place throughout 2025.

Follow us on LinkedIn to hear more about international visits

Parliamentary reception

Championing the interests of solicitors to senior decision makers and being the voice of the profession is a core part of our mission.

In March, we hosted a reception in Parliament that bought together the Lord Chancellor and other senior politicians to celebrate the profession.

We used this event to continue to advocate for important issues, such as strengthening access to justice and the rule of law.

Hear from president Richard on what we had to say

Solicitors stand smiling and talking at a Law Society Council meeting.
Solicitors stand smiling and talking at a Law Society Council meeting.