Council elections

Our Council plays a crucial role in making sure solicitors are heard on a national level, amplifying your powerful collective voice and strengthening our legal community.
On this page

The role of our Council

Our Council helps to shape our strategic direction and the future of the profession by championing the diverse views of solicitors from across England and Wales.

Council members are elected officials who:

  • represent the views of their constituents at Council meetings and in discussions with the government and public bodies
  • contribute to the direction and formation of our strategies and policy work
  • review and debate our business plans and budgets
  • engage with our members, local law societies, Sections and special interest groups, to communicate our advocacy work and gather feedback
  • keep up to date with our work through policy papers and reports
  • approve appointments to Council committees
  • approve the appointment of our chief executive

Council meetings take place on average five times a year.

One meeting per year is dedicated to strategic planning, providing Council members with an opportunity to contribute to our strategy and business plans.

Council members serve four-year terms, up to a limit of 12 years of service in total.

Learn more about Council member roles and responsibilities.

How to stand for election

You need to be a member of the Law Society to nominate yourself for election to Council.

For geographic seats, you must have a work or home address within the constituency you're standing for election in.

For characteristic seats, you must update your characteristic details in My LS.

Create a My LS account and confirm your work practice and/or characteristics.

Vacancies

The deadline for nominations for the two vacant seats, Central London and 6 to 12 years’ PQE, has now passed. 

The Central London seat has been filled. Those eligible to vote for the 6 to 12 years’ PQE seat will receive an email on Thursday 5 March 2026 with information on voting.

Voting will close at 4pm on Thursday 26 March 2026.

If you haven’t received a ballot by Friday 6 March, email ballotrequest@lawsociety.org.uk to request it.

Steps to nominate to stand for election

  • Complete our nomination form
  • Ask two eligible Law Society members to sign the form as your nominators
  • Write a candidate statement (up to 1,000 words)
  • Supply a head-and shoulders-photograph of yourself

We encourage nominations from eligible solicitors from a range of backgrounds, regardless of sex, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, or gender.

We conduct the elections in accordance with the Law Society bye-laws.

If you’re elected to Council

Induction and training

We’ll provide a full induction and discuss any other training you feel you need to be fully effective in your role.

You’ll also need to undertake online equality and diversity training within six months of being elected.

Code of conduct

You’ll need to comply with our Principles of Conduct for Council members.

You’ll also be asked to register relevant interests on our published register of Council members’ interests.

How voting works

Voting is done electronically and administered by our election partner, UK Engage.

All solicitors who are eligible to vote will receive a ballot by email.

It’s important that you’re able to vote in all constituencies that relate to you.

Update your details so you can have your say

This year, there’ll be vacancies in the ethnic minority solicitors, LGBTQ+ solicitors, women solicitors and solicitors with disabilities Council seats.

By telling us who you are, we’ll know which seats you’re eligible to vote in – which is your opportunity to decide who represents you.

Update your work practice area, organisation type, and characteristics on My LS by Sunday 31 May, so we can make sure you receive your ballot.

You will be entered into a prize draw to win one of two £250 John Lewis vouchers if you update your details by Sunday 31 May. Terms and conditions apply*

Council members laughing at a Law Society strategic planning event.

About our Council

Our Council advocates for the diverse needs of solicitors across England and Wales, helping to shape our strategic direction and support the future of the profession.

Our Council
Council members laughing at a Law Society strategic planning event.

*The prize is one of two £250 vouchers from John Lewis.

To be eligible for the prize draw, make sure you do the following by Sunday 31 May 2026:

  1. verify your membership
  2. update your practice area, organisation type
  3. update your characteristics

Full terms and conditions for the prize draw are detailed below.

My LS prize draw terms

  1. This prize draw is open to all Law Society members who:
    • have a verified My LS account; and have recorded their work practice and organisation type on the My LS ‘account settings’ page; and
    • have recorded one or more responses on the My LS ‘my characteristics’ page.

    Note: A verified My LS account is a My LS account that has been successfully matched with SRA data. See the FAQS below for more information on how to access the My LS ‘account settings’ and ‘my characteristics’ pages. It will be a valid response on the My LS ‘my characteristics’ page, for the purpose of the prize draw, to elect not to answer any questions and to click ‘save’. The closing date to qualify for entry to the prize draw is 11.59pm on Sunday 31 May 2026 ('Prize Draw Deadline'). Changes made to My LS accounts after this time will not qualify a member to be entered into the prize draw. Only one entry per person will be entered for the prize draw.

  2. The names of all Law Society members who qualify for the prize draw will be entered into the prize draw automatically after the Prize Draw Deadline. If you do not wish to be entered, email corporatecommunications@lawsociety.org.uk.
  3. The Law Society accepts no responsibility for entries not successfully recorded due to a technical fault of any kind.
  4. Two winners will be chosen from amongst the list of entries by random draw performed by a computer process on Wednesday 3 June 2026.
  5. The winners will each receive one of two £250 vouchers which is redeemable at John Lewis. The prize is not exchangeable, non-transferable and no cash alternative is offered.
  6. The winners will be notified by email (using the details in your My LS account) before Friday 12 June 2026 and must provide contact details to claim the prize. If a winner does not respond to the Law Society within 14 days of being notified by the Law Society, then the prize will be forfeited and the Law Society will be entitled to select another winner in accordance with the process described above.
  7. The prize will be sent to the winner by email within 14 days of being notified of their win.
  8. The Law Society is required to either publish or make available information that indicates that a valid award took place. To comply with this obligation, the Law Society will send the surname and county of the prize winner to anyone who emails corporatecommunications@lawsociety.org.uk within one month after the Prize Draw Deadline. If you object to any or all of your surname, county and winning entry being published or made available, email corporatecommunications@lawsociety.org.uk. Please note that in such circumstances, the Law Society must still provide the information and winning entry to the Advertising Standards Authority on request.
  9. Participants are deemed to have accepted and agreed to be bound by these terms and conditions upon entry. The Law Society reserves the right to refuse entry, or refuse to award the prize to anyone in breach of these terms and conditions.
  10. The Law Society reserves the right to hold void, cancel, suspend or amend this prize draw promotion where it becomes necessary to do so.
  11. Personal data supplied during the course of this promotion will be processed as set out in the Law Society's privacy policy.
  12. The prize draw will be governed by English law and entrants to the prize draw submit to the jurisdiction of the English courts.

FAQs

How do I enter the prize draw?

You can enter the prize draw by completing the following steps:

  • sign up or log into your My LS account
  • verify your membership
  • update your practice area, organisation type
  • update your characteristics

Am I eligible to enter the prize draw?

If you are a Law Society member and have completed the steps outlined in the question above, you will automatically be included in the prize draw.

If you’re on the roll of solicitors, you are a member of the Law Society.

If you are not on the roll, you are not a Law Society member and will not be included in the draw.

Law Society employees who are on the roll of solicitors will not be included in the draw.

When will the draw take place?

The draw will take place on Wednesday 3 June 2026.

How do I opt out of the prize draw?

To opt out of the prize draw, email corporatecommunications@lawsociety.org.uk and you will be removed from the draw.

When does entry to the draw close?

The deadline is Sunday 31 May 2026 at 11.59pm. Any accounts that are newly verified and updated after this time will not be included in the draw.

What is the purpose of the prize draw?

We are holding the prize draw to celebrate this summer’s Law Society Council elections, and to make sure as many members as possible can vote for contested seats where they are eligible to do so.

Can I get help with entering the prize draw?

If you would like one of our Support Centre staff to assist you with updating your details on My LS, call 020 7320 5675.