Presidential year plan 2024/25
Introduction
The presidential year 2024/25 is a historic year for our profession and our organisation, as we begin our bicentennial celebrations.
This plan supports the delivery of our business plan 2024/25, the corporate plan 2022/25 and the organisation’s member offer.
The 2024/25 year is an opportunity for us to make our mark, with the following important events arising that impact the Law Society, solicitors and the future of our profession.
These include:
Influencing a new government
The Law Society is the largest and the most important legal body in England and Wales.
Political parties take what we have to say seriously, and we have proved that we can impact government policy.
As the president begins his role, the new UK government will have just completed 100 days in office and delivered a new budget for the country.
The government's upcoming comprehensive spending review will be a prime opportunity to influence the direction of the government’s justice policy, strengthen our calls for the government to unlock legal services to drive economic growth, renew our commitment to the rule of law, and protect and secure access to justice.
200-year anniversary of the Law Society
Being a solicitor is something to be proud of.
The last 200 years of the Law Society have showcased this by representing solicitors and fostering growth, influencing decision makers and advocating for the benefits of a strong independent professional body for all solicitors.
Our bicentennial is a momentous occasion. This will be a moment to reflect on the achievements of solicitors past and present, and to look to the future of the profession.
Presidential year themes
Our objectives are to promote the value of the profession, protect the justice system and support our members. This plan supports those objectives.
Its success will demonstrate that we are one of the most influential voices in the justice sector and remain proud of the world-class expertise that our members carry out.
Each theme speaks to the future of our profession, highlighting the essential roles and unique value that solicitors bring to society.
As the president leads the Law Society into its bicentennial year, he turns the focus to the key issues that will impact how our members deliver their services, how the profession is perceived and how we continue to be proud of the work we do.
1. Justice matters
A well-functioning democracy depends on the rule of law and access to justice, which create legitimacy and accountability of government for the people, as well as acting as the beating heart of the UK’s international reputation.
Our society is stronger when we hold ourselves and others to account – the rule of law and access to justice enable us to do this.
2. Pride in the profession
Our members are proud to be solicitors. The work solicitors deliver impacts everyday lives, helping people navigate the legal system to access justice.
We serve all corners of England and Wales and are fundamental to the operation of society.
3. Celebrating 200 years of the Law Society
As we celebrate our bicentennial anniversary in 2025, we should use this opportunity to look ahead to what our profession may look like over the next 200 years, as well as acknowledging those that have shaped its past.
Justice matters
Justice really matters. A well-functioning democracy depends on the rule of law and access to justice, which creates legitimacy and accountability of government for the people, as well as acting as the beating heart of the UK's international reputation.
We cannot take this simple idea for granted.
It is precious and relies on investment in a justice system that is available for all and protection of the rules that hold government to account.
Government cuts to legal aid and high-profile flaunting of the law by ministers make it harder to access legal services – and feeds the perception that the justice system does not hold the government accountable.
If people on the ground struggle to access legal support, and if members of the government appear to be above the law, then people will lose faith in the law representing them.
To tackle this, we need a justice system fit for the 21st century that the public has confidence in and that they see the importance of for our society.
Justice matters not just when things go wrong, but when things go right – whether that’s for first-time buyers securing their dream home, for an employee signing a contract at their new job, or for a parent ensuring that their child will be provided for in the future.
With a new government recently elected, we have a golden opportunity to shape the future of the justice system and get across the idea that justice matters, no matter where you live or what you do.
The president will seek to influence a wide range of stakeholders – particularly those that we have not engaged with previously – with proximity to decision-makers, supporting them in underlining the importance of the justice system in each aspect of every person’s life.
A crucial part of using this influence relates to how we talk about justice and the rule of law.
The president will publicly launch the findings of the Law Society’s Reframing Justice project, initiating change on how we speak about these issues, so that people better understand, and value, their fundamental contributions to our society.
The president will also oversee the culmination of the 21st Century Justice project.
Our interim report has proposed affordable, achievable reforms which could be delivered incrementally by the new government in collaboration with the Law Society, to show the sector that justice matters to them, too.
Using his own experience as a criminal defence solicitor, the president will front the Law Society’s campaigning work on criminal legal aid, and work with politicians in both chambers to make the case for tackling court backlogs and prison overcrowding, as well as implementing a fair, accessible and sustainable justice system for all.
The way that the Law Society and our government approach justice has a wider impact on the rest of the world.
The English and Welsh legal system is a true global brand, recognised and respected the world over.
We can only maintain our strong international reputation by upholding access to justice and the rule of law in our own jurisdiction.
The president will continue to champion our domestic legal services sector, promote England and Wales as an open jurisdiction committed to excellence in legal services and the rule of law.
We need to show leadership when it comes to new and emerging technologies that will continue to impact solicitors, the legal profession and the justice system.
The president will support the development of resources to ensure that our members can:
- navigate the latest innovations
- understand technological advancements within the legal landscape
- improve their skills and knowledge to enable the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and other legal technology
He will ensure that the legal profession has an authoritative voice and can influence the regulatory framework governing AI to maximise the opportunities available to our members while mitigating potential risks.
Pride in the profession
Our members are rightly proud of being solicitors.
The work that solicitors deliver is not always high-profile or glamorous, but it acts as the fabric of society and makes a huge difference to people's lives.
We serve all corners of the country and are fundamental to the operation of society, both in our work and through the skills we share with others through volunteering.
This work is not limited to those in private practice. Our profession is more diverse than ever before, and we support a diverse community, working as independent advisers and within businesses in every high street, town and city.
The way we deliver services to our clients has changed drastically, and yet, our core purpose to advocate for access to justice and the rule of law remains the same.
Our profession should be proud of being modern, diverse and inclusive. The president will continue to champion our diversity and inclusion initiatives, particularly linked to socioeconomic diversity.
As the face of our members change, so does where they work. Notably, the Law Society’s in-house membership is growing.
Our members practising in-house have a wide range of different challenges and needs from their membership body, compared to those in private practice.
The president will engage with and listen to our in-house members, including those working in local government, military legal services and large businesses, making sure we deliver a bespoke offer to in-house members, particularly around our ethics work, and that our communications reflect the diversity of work they undertake.
He will launch our in-house ethics framework and continue to prioritise the needs of in-house members throughout his presidency.
Despite all the positive work that solicitors deliver, there are people in power who persistently attack solicitors for simply doing their job.
The president will advocate for the profession and communicate a positive narrative around the work of solicitors among external stakeholders, challenging those who question the competence, motivation, independence or integrity of our wider membership.
Solicitors should also be proud of the high quality of the services we deliver. The solicitor profession in England and Wales is regulated and well-trained, with robust consumer protections in place.
Regulation creates a level playing field, boosts trust in our profession and underpins our international reputation.
The president will support ongoing work on regulation and consumer protection, while ensuring that our regulatory system remains the best in the world.
Celebrating 200 years of the Law Society
For two centuries, the Law Society has represented solicitors and fostered growth, influenced decision makers and fought for change.
As we celebrate our 200th anniversary in 2025, we should use this opportunity to look ahead to what our profession may look like going into next 200 years, as well as acknowledging those that have shaped the last 200 years.
Our bicentenary will be about feeling proud of the Law Society and the legal profession.
We want to demonstrate this pride and the impact of the profession on a public platform, engaging and connecting with more members on a regional, national and international level.
The president will spearhead the bicentennial celebrations by promoting the Law Society as the voice of the profession in England and Wales and working with members to identify the challenges and opportunities that will affect the future of our profession.
He will undertake a presidential tour covering all parts of the jurisdiction, celebrating our bicentennial with a range of members and stakeholders including local law societies, local politicians and aspiring members.
This tour will not be limited to those members practising domestically.
The president will make sure the 200-year celebrations integrate and include our many members living and working outside England and Wales through a showcase of our international work and by hosting roundtables with members based abroad.
To celebrate solicitors and their impact, the president will launch a digital exhibition on the history of the profession, looking at what solicitors have accomplished over the past 200 years, how the role of solicitors has changed and what the future may hold.
This exhibition will be available online to make sure members can access their story no matter where they are – whether they’re based in Chancery Lane, Cardiff or Carlisle.
To complement this exhibition, the president will also host a series of events highlighting the achievements and impact of lawyers as well as discussing key, contemporary legal issues.
By delivering this in partnership with members and colleagues across the Law Society, the president will celebrate the achievements of our diverse solicitor community across every high street, town and city.
His work will cement the role of solicitors as a crucial part of society’s infrastructure and establish the relevance of our profession as we enter the next 200 years of the Law Society.
Conclusion
While focusing on these three themes, the president will deliver the core functions of the presidential role:
- to act as a champion for solicitors
- to lead the profession
- to be an ambassador for the profession and the Law Society to the government, media and other external bodies
By the end of his term, the president will have further developed a forward-looking, outward-facing Law Society that holds strong relationships with not just our own members, but with decision-makers and those who can influence them.
He will have ensured that the fundamental role that our justice system plays in wider society is understood and demonstrated that we will stand up for members' interests, just as we have done for the last 200 years.
There will be many challenges and opportunities along the way, but the upcoming year is a seminal moment in our history.
The president is confident that he will be able to deliver a year to remember.