Business plan 2023/24

1. We will promote the value of the profession and provide a compelling member offer

We will continue to grow members' engagement, the value they see in their membership and their sense of belonging to the Law Society.

We will achieve this by being a powerful voice for solicitors, championing issues that matter to them and providing support and resources to help them succeed in their careers, businesses and organisations.

We will continue to track members' awareness of and engagement with the different elements of our value proposition.

At the end of the three-year strategy, we are confident there will be an increase in members viewing the Law Society as a key support for the fulfilment of their professional goals and the provision of high-quality legal services.

2. We will protect the justice system and make sure it applies to everyone equally

We have a highly successful track record of positively influencing legislation and policy.

We do this by bringing together the world-class expertise of our members to ensure new legislation, policy and regulation protects and promotes access to justice and the rule of law.

In a general election year, it is vital that our members' interests are heard by those who make and shape the policy landscape.

Not only is justice and the rule of law an essential foundation of our own democracy, but it is also at the heart of the UK's international reputation and reach, and therefore of huge value economically and strategically.

Members want the Law Society to be a strong voice for their profession.

We will continue to track the difference we make on specific justice and regulatory policy issues, alongside the visibility we bring to issues that our members care most about.

We are confident that, at the end of the three-year strategy, members will increasingly have a positive view of our campaigns and influencing work.

3. We will maximise our potential by growing our commercial reach, by being efficient and sustainable

We have made good progress against our commercial strategy and, while we rely on the practising certificate (PC) fee for the bulk of our funding, we aim, over time, to grow commercial activities as a proportion of our income.

Like every organisation, we face increased costs and economic uncertainty.

However, our commercial foundations and digital infrastructure are more solid today than they have been in previous years and, working as one team with our volunteer members, we are confident of building on this to ensure financial strength.

We have grown our commercial income during the first year of the strategy.

We will track the commercial success of new products and services and our use of digital platforms to improve the member experience and deliver greater efficiencies.

At the end of the three-year strategy, we will be a more successful and sustainable commercial business that is agile, adaptable and delivers a highly valued suite of commercial products and services.

4. We will be an employer of choice for people who want to make a difference

Our people strategy places inclusion at the heart of our drive to be a high-performing professional body.

As we move towards our 200th anniversary, we want to celebrate our heritage but also be an organisation that attracts and retains diverse and talented people.

Our members uphold the rule of law and our justice system, both key principles underpinning the values of our society.

We know our people already feel passionately that this work makes a difference and are proud of their roles and the part they play.

We will continue to collect key engagement measures and to report on gender and ethnicity pay gaps, as well as track diversity data and our record on recruitment and retention.

We are confident that at the end of the three-year strategy, we will have attained Investors in People Gold standard, reflecting a high-performing, engaged and diverse workforce and volunteer member community.

Resources and risks

Resources

The business plan for the next 12 months, including the commitments outlined above, is supported by the organisation's budget for the period, as approved by its Board and Council.

In the development of the business plan and budget, a detailed round of project and programme planning has been carried out to maximise the prospects for delivery across all four main objectives.

Risks

Even with these resources and plans in place, we face a number of risks given the uncertainty of the external operating environment.

Alongside detailed planning and monitoring, our staff team and Board regularly review strategic and operational risks to delivery.

These cover our staff, economic and business conditions and the ever-changing political and public policy environment.