As the professional body for solicitors, every week the Law Society is working hard to influence the legal and regulatory environment on behalf of our profession and to promote solicitors at home and abroad. We support practice excellence, are an informed source of legal sector news and support members at every stage of their career.
 
Here are some highlights from this week.
 
Influencing on behalf of the profession and promoting the profession
 
The Law Society’s media profile this week:
The Independent reported on the surge of parent litigants in person in family courts. Penny Scott, chair of our family law committee and Jenny Beck, a member of our access to justice committee, both commented on the issue and said the rise in unrepresented parties were causing “huge injustices” in rulings.
 
Talented trainee lawyers are invited to apply for a place on the profession’s Diversity Access Scheme (DAS), the Law Society said today as it opens recruitment for the 2019 cohort of scholars. Full report in the Gazette.
 
Legal Futures covered the Law Society response to LeO’s business plan. Meanwhile the Times (£) said the Law Society had praised the Legal Ombudsman for having made “progress with its modernisation programme”. The society however expresses concerned over an “absence of detail” in the ombudsman’s business plan.
 
I’m interviewed in In House Community about the evolution of the legal profession.
 
We welcomed the MoJ’s review of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) as a step in the right direction. I’m quoted saying: “The MoJ has accepted the case for changes in relation to the legal aid means test, exceptional case funding and early legal advice, and has committed to further work as to what those changes should look like”. Full reports in the Gazette, Guardian, City A.M, and the FT (£).
Plans to hike probate fees to as much as £6,000 have narrowly been approved. Vice president Simon Davis said: “The cost to the courts for granting probate does not change whether the estate is worth £50,000 or £2 million. The government can call it a service charge or a graduated fee but asking those who have larger estates to pay more is in effect a tax hike through the back door.” Full report in the Gazette. Also in the Sunday Times (£) and the Telegraph carries reports and the Law Society is urging members to write to your MP. I am then quoted in subsequent coverage: “It is unfair to expect the bereaved to fund or subsidise other parts of the courts and tribunal service, particularly in circumstances where they have no other options but to use the probate service.” Full reports in Gazette and the Times.
 
The Gazette reports on new advice published by the Law Society to help family lawyers in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Read the No-deal Brexit family law guidance in full.
 
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is to carry out randomised “web sweeps” of around 500 law firms over the next few months to check they are publishing fees for common consumer transactions. Full report in The Times (£) and Legal Futures
 
The press office is working with solicitors and regional papers to provide agony aunt-style columns on major legal issues. This week David Gibson, a local employment law solicitor, spoke to BBC Radio Tees about the legalities of mental health in the workplace for time to talk day. You can listen to the broadcast here. The interview starts at 55:00.
If you would like to participate, please email press.office@lawsociety.org.uk
 
Don’t forget you can read all Law Society press releases by clicking on this link. For live updates follow us on Twitter.
 
Consultation responses and parliamentary activity, influencing on behalf of the profession:
 
Parliamentary
LASPO Review - The Ministry of Justice’s post-implementation review of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 was published on Thursday, and the lord chancellor made a statement to the House of Commons. The proposals reflect a considerable number of the recommendations we put forward. The ministry has accepted the case for changes in relation to the legal aid means test, exceptional case funding and early legal advice.
 
Civil judicial co-operation - The Law Society briefed MPs on a number of statutory instruments on civil judicial co-operation that were debated this week. The Law Society was referenced four times in the debate including on our concerns about the impact of a no deal Brexit in this area.
 
Probate fees – The Law Society is opposing the government’s plans to increase the fees charged for a grant of probate. Over 180 people have written to their MP using the Law Society’s campaign action tool, and the Law Society’s concerns regarding the proposal were referenced twice during a debate in the Fourteenth Delegate Legislation Committee on Thursday. (See Media above).
 
Campaigns
Criminal justice campaign - Following the launch last week of our criminal justice campaign, our animation showing Peter’s journey through the criminal justice system has received nearly 6,000 views on YouTube. For comparison, a previous animation as part of our early advice campaign received 1,800 views in total.
 
Stakeholder engagement
Ministerial roundtable – I hosted a roundtable with George Hollingbery MP, Minister of State for Trade Policy to discuss international trade in legal services.  The roundtable was attended by senior experts in international trade law and I spoke about our recent discussions and meeting with international bar organisation including India and Australia.
Speeches
I spoke at a conference on blockchain and legal services on Tuesday.
 
Criminal legal aid
Following the government’s response to the Justice Select Committee’s report on criminal legal aid and announcement it will be conducting a fundamental review of criminal legal aid fees over the next 18 months, we met with the MoJ lead on the review. We discussed a wide range of issues arising from the current situation and emphasised the need for an independent review of sustainability. We were assured the review would be ‘evidence based’, and if the data analysis undertaken indicates more investment is needed then this is what the MoJ will recommend.
 
Technology
 
Technology and Law Policy Commission Evidence Session- algorithms in the justice system
The Law Society’s Technology and Law Policy Commission will host its final evidence session on Thursday 14th February in London. The commission, led by me alongside co-Commissioners Sofia Olhede (UCL), Sylvie Delacroix (University of Birmingham), will examine the use of algorithms in the justice system, the impacts on the rule of law, implications for data rights, and whether our human rights framework is fit for purpose.
 
Witnesses at the London session include Richard Susskind, Jamie Susskind, Hannah Knox of UCL, David Powell of Hampshire Police and Judith Jones of the ICO. We will also be joined by guest commissioner Polly Toynbee. Council members wishing to attend can book a place at the London session here. 
 
Technology and Law Policy Commission Evidence Session- algorithms in the justice system Cardiff session
We hosted the penultimate Technology and Law Policy Commission evidence session on Thursday 7th February in Cardiff. Witnesses included Inspector Scott Lloyd of South Wales Police who gave a demonstration of the Police’s facial recognition technology, Dr Bernadette Rainey of Cardiff Uni and Adam Curtis of Hoowla. 
 
Draft Ethics Guideline for Trustworthy AI
We responded to the European AI Alliance’s consultation on a draft ethics guideline for trustworthy AI.  Our response argues that if the guidelines had greater focus on the issues of technical and organisational measures of mitigating the risk of "unethical use" of AI, they would be more helpful in constructing the future debate around "trustworthy AI”.
It also argues:
·       That setting the "ethical purpose" as a fundamental principle for AI development, implementation and use without having similar standards on the use of data in general might lead to a perverse situation where higher standards of ethical behaviour are demanded of machines than of humans.
·       That having "ethical purpose", as defined in the Guidelines, as one of the two fundamental components of "trustworthy AI", which we consider impractical, creates the danger that the future debate around ethical AI might become too theoretical and part ways with real-life developments in this area.
Civil
 
Leasehold reform
We joined the deputy vice president David Greene in meeting with the shadow housing minister and shadow secretary of state for housing and homelessness (John Healey MP and Sarah Jones MP) to discuss leasehold reform.
 
We attended the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee’s final session of their inquiry into leasehold reform where they took evidence from Heather Wheeler MP, minister for housing and homelessness.
 
 
Our influencing work internationally:
On 6 February, Stephen Denyer, director of strategic relationships came to Brussels to carry out firms visits. Accompanied by Eoin Lavelle, EU Policy Adviser, he attended the following meetings:

• Emmanuel Plasschaert, Partner at Crowell & Moring LLP;


• David Henry, Barrister at McDermott Will & Emery;


• Denis Fosselard, Partner and Head of Brussels Office at Ashurst;


• Werner Eyskens, Partner at Allen & Overy;


• Laurent Ruzette, Partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton.

 
On 6 February, Law Society CEO Paul Tennant was in Brussels. He and Brussels head of office Helena Raulus attended the British Chamber of Commerce UK-EU Task Force. They also attended the following events and meetings:

• roundtable with Brussels Based UK organisations at the Welsh Office.


• meeting with Fergus McReynolds from EEF (Manufacturers’ Organisation).


• meeting with UK Rep.


• meeting with Pascal Kerneis from ESF (European Service Forum).


• meeting with Philip Buisseret, Secretary General of CCBE.

 
On 7 February, Stephen Denyer and Helena Raulus, attended the following meetings:

• Lode Van Den Hende, partner at Herbert Smith Freehills;


• Ken Daly, managing partner at Sidley Austin;


• Elvira Aliende Rodrigues, partner at Shearman & Sterling;


• Ingrid Vandenborre, partner at Skadden Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom;


• Ruxandra Cana, partner at Steptoe & Johnson.

 
On 8 February, they also met Jeroen Jansen, Partner at DLA Piper.
 
Supporting members at every stage of their career
 
March4Women – Sunday 3 March
To celebrate international women’s day and 100 years of women in the law, we are supporting this event.
#March4Women: https://www.careinternational.org.uk/march4women
Tickets are just £5. You can book here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/march4women-2019-event-tickets-54751304626?aff=lawfirms (Short link: https://careint.uk/2G1s5EJ)
 
LGBT History Month              
February is LGBT History Month and our LGBT+ Lawyers Division will be holding their second speed networking in Cardiff on Thursday 21 February. We are partnering with a number of firms and organisations to deliver other events across the country – details of the full programme can be found here.
 
Law Society team in half marathon for LawWorks


On Sunday March 10th Tom Fothergill, chief operating officer, Sophie Brooks, operational director of strategy and planning and Kerry Jenkins, head of finance will be running as a representative Law Society Team at the Vitality Big Half Marathon here in London & we are aiming to raise money for LawWorks whom, as many will know, is a charity supported by the Law Society which focuses efforts on connecting those in need of legal advice who can’t afford to pay for it with volunteer pro bono solicitors.
 
Sponsoring them couldn’t be simpler – just follow this link http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fund/lawworksbighalf to their fundraising page.
 
JLD Forum: Junior lawyers skills day – 2 March 2019 – Southampton
This free one-day skills event aims to equip those at the start of their careers with the skills and advice necessary to progress, diversify and develop within the legal profession.
 
Apprenticeship Week at the Law Society – 5 March 2019 – London
As part of National Apprenticeship Week, we are bringing together firms, training providers and prospective apprentices to learn about and discuss apprenticeships in legal services.
 
Junior Lawyers Division annual conference and ball 2019 – London
Registration is now open for the JLD’s 12th annual conference and ball on Saturday 6 April. Early bird rates are available until Friday 8 March.
 


Supporting practice excellence
Some of our upcoming events are:
 
Future of Law lecture: The Future of Justice and the Justice System – 26 February 2019
Justice Minister Lucy Frazer QC MP will share her thoughts on the future of the justice system, particularly in light of the LASPO post-implementation review.
 
Private Client Section: cross border conference 2019 – Insights into foreign assets
Our full-day programme will help you to keep on top of the increasingly complex and changing environment of international private client work. 
 
Keeping members up to date
 
We have a number of newsletters for members. Below is a list, along with links for signing up to them.
 
Newsletter
Sign-up method

Advocacy Update
Update My Law Society preferences

Anti-money Laundering Update
Law Society newsletter page

City Update
Contact the City relationship management team

Diversity & Inclusion Update
Update My Law Society preferences

In-house Forum
Update My Law Society preferences

International Update
Law Society newsletter page

Junior Lawyers Update
Law Society newsletter page

JLD sign-up page

Legal Aid Update
Law Society newsletter page

Professional Update
Law Society newsletter page

Regional Update
Contact your regional relationship management team

Risk & Compliance Update
Join the Risk and Compliance Service

Small Firms Focus
Contact the Small Firms Division

Solicitor Judges Update
Join the Solicitor Judges Division
 
You can also register for the Gazette daily update here.
 
As always, please feel free to share this update with your members unless otherwise specified.
 
Kind regards,
 
Christina
 
Christina Blacklaws
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London. WC2A 1PL

This is a quick plea to ask for assistance in promoting the Junior Lawyers Division’s (JLD) resilience and wellbeing survey for 2019 with any junior lawyer colleagues and contacts you have. For the purposes of the survey, a junior lawyer is a paralegal who has obtained their LPC, a trainee solicitor or a junior lawyer with up to five years’ post qualification experience. The survey can be accessed here.
 
Background
 
As part of its agenda for the last three years, the executive committee of JLD has been focusing on supporting junior lawyers experiencing mental ill-health and high levels of stress at work and raising awareness of these issues in the legal profession.
 
Surveys
 
To ascertain the extent of the levels of stress and mental ill-health among junior lawyers, the JLD conducted its first survey in 2017 which received over 200 responses. The 2017 survey found that more than 90% of junior lawyers experienced stress in their role with 26% of those experiencing severe/extreme levels of stress. More than 25% of junior lawyers stated that they had experienced mental ill-health in the last month (whether formally diagnosed or not). It was clear to the JLD that high levels of stress and mental ill-health affected the majority of its members (specifically, paralegals (who have obtained their LPC), trainee solicitors and solicitor up to five years’ qualified).
 
The JLD ran its resilience and wellbeing survey again in 2018 and it received nearly 1,000 responses. The overall figures in relation to stress remained the same as in 2017, however, the proportion of men regularly reporting either severe or extreme levels of stress increased from 20% to 26%. In 2018, high workload and client demands and expectations were the most commonly selected causes of stress, whereas high workload and ineffective management were the most common causes in 2017.
 
In relation to mental ill-health, more than 38% of junior lawyers stated they had experienced mental ill-health in the last month (whether formally diagnosed or not), an increase of almost 13% from the 2017 survey. The largest change was in relation to trainees, 19% reported experiencing mental ill-health in the last month in the 2017 survey compared to 38% in 2018. You can read the survey results report for 2017 & 2018 surveys here.
 
Guidance for best practice for supporting resilience and wellbeing in the workplace
 
To support employers in meeting some of these challenges, the JLD developed best practice guidance aimed at reducing stigma and fostering positive mental health. The guidance is designed to give employers ideas on how to build a successful wellbeing strategy for their organisation. The guidance focuses on three core pillars (1) support; (2) education and training; and (3) culture; to enable organisational change. You can view the guidance here.
 
Roundtables
 
The JLD has hosted two roundtable events with law firms to promote mentally healthy workplaces. These roundtable events involve a discussion on the recommendations in the guidance. As part of the discussion, law firms are encouraged to share their best practice and positive/negative experiences of running initiatives internally. By giving firms an opportunity to speak openly about their wellbeing strategies and what they are doing (under Chatham House rules), it helps give ideas to other firms who are still in the process of planning their own strategies. The next roundtable is taking place on 5 March 2019 and do let us know if you would like more information or to attend.
 
If you’ve got any questions about the above, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
 
Kind regards

Future of Law Lecture Series
The Future of Justice and the Justice System – with Lucy Frazer QC MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice
 
Tuesday 26 February
 
Dear colleague
 
I am delighted to invite you to the next event in our Future of Law lecture series.
We invite subject matter experts to explore the most pressing legal questions facing the profession and aim to bring together leaders from across the legal profession, members, policy makers and key stakeholders to discuss how to maintain a successful legal services sector for the future.
 
This lecture will focus on the future of justice and the justice system, particularly in light of the LASPO post implementation review.  We will also explore the role that technology and innovation will play in facilitating access to justice, including plans for court modernisation and the wider justice system.
 
Lucy Frazer QC MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice will share her thoughts on what the future holds for the justice system and what this will mean for the legal profession.
 
 
Tuesday 26 February 2019
 
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, WC2A 1PL
 
08.00 - 08.15   Registration and breakfast
 
08.15 -  09.30  Welcome: Christina Blacklaws, President, The Law Society  
 
                        Key note speaker:
                        Lucy Frazer QC MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
                        Ministry of Justice
 
                        Audience Q&A
 
To book your place email – presidentevents@lawsociety.org.uk
 
 Christina Blacklaws
President

Your weekly Law Society update
 
As the professional body for solicitors, every week the Law Society is working hard to influence the legal and regulatory environment on behalf of our profession and to promote solicitors at home and abroad. We support practice excellence, are an informed source of legal sector news and support members at every stage of their career.
 
Here are some highlights from this week.
 
Influencing on behalf of the profession and promoting the profession
 
The Law Society’s media profile this week:
 
Cris McCurley, a member of the Access to Justice Committee appeared on BBC Essex to discuss the criminal justice system. You can listen to the broadcast here. Cris’ interview starts from 2:16:10
 
Chancery Lane warned against plans by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to remove EU lawyers' exemptions from tests to qualify in England and Wales in the event of a ‘no-deal' Brexit. The Law Society said the plans could cause an ‘unnecessary barrier to qualification’ which could have the knock-on effect of making England and Wales a less attractive jurisdiction and imperil its position as Europe's largest legal market. Full report in the Gazette.
 
Restricting the right of landlords to recover non-litigation costs in leasehold enfranchisement claims could deter them from engaging solicitors and thwart efforts to make the process simpler, the Law Society has warned. Full report in the Gazette.
 
Mobile phone and computer evidence means that the system of paying advocates by the volume of pages of prosecution evidence is out of date, ministers have said. I welcomed the review of criminal legal aid fees and hoped it would be accompanied by a commitment to increase spending on criminal legal aid. But I added: “Reporting on a fundamental rethink in 2020 is all very well, but we are facing a crisis today.” Full report in the Times.
 
A new poll shows around four in 10 legal practices are still confused about GDPR rules, and only around one in four see cyberattacks as a leading risk to their business. Peter Wright, author of the Law Society Cyber Security Toolkit and managing director of DigitalLawUK, says too many companies don’t believe they’ll be hacked because they are a small, independent practice. Full report in Lawyer Monthly.
 
Jenny Beck explains the risks for litigants in person paying for advice from McKenzie friends to take their case through the courts. She explains the impact of cuts to legal aid and why the advice of a solicitor is important for people trying to navigate the Family Court. Listen on BBC West Midlands (2:26:36)
 
Labour’s Chuka Umunna highlighted that the Law Society is holding various events to mark the centenary of women lawyers in an article for the Independent. He mentions the First Hundred Years project to chart the journey of women in law, illustrating how that has led to a giant leap forward for gender equality in the UK over the years.
 
The Law Society has renewed its warning about the potential problems of leaving the EU without an agreement on a future relationship in the wake of last night's House of Commons vote. Full report in the Gazette. And vice president Simon Davis also said a no-deal Brexit would “introduce opaqueness where previously there has been clarity in relation to a whole range of rights enjoyed currently by our citizens”. He added: “Where cross-border disputes arise among families and between businesses in the UK and EU countries, the resolution mechanisms available across Europe will no longer apply, leaving them unclear as to which lawyers they can use and which courts can help them.” Full report in the Times (£).
This week we convened 16 organisations from healthcare, science, academia, engineering, architecture, business, energy, town planning and more to write a letter to the Independent setting out our shared concerns about exiting the EU without a deal. We urged politicians “from across the divide to unite to avert a UK-wide crisis and find a way forward to ensure the end of our EU membership doesn’t end an era of unprecedented economic strength for the UK – with all the political and social fallout that will herald.” I was the lead signatory on behalf of the Law Society.
The Guardian covers our concerns about changes to safeguards affecting some of the most vulnerable people in society – those with limited mental capacity. New legislation being rushed through parliament will remove independent scrutiny – and hand decisions to care home managers and private hospitals. Sheree Green, a member of our mental health and disability committee, is quoted saying: “The government’s bill is quite different to the one produced by the Law Commission. [It] places responsibility on the care home manager to do the DoLS or ‘liberty protection safeguard’ work, as it will in future be known.”
 
The Independent reports EU citizens have won the right to challenge a law which prevents people from accessing immigration data held by the Home Office. It cites the Law Society statement from last year which said nearly half immigration decisions are overturned on appeal – clear evidence of serious flaws in the ministry’s procedures.
 
The press office is working with solicitors and regional papers to provide agony aunt-style columns on major legal issues. If you would like to participate, please email press.office@lawsociety.org.uk
 
Don’t forget you can read all Law Society press releases by clicking on this link. For live updates follow us on Twitter.
 
Consultation responses and parliamentary activity, influencing on behalf of the profession:
Brexit
We are working to represent the views of members on the UK exiting the EU and influence both the UK government and EU institutions. We continue to support members by providing guidance on preparatory steps they can take to prepare their firms. The government has published a series of notices on how to prepare for a no-deal Brexit. We have published guidance on the potential effects on our members in the event of a no-deal Brexit in the following areas:

• Civil and commercial cooperation


• Data protection


• Family law


• Providing legal services in the EU

 
Access to Justice
The Justice Committee have launched a new inquiry into the access to justice implications of the HMCTS court modernisation programme. MPs will look at two elements of the changes:
1. Increased use of digital and video technology
2.The closures of the courts and tribunal hearing centres.
The deadline for the call for written evidence is Monday 11th March 2019.
 
The government has responded to the Justice Select Committee’s report on criminal legal aid. 
 
Government engagement
The CEO attended the Economic crime ministerial strategy board which was also attended by senior cabinet ministers including the chancellor and lord chancellor.
 
Parliamentary
The Law Society was mentioned twice in the committee stage of the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Bill Committee, highlighting our concerns at 16-17 year olds and access to the Court of Protection.
We were also mentioned six times in debates on several Brexit related statutory instruments on lawyers rights and civil legal aid.
 
Our influencing work internationally:
This week, I was delighted to attend the Ceremonial Opening of the Legal Year in Hong Kong, jointly hosted by the Law Society of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Bar Association. As part of the events, I spoke on a panel on ‘Legal Profession as a Talent Platform - What law societies and bar associations can do to enhance the image of the legal profession to attract new entrants to the profession?’ to an audience of 40 bar leaders from more than 20 jurisdictions.
 
While in Hong Kong, I met with our member firms, as well as the president of the Law Society of Hong Kong, the secretary of justice, and the Justice Centre, Hong Kong.
 
Later in the week, I attended the IBA 5th Asia Law Firm Management Conference where I spoke on a session on retaining talent and being an attractive workplace for future talent. I met with the Singapore Academy of Law and its Future of Law Innovation Programme (FLIP) – an initiative that brings together stakeholders from business, government and academia to collaborate on developing new models for the delivery of legal services in the future economy.
 
On Wednesday, I met the Law Society of Singapore’s Women in Practice committee and was honoured to provide the keynote speech at their Women in Practice: Change and Impact panel discussion. One hundred people attended.
 
On 17 January, David Greene, deputy vice president signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Georgia’s Anaklia City JSC (Anaklia City) to cooperate and exchange best practices in the development of a special economic zone and disputes resolution centre in Anaklia, Georgia. The MoU provides a way for us to continue our engagement with Anaklia City and will provide several business development opportunities for members. We look forward to working with Anaklia City.
 
Supporting members at every stage of their career
We've now published ‘Your professional body – the value of your membership’ aligned to the member offer. It clearly shows how we influence for impact and promote the profession. It also showcases the services we offer to support practice excellence, keep members up to date and act as a career companion. All new members will receive a copy in the post. A simple summary of our member offer is also available.
 
Judicial appointments: interview training for solicitors - 8 February 2019 – London
In view of increasing competition for judicial appointments, this interactive course will equip delegates with the skills to help enhance your application and interview performance. This workshop has been developed specifically for solicitor applicants but the content is relevant for anyone serious about submitting a credible judicial application.
 
JLD Forum: Junior lawyer skills day
The Junior Lawyers Division is holding a free one-day career development and skills event in partnership with the South Hampshire JLD and the Bournemouth JLD.

Apprenticeship Week at the Law Society
Bringing together firms, training providers and prospective apprentices to learn about and discuss apprenticeships in legal services.
 
Supporting practice excellence
Some of our upcoming events are:
 
Competition Section seminar: the impact of data on merger control
This seminar will survey EU merger control cases involving data issues, and ask whether or not the European Commission has now developed a legal and economic framework for assessment of those cases going forward.
 
Webinar: Smart contracts for lawyers
A smart contract is a set of rules taking the form of electronic code that is capable of self-execution. The development of the blockchain and distributed ledger technology has enabled smart contracts to be re-imagined to offer a new paradigm of contracting, automating the performance of contractual obligations and aligning to business outcomes.
 
This webinar we will provide participants with the practical next steps to overcome the uncertainty of smart contracts, firstly through clarification of the fundamental characteristics before directly showing how a lawyer might go about drafting and deploying a smart contract on a blockchain network.
 
As always, please feel free to share this update with your constituents unless otherwise specified.
 
Kind regards,
 
Christina
 
 
Christina Blacklaws
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London. WC2A 1PL

​Your weekly Law Society update
 
As the professional body for solicitors, every week the Law Society is working hard to influence the legal and regulatory environment on behalf of our profession and to promote solicitors at home and abroad. We support practice excellence, are an informed source of legal sector news and support members at every stage of their career.
 
Happy New Year and welcome back from the break.
 
Here are some highlights from this week.
 
Influencing on behalf of the profession and promoting the profession
 
The Law Society’s media profile this week:
Last Friday I was on BBC Woman’s Hour to discuss the 2019 centenary of women being able to qualify as solicitors. You can listen to the broadcast here. The interview starts at 00.40.
 
Internal emails and instant messages released under Freedom of Information laws reveal the fury inside the Ministry of Justice after Buzzfeed News was leaked a report on the impact of LASPO that the department had insisted didn’t exist. A Law Society spokesperson said: ““People will wonder why the MoJ chose at first not to disclose the full report. The research into unrepresented defendants contains important information...”.
 
Ireland’s prime minister has said his country is exploring how to take legal business from the UK after Brexit. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has in mind a partnership of the legal representative bodies to exploit the UK’s departure from the EU. The Gazette report quotes me.
 
This week the media relations team organised a series of interviews with solicitors on local radio to discuss ‘divorce day’ and answer common questions about the divorce process.
 
You can listen to Hannah Field on BBC Surrey and Sussex here. Hannah’s interview starts at 1.23:30.
 
Meanwhile Talvinder Penaser’s interview on Pulse 1 in West Yorkshire.
 
Christine McVay appeared on BBC Radio Newcastle. You can listen to the broadcast here. Christine’s interview starts from 1:26:00.
 
Both the Gazette and Legal Futures covered our new practice note for solicitors engaged in drawing up non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).
 
Penny Scott, the chair of our Family Law Committee, appeared on BBC Radio Essex discussing a family law case in the county and the Law Society’s early advice campaign. Parts of this interview ran on the news bulletins throughout the day. You can listen to the broadcast here from 1.00:30.
 
While the EU committee’s Anna Bradshaw appeared on ITN talking about the Jack Shepherd case.
 
Jenny Beck, former chair of the Access to Justice committee was on Radio 5 Live to discuss McKenzie friends and the importance of family law solicitors. You can listen to the broadcast here from 2.52:30.
 
Legal aid provision in England and Wales is being slashed, as experts say people are being “denied justice.” Simon Davis, vice president of the Law Society, said: “Cuts to legal aid spending over the past five years have denied justice to the most vulnerable in society, placed a further burden on the taxpayer and damaged the foundation of our justice system.” A full report in The Daily Post. Also appears in Hull Daily Mail, Derby Telegraph, Evening Gazette and four other regional titles.
 
In a comment for the Gazette, former IP law committee chair Mark Anderson calls for reforms to IP law.
 
Joy Merriam, a member of the Law Society Access to Justice committee, was interviewed by BBC Radio Kent on the subject of 'Cliff's Law' – a proposed new law to stop police suspects being named by the media until they are proven guilty. You can listen to the broadcast here. Joy’s interview starts from 0:34:20.
 
Don’t forget you can read all Law Society press releases by clicking on this link. For live updates follow us on Twitter.
 
Consultation responses and parliamentary activity, influencing on behalf of the profession:
Access to Justice
On 18th December, Heads of Division published four jurisdictional documents on the judicial intranet in response to the ‘Judicial Ways of Working’ consultation. These are a highly critical assessment of the government’s proposals for court reforms and closures. 
Courts and Tribunals (Judiciary and Functions of Staff) Bill
Before Christmas, the Courts and Tribunals (Judiciary and Functions of Staff) Bill received Royal Assent. The Bill will allow appropriately qualified and experienced court and tribunal staff to deal with routine matters.
It will allow the judiciary to be flexibly deployed across jurisdictions where they are most needed, allowing judges to gain experience of different types of cases.
 
Leasehold
The Law Commission has published a consultation on commonhold “Reinvigorating commonhold: the alternative to leasehold ownership”.  This consultation makes provisional proposals to make commonhold work for homeowners, developers, mortgage lenders and across the wider property sector. The consultation is available here.
 
Draft CIL Regulation changes consultation
Shortly before Christmas, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government published a technical consultation looking at proposed reforms to the system of developer contributions, primarily the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 (as amended) and section 106 planning obligations. The consultation is available here.
 
Meetings
On Tuesday, I met with Justice Minister Lucy Frazer QC MP, to discuss law tech, the LASPO review, criminal justice and Brexit. Vice president, Simon Davis, attended a briefing on no deal preparations with Exiting the EU Minister Chris Heaton-Harris.
 
Parliamentary
The chair of the mental health and disability law committee attended a roundtable with the shadow minister for mental health and disability on Monday. Members of this committee and the public affairs team also met with Alex Cunningham MP to discuss the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Bill.
 
Supporting members at every stage of their career
We've now published ‘Your professional body – the value of your membership’ aligned to the member offer. It clearly shows how we influence for impact and promote the profession. It also showcases the services we offer to support practice excellence, keep members up to date and act as a career companion. All new members will receive a copy in the post. A simple summary of our member offer is also available.
 
Changing career direction - options for flexible working
This event will be hosted by Adaptive, the flexible resourcing model from Simmons & Simmons. Adaptive was created to respond to the shifting legal landscape of Law, by providing clients with technically excellent first-rate lawyers, who are available to work on defined contract assignments and projects. The model is designed to strengthen client relationships by providing a commercial solution that meets both the needs of clients and the firm. This event has been designed in partnership with Adaptive and the Law Society, specifically for those who are interested in finding out more about how they can adopt a flexible working pattern and the benefits of doing so. As the legal marketplace evolves, clients are also actively seeking flexible resourcing solutions to meet the changing demands. The flexibility of working through a model like Adaptive, lets you keep control over when and how you work: you can choose your assignments in terms of work content and the defined periods you choose to undertake them.
 
JLD forum: Helping you to secure a training position
The Junior Lawyers Division is holding a free one-day skills event in partnership with the Merseyside JLD to assist LPC students and graduates with their search for a training position.
 
Supporting practice excellence
Some of our upcoming events are:
The Law Society’s Art Group exhibition
Between 8 and 18 January, the 59th annual exhibition of the Law Society's art group will be on display in the Reading Room. All the art is created by solicitors and shows a high standard of talent, from painting to three dimensional exhibits. All the art is for visitors to enjoy and purchase. If you have any enquiries about the exhibition, you can get in touch with Hazel Bate.
 
International Women’s Day
Join us on Friday 8 March for our flagship event to celebrate International Women’s Day 2019. The theme of the event is inspiration and action in the workplace. I will be leading a panel of distinguished speakers in a discussion about the outcomes of the research so far conducted as part of the Women in Leadership in Law project.
 
Online training: GDPR for Managers: An Introduction
In this course training is given on key aspects of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) data protection regime and first steps for compliance.
 
As always, please feel free to share this update with your constituents unless otherwise specified.
 
Kind regards,
 
Christina
 
 
Christina Blacklaws
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London. WC2A 1PL

As the professional body for solicitors, every week the Law Society is working hard to influence the legal and regulatory environment on behalf of our profession and to promote solicitors at home and abroad. We support practice excellence, are an informed source of legal sector news and support members at every stage of their career.
 
Our annual thank you e-mail to our members started going out last week. As part of our work to target our communications, members with less than five years PQE, private client, property, large firm and in house members will receive tailored messages about our member offer.
 
Here are some highlights from our week.
 
Influencing on behalf of the profession and promoting the profession
The Law Society’s media profile this week:
Head of justice Richard Miller was on the Today programme on Monday talking about the impact legal aid cuts have had on access to justice. You can listen to the story here from 48:40. The issue was also covered on BBC News online with a report, which drew heavily on Law Society information, showing cuts to legal aid have created "deserts" of provision across England and Wales. The story was also covered by Yorkshire Post, Bolton News, Norwich Evening News (p.4), Dereham Times; Eastern Daily Press. While BBC Surrey, BBC Cornwall, BBC Cumbria, BBC Leeds, BBC Humberside & BBC World  carried portions Richard Miller’s Today interview as part of rolling coverage of the legal aid crisis.
 
Meanwhile the government this week put down legislation paving the way for an additional £23m on criminal defence advocacy fees. The Ministry of Justice has announced it will embark on a wider review of criminal legal aid payments. Full report in the Gazette plus a comment piece from justice minister Lucy Frazer. More coverage in the Times (£).
 
The Times (£) also ran a story on “a near clean sweep of women leaders in the legal profession’s regulatory and representative bodies”. The report picks up on a comment I made saying that in contrast, “the pace of change within the profession is “glacial”.
 
I raised concerns about employment law in a letter to the FT (£). I wrote: “The High Court ruling in the Deliveroo case illustrates a broader issue with employment law in the UK. It has not kept pace with people’s work habits in the modern economy.”
 
Lawyers must never be persecuted for defending human rights, I said in a statement to mark Human Rights Day. “It is our duty to speak out clearly whenever we see this happening and we will continue to do so without fear or favour. Threats to the independence of the legal profession undermine the rule of law and impede access to justice for all, especially the most vulnerable.” Report in the Times (£).
 
Digitising the divorce application process and hoping for the best isn't enough to reform the legal requirements for splitting up, the Law Society has warned, telling the government to restore legal aid so that separating couples can receive early advice. Coverage in the Gazette & Times (£).
 
A Guardian feature on the story of an immigrant working in the UK includes a comment from Max Winthrop, chair of the Law Society’s employment law committee.
 
The government’s long-awaited review LASPO will no longer be published by the end of this year, the Ministry of Justice has confirmed. The department admitted the review is not yet complete and will be published instead ‘early in the New Year’. Coverage in the Gazette, Times (£).
 
Junior lawyers have warned that they could be adversely affected by proposals to roll out early morning and late-night sittings in some civil proceedings, after the government agreed to ditch similar plans for criminal cases. Writing for the Gazette, justice minister Lucy Frazer says she hopes the pilot will ‘alleviate some of the stress’ that is associated with attending court by allowing people the opportunity to fit attendance around their everyday lives.
 
Don’t forget you can read all Law Society press releases by clicking on this link. For live updates follow us on Twitter.
 
Consultation responses and parliamentary activity, influencing on behalf of the profession:
Parliamentary
On Monday, Jonathan Smithers gave evidence on behalf of the Law Society to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee’s inquiry on leasehold reform. Jonathan’s evidence focused on the role and independence of conveyancing solicitors, while also highlighting the Society’s concerns around the potential use of retrospective legislation and its impact on the rule of law.
 
Vice president, Simon Davis, hosted a dinner in Parliament with the Industry and Parliament Trust on trade in services. It was attended by a number of parliamentarians and other stakeholders from the services sector.
 
Speeches
Deputy vice president David Greene spoke at the Law Society’s annual Graham Turnbull lecture and essay competition. The keynote speaker was Dr Gus Hosein from Privacy International.
 
To celebrate International Human Rights Day, David also spoke at a seminar on human rights defenders and at a reception with keynote speaker Corey Stoughton, advocacy director at Liberty.  There was also a seminar on modern slavery earlier that day.
 
Women in Leadership in Law
This week we have had the final two men’s roundtables on 2018 this week with 45 attendees from the following firms: BCLP, Blake Morgan, Capsticks, Citi Group, Clarke Wilmott, Clifford Chance, CMS CMNO, Cooley, DAC Beachcroft, Dentons, DWF, EY, Financial Ombudsman Service, IBA, Mason & Cook, Maurice Turnor Gardner, Mills & Reeve, New Law Solicitors, Open Cosmos, Osborne Clarke, Sherman & Sterling, Standard Chartered Bank, Stone King, Stevens & Bolton, Sullivan & Cromwell, TLT, Travers Smith, Uber, Wedlake Bell, Wikborg Rein, Veale Wasbrough Vizards and Womble Bon Dickinson. Owing to popularity, two further roundtables will be scheduled in London in January as well as in Birmingham and Cardiff.
 
Our influencing work internationally:
 
On 10 December, the Brussels Office hosted a roundtable event: Women in Leadership in Law, followed by a drinks reception. In these discussions (which are under Chatham House rules), participants discussed their experiences of unconscious bias, the gender pay gap, flexible working and best practice in their workplace. The data collected will be presented in a report, to be published in 2019 which is intended to highlight steps to be taken regarding the major areas of improvement for gender equality in the legal profession.
 
At the invitation of the UK government, I travelled to New Delhi with Holly McKenzie to participate in the FutureTech Festival - the flagship conference under the UK-India tech partnership, announced during the Indian prime minister’s visit to the UK earlier this year. I chaired a dedicated legal tech session from 14:00-15:00 on Wed 12 December as part of the Festival.  I also held Women in the Leadership in Law roundtable, and attended meetings with Indian law firms, judges and the government of India.
 
Supporting members at every stage of their career
We've now published ‘Your professional body – the value of your membership’ aligned to the member offer. It clearly shows how we influence for impact and promote the profession. It also showcases the services we offer to support practice excellence, keep members up to date, and as a career companion. All new members will receive a copy in the post. A simple summary of our member offer is also available.
 
LGBT+ History Month events
In February our LGBT+ Lawyers Division committee is looking to support as many regional events as possible. If your firm or organisation is arranging something for History Month and would like a committee member or Diversity & Inclusion team member to attend or be on a panel, please contact the team.
 
LGBT+ Lawyers Division essay competition
The LGBT+ Lawyers Division has launched its inaugural essay competition, with a first prize of £750. Closing date is 28 February 2019 and the title is ‘What remaining legal barriers exist for the LGBT+ community in terms of equality, including any issues with the application of the current law?' More information can be found here.
 
Changing career direction - options for flexible working
This event will be hosted by Adaptive, the flexible resourcing model from Simmons & Simmons. Adaptive was created to respond to the shifting legal landscape of Law, by providing clients with technically excellent first-rate lawyers, who are available to work on defined contract assignments and projects. The model is designed to strengthen client relationships by providing a commercial solution that meets both the needs of our clients and the firm. This event has been designed in partnership with Adaptive and the Law Society, specifically for those who are interested in finding out more about how they can adopt a flexible working pattern and the benefits of doing so. As the legal marketplace evolves, clients are also actively seeking flexible resourcing solutions to meet the changing demands. The flexibility of working through a model like Adaptive, lets you keep control over when and how you work: you can choose your assignments in terms of work content and the defined periods you choose to undertake them.

JLD forum: Helping you to secure a training position
The Junior Lawyers Division is holding a free one-day skills event in partnership with the Merseyside JLD to assist LPC students and graduates with their search for a training position.
  
Supporting practice excellence
Some of our upcoming events are:
LawWorks Carol concert
The LawWorks Carol concert, held jointly with Advocate, is on 18th December at Temple Church. There will be readings by Stephen Mangan, Lady Hale and Gyles Brandreth and performances by Rob Burton, winner of the woodwind category final of BBC Young Musician 2018 and the Collegium Musicum of London Chamber Choir. There is also an incredibly good raffle. Please do spread the word! Further details can be found here. 
 
Online training: GDPR for Managers: An Introduction
In this course training is given on key aspects of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) data protection regime and first steps for compliance. 
 
Podcast: Facial recognition technology - Who is watching us?
In this podcast, Olivier Roth speaks to Big Brother Watch’s Griff Ferris about Facial Recognition Technology. Facial recognition has long been feared as a feature of a future authoritarian society, with its potential to turn CCTV cameras into identity checkpoints, creating a world where citizens are intensively watched and tracked. However, facial recognition is now a reality in the UK – despite the lack of any legal basis or parliamentary scrutiny, and despite the significant concerns raised by rights and race equality groups.
 
 
As always, please feel free to share this update with your members unless otherwise specified.
 
Kind regards,
 
Christina
 
Christina Blacklaws
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL
twitter: @lawsocpresident
www.lawsociety.org.uk
​

As the professional body for solicitors, every week the Law Society is working hard to influence the legal and regulatory environment on behalf of our profession and to promote solicitors at home and abroad. We support practice excellence, are an informed source of legal sector news and support members at every stage of their career.
 
Our annual thank you e-mail to our members is going out from this week. As part of our work to target our communications, members with less than five years PQE, private client, property, large firm and in house members will receive tailored messages about our member offer.
 
Here are some highlights from our busy work this week, which included our final Council meeting of 2018.
 
Influencing on behalf of the profession and promoting the profession
The Law Society’s media profile this week:
Brexit is seen as an opportunity to supplant London as the world’s dispute resolution centre and a no deal Brexit would “inject a huge dollop of uncertainty in the system”, says Law Society vice president and Clifford Chance litigation partner Simon Davis. Report in Monday’s CityAM, page 9.
 
New SRA rules around price publication by solicitors for selected areas of law came into force this week. The move was foreshadowed in a report in Saturday’s Telegraph Money, p.2, which quoted me saying: “Price is, of course, important, but so are the range and quality of services and the client protections offered by the providers.” Further coverage in the Gazette, Legal Futures & Telegraph (£)
 
This week’s Gazette carried a piece from me on equality in the legal sector. I wrote: “As the centenary of the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act approaches in 2019, there remains a long way to go to achieve gender equality in the legal sector.” I’m also quoted in Today’s Wills & Probate talking about diversity. “We have worked with the profession to develop a common set of standards that provide the level of transparency expected by firms’ clients, people and the public.” To give firms a useful benchmark and enable an evidence-based action plan to tackle inequalities, the Law Society supports the addition of partner pay along with employee pay data in gender pay gap reporting.
 
The Radio Times (p154) reports on the proposed hike in probate fees. The article cites our position “The Law Society, which represents solicitors, has criticised the fees, saying: “The cost to courts for providing a grant of probate does not change whether the size of the estate is £10,000 or £1 million.””
 
The Civil Justice Council (CJC) has stopped short of recommending a ’presumption’ that parties will agree to alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as a condition for issuing proceedings - but said it is committed to promoting alternatives to litigation. The Law Society warned that imposing a requirement of mandatory ADR would ‘frustrate the principle’ that litigants should have unimpeded access to the courts. Report in the Gazette.
 
The Law Society is revamping its quality mark for residential conveyancing – CQS - which will include site visits by an independent assessor. Report in the Gazette which also carried an article by head of accreditations Rachel Hawkins. Legal Futures also covered the story.
 
The Gazette reported on my appearance on a panel at the international forum on online courts organised by the Society for Computers and Law and HM Courts and Tribunals Service. I’m quoted saying: “When it comes to regulating AI, we need a principle-led approach. We need flexibility, but we also need a framework of standards, building in ethics by design and protecting fundamental freedoms.”
 
Don’t forget you can read all Law Society press releases by clicking on this link. For live updates follow us on Twitter.
 
Consultation responses and parliamentary activity, influencing on behalf of the profession:
Parliamentary
On Monday, the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill was considered by the House of Lords at report stage. The Law Society was positively referenced five times, and excerpts from our parliamentary briefing were quoted by Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Baroness Hamwee. The Lords also agreed to an amendment the Law Society supported, removing a power for officials to listen in to confidential legal advice.
 
The Courts and Tribunals Bill passed its committee stage in the House of Commons this week. It will now progress to report stage.
 
Carey Street
On Wednesday I hosted a dinner discussion around access to justice and the LASPO post implementation review at the Carey Street. Attendees included senior representative from HM Courts and Tribunals Service and the Ministry of Justice.
 
Women in Leadership in Law
The lord chancellor attended a male champions roundtable at Chancery Lane on Monday as part of our women in leadership in the law programme.
 
LawWorks pro bono awards
I was pleased to have the opportunity to welcome the 250 plus guests to the awards also on Monday.
 
Civil Justice Council
I attended Friday’s gathering where I chaired a breakout session on technology and was part of a panel discussing what the National Pro Bono Centre could/should look like in 2020.
 
Diversity and Inclusion Celebration
I spoke at our annual diversity and inclusion celebration where I thanked colleagues from our Women Lawyers, Ethnic Minority Lawyers, Lawyers with Disabilities and LGBT+ Lawyers Divisions for their work supporting under-represented groups in the profession and our Social Mobility Ambassadors who help demonstrate that the profession is open to the best people, regardless of their background or challenges.
 
Our influencing work internationally:
I attended the Paris Bar Opening of the Legal Year last weekend within the context of Brexit, discontent on the streets in Paris and elections to the Paris Bar council and who will be the Bâtonnier in 2020-2021. Our relations with the Paris Bar under the leadership of Marie-Aimée Peyron are strong but Brexit creates a moment of uncertainty for the position of UK solicitors in France and the 50-odd UK and American law firms, many operating as branches of UK LLPs. The French bar authorities will soon let the French government know whether they think it should legislate to ensure LLPs can continue operating in Paris or would need to restructure. Paris is also making a bid to attract legal business to the new International Chamber of the Court of Appeal which will be able to hear cases in the English language and on English law. We are monitoring developments there and elsewhere in Europe very closely.
 
On 5 December, the Brussels Office as well as Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law and FLINN held an event on ‘Implementing Brexit – A Rule of Law Perspective’. The event took place at the European Parliament and was co-hosted by Molly Scott Cato, Alyn Smith, Catherine Bearder, Sajjad Karim and Clare Moody, UK MEPs.  Around 70 people attended the event.
 
Supporting members at every stage of their career
We've now published ‘Your professional body – the value of your membership’ aligned to the member offer. It clearly shows how we influence for impact and promote the profession. It also showcases the services we offer to support practice excellence, keep members up to date, and as a career companion. All new members will receive a copy in the post. A simple summary of our member offer is also available.
 
LGBT+ History Month events
In February our LGBT+ Lawyers Division committee is looking to support as many regional events as possible. If your firm or organisation is arranging something for History Month and would like a committee member or Diversity & Inclusion team member to attend or be on a panel, please contact the team.
 
LGBT+ Lawyers Division essay competition
The LGBT+ Lawyers Division has launched its inaugural essay competition, with a first prize of £750. Closing date is 28 February 2019 and the title is ‘What remaining legal barriers exist for the LGBT+ community in terms of equality, including any issues with the application of the current law?' More information can be found here.
 
Advocacy and the Vulnerable Training, 28 January 2019, Liverpool - Afternoon session
The Advocacy and the Vulnerable Training was developed in conjunction with the Bar to help solicitor advocates and barristers strike the balance between advancing their client’s case effectively in court whilst ensuring vulnerable witnesses are not subjected to undue stress.
 
Mitigating risk for in-house lawyers, 31 January 2019 – Leeds
The role and approach of legal departments in identifying and managing risk is changing. With an increasing focus on the value proposition of the legal team within organisations, legal departments are having to be more strategic risk managers, gauging risk appetite to balance managing risk with creating value.
 
LawWorks Carol concert
The LawWorks Carol concert, held jointly with Advocate, is on 18th December at Temple Church. There will be readings by Stephen Mangan, Lady Hale and Gyles Brandreth and performances by Rob Burton, winner of the woodwind category final of BBC Young Musician 2018 and the Collegium Musicum of London Chamber Choir. There is also an incredibly good raffle. Please do spread the word! Further details can be found here. 
 
Supporting practice excellence
Some of our upcoming events are:
 
Webinar: Price and Service Transparency: How you can comply
On 6 December 2018 the new SRA Transparency Rules came into force (see Media above). The new rules will require firms to publish certain price, service and regulatory information. In response to this, we developed a practice note to provide firms with key points to consider when implementing the new minimum requirements. Presented by the lead policy advisor for transparency, this webinar will walk you through the practice note.
 
Data protection in transition: GDPR and DPA compliance for law firms
A year on from the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA), the emerging data protection regime is established but not yet mature. This conference is designed to help law firms identify the right data protection strategies to navigate this difficult transitional period.
 
As always, please feel free to share this update with your constituents unless otherwise specified.
 
Kind regards,
 
Christina
 
Christina Blacklaws
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL
twitter: @lawsocpresident
www.lawsociety.org.uk
​

As the professional body for solicitors, every week the Law Society is working hard to influence the legal and regulatory environment on behalf of our profession and to promote solicitors at home and abroad. We support practice excellence, are an informed source of legal sector news and support members at every stage of their career.
 
Here are some highlights from our work this week.
 
Influencing on behalf of the profession and promoting the profession
The Law Society’s media profile this week:
A "chronic" lack of new duty solicitors may lead to innocent people being found guilty, Law Society head of justice Richard Miller has warned. He described the legal system as "creaking at the seams". Full coverage from the BBC including on BBC Wales Radio and BBC 1 Wales. You can listen to the radio discussion here from 49:00.
 
At the same time the Gazette covered the findings of the UN’s special rapporteur on extreme rights and human poverty who has criticised the government’s legal aid cuts for “depriving poor and disabled people of their human rights to remedy”. And ITV covered a “surge in the number of duty solicitors withdrawing from the rota in Scotland.
 
Gazette journalist Mondipa Fouzder writes an extended article on criminal law. She quotes Sir Brian Leveson, president of the Queen's Bench Division and head of criminal justice, who told defence solicitors they will “rarely be applauded” by a public “who don't always understand that it’s not about getting the guilty off … but that you are an essential check and balance within a large uncompromising machine”.
Junior lawyers have said they will be keeping a close eye on the training and education that prospective solicitors receive over the next year and beyond as proposed overhauls to the qualification process begin to take shape. In the past few weeks - after months of uncertainty - the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) finally estimated that the SQE could cost students up to £4,500. The start date for the exam has been delayed by 12 months following feedback from education providers and law firms which indicated a ‘strong preference’ for a 2021 launch as opposed to 2020. Report in the Gazette and in Legal Cheek.
Law enforcement authorities are seeking out 'enablers' of money laundering for prosecution, security and economic crime minister Ben Wallace MP told the Law Society’s Anti-Money Laundering and Financial Crime Conference 2018 warning that 'not just the major criminals' will be targeted.  He was speaking publicly for the first time since revealing a new crackdown on estate agencies, private schools and other organisations suspected of handling dirty money adding up to £90bn a year. Full report in the Gazette.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has downgraded the pilot project to extend court working hours, to the relief of the Law Society. The extended operating hours pilots were originally due to start in May 2017, with HM Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) proposing to roll them out over six months at six different courts across the country. The Law Society and other key stakeholders raised serious concerns over fundamental issues in execution, resource and methodology which caused previous plans to extend court hours to be suspended last September. I commented that “HMCTS’ willingness to listen to the Law Society and address our members’ and other stakeholders’ concerns about trialling extended hours is encouraging”. Details in LawCareers.Net
Don’t forget you can read all Law Society press releases by clicking on this link. For live updates follow us on Twitter.
 
Consultation responses and parliamentary activity, influencing on behalf of the profession:
Justice
Head of justice Richard Miller, attended the Judicial Diversity Forum with me, at which a memorandum of understanding was signed setting out the commitment of various stakeholders to the pre-application judicial education project. This is a scheme designed to help those seeking to apply for judicial office to put together high quality applications, particularly those from under-represented backgrounds. On Friday, Richard attended a workshop at Oxford University, hosted by Professors Abigail Adams and Jeremias Prassl along with Natalie Byrom from the Legal Education Foundation, looking at evaluating the HMCTS reform programme.
 
AML
We hosted our annual AML conference on 21st November, bringing together policy makers, law enforcement, regulators and industry experts to look at the latest policy and regulatory developments, changes ahead and other hot topics in anti-money laundering and financial crime. Our speakers brought delegates up-to-speed on the latest in AML policy, case law and money laundering typologies, while practical workshops tackled topical compliance challenges. 
 
Parliamentary
On Monday, I spoke at the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Blockchain.
 
A Westminster Hall debate took place on Wednesday to discuss the effect of Brexit on legal services. The debate was called to discuss the recent report on the same topic by the APPG on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, which we provide the secretariat for. During the debate, the Law Society received repeated favourable mentions.
 
Speeches
I spoke at a committee meeting of the City of London Law Society on Wednesday. I also spoke at the UK Diversity Legal Awards and presented a number of awards.
I spoke at the Bristol Law Society’s Artificial Intelligence conference on AI and ethics on Saturday.
The deputy vice president, David Greene, spoke at our event to celebrate Diwali on Thursday.
 
Meetings
On Wednesday, I met with the lord chancellor and justice minister, Lucy Frazer QC, to discuss the Advocate Graduated Fee Scheme (AGFS).
On Thursday I hosted a Future of Law lecture with Julia Salasky, CEO and founder of CrowdJustice who spoke about facilitating justice through technology.
On Friday, I visited the University of West England’s Law Faculty to discuss technology and diversity.
 
Women in Leadership in the Law
I travelled to Truro, Cornwall to host a women in leadership in law roundtable for around 24 attendees. The vice president, Simon Davis, led another men’s roundtable on Monday with 15 attendees from: Bird & Bird, Bristows, Clifford Chance, Farrer & Co., John Lewis, K&L Gates, Lewis Silkin, Lucy Group, Moore Blatch, Pinsent Masons, RPC, Taylor Wessing and TSB.
 
Our influencing work internationally:
On 19 November, the Brussels Office organised a dinner hosted by myself, Sir Graham Watson and Katharina Miller, president of the European Women Lawyers Association attended by a number of prominent women to discuss issues concerning women in the law.
 
On 20 November, EWLA and Brussels office hosted an event which I spoke at and chaired on: Indirect discrimination in access to justice. Around 40 people attended from the legal, policy and academic communities.
 
Supporting members at every stage of their career
We've now published ‘Your professional body – the value of your membership’ aligned to the member offer. It clearly shows how we influence for impact and promote the profession. It also showcases the services we offer to support practice excellence, keep members up to date, and as a career companion. All new members will receive a copy in the post. A simple summary of our member offer is also available.
 
Get involved in the 2019 Solicitor Brand Campaign - we need your help!We’ll be promoting the solicitor profession throughout 2019 to consumers, businesses and managers, raising its profile and endorsing the use of solicitors above other sources of legal advice. Our campaign will develop understanding of the vital role solicitors play and drive more people to the Law Society public pages (to help consumers understand their legal needs) and our Find a Solicitor website (which helps you attract new clients).
Over the last two years our campaign has featured real solicitors. We also want the 2019 campaign to feature contented clients who have positive things to say about their experience of using a solicitor.
We’ll also feature solicitors in some of the photography and in video case studies. The content we create will promote the solicitor profession overall, so won’t include individual solicitor details. However, we can create alternative versions for members who get involved so you can use them in your own marketing materials. Read on, or see Monday’s Gazette if you’re interested in being involved.
 
LGBT History Month - Speed networking
To mark the start of LGBT History Month, our LGBT+ Lawyers Division is hosting a speed networking event. As well as receiving tips on networking, there will be the opportunity to put these into practice in both formal and informal sessions.
 
Supporting practice excellence
2019 will be 100 years since the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act was passed, which finally paved the way for women to practise law – an important milestone in the slow progress towards the rights of women to fulfil their potential and gain ownership over their lives and futures. The March4Women in London, supported by the Law Society will mark this occasion next March and is seeking sponsors. Please do assist if you can.
 
Webinar: Blockchain for Lawyers
Blockchain is a form of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) that has been widely hailed as “game-changing” technology, with a World Economic Forum survey suggesting that 10% of global GDP will be stored on blockchain by 2027. Blockchains can present both a threat and an opportunity for lawyers and law firms. As the technologies become more widely used (or perhaps for these technologies to become more widely used by end clients) lawyers, legislators, regulators and courts will have to address the legal frameworks around them.  However, they also offer an ability to innovate the way in which legal services themselves are provided. This webinar will provide participants with the practical steps to overcome this uncertainty through clarification of the fundamental characteristics of distributed ledgers, including blockchain, and how a lawyer might go about using blockchain to provide legal services.
 
 
Some of our upcoming events are:
Compliance support forum for in-house lawyers, London
This forum provides an update on the in-house lawyer’s current compliance position with discussions about common conduct and practising conundrums and suggestions for an appropriate and proportionate response. It also includes a review of changes of significance which have been proposed in the SRA’s ‘Looking to the future’ consultation.
 
Private Client Section: Case law seminar - Constructive methods to successfully navigate the CoP and beyond
These regional seminars are designed to keep you on top of both the soft skills and the case law required to support your elderly and vulnerable clients from a practical care angle, while simultaneously supporting your SRA continuing competency needs and developing your career.
 
As always, please feel free to share this update with your members unless otherwise specified.
 
Kind regards,
 
Christina
 
Christina Blacklaws
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL
twitter: @lawsocpresident
www.lawsociety.org.uk
​

As the professional body for solicitors, every week the Law Society is working hard to influence the legal and regulatory environment on behalf of our profession and to promote solicitors at home and abroad. We support practice excellence, are an informed source of legal sector news and support members at every stage of their career.
 
Here are some highlights from our work last week.
 
Influencing on behalf of the profession and promoting the profession
The Law Society’s media profile this week:
 
The Law Society’s ‘no-deal’ Brexit papers giving advice on potential rule changes affecting business disputes, data and family law were covered in the Gazette, New Law Journal, Family Law Week & Australasian Lawyer.
 
Wills and equity committee chair Ian Bond was on BBC Moneybox talking about the government’s decision to introduce banded probate fees, despite intense opposition the last time they tried. You can listen here. The story begins at 10:34. There were also reports in the Times (£) plus more coverage of probate fee hikes in the Guardian.
 
Victims forced to sign gagging clauses could be given a voice as Parliament launches a new inquiry into the use of non-disclosure agreements following the scandal surrounding Sir Philip Green. Max Winthrop, chair of the Law Society’s Employment Law Committee, said: “The evidence that you give to a select committee is covered by Parliamentary privilege in the same way that the floor of the House of Commons is covered.” Report in the Telegraph (£). More coverage of the inquiry in the Gazette.
 
Urgent changes in the law are needed to provide certainty to workers and employees, the Law Society has said, following another ruling on ‘self-employed contractors’ involving taxi firm Addison Lee. I said: “The law has not kept pace with changes in how people are employed and the rapid growth of the gig economy.” Report in the Gazette plus more coverage in the Telegraph (£) & 130 regional newspapers including: Basildon Recorder, Westmorland Gazette, Essex County Standard, Wiltshire Gazette & Herald, Craven Herald, Dorset Echo, Campaign Series, Bromsgrove Advertiser, Evesham Journal, Dudley News, South Wales Argus, Northwich Guardian, This Is Wiltshire, Warrington Guardian, This Is Hampshire, The Northern Echo, Bolton News, Wiltshire Business online & Yeovil Express
 
The FT (£) did a major report on blockchain technology. The data stored on blockchain cannot be changed and some believe this could lead to fewer legal disputes. However, I warned there could still be litigation. “It may lead to fewer disputes or to different types of disputes – perhaps ones about expectations of a contract rather than the execution of a contract.”
 
Don’t forget you can read all Law Society press releases by clicking on this link. For live updates follow us on Twitter.
 
Consultation responses and parliamentary activity, influencing on behalf of the profession:
Solicitors’ Qualifying Exam
The SRA announced the implementation date for SQE has been delayed to September 2021 and released information indicating costs will be between £3,000 and £4,500.  At the Westminster Policy Forum, the SRA also discussed possible total training costs of £7,500-£10,500 – a projection based on QLTS costs and private providers, although other models will be available. 
 
Legal Ombudsman
We met with the Legal Ombudsman Service and a Danish delegation to discuss the representative body and regulatory systems for complaints management. 
 
SRA Handbook review
The Legal Services Board has granted the SRA’s Handbook application in full.  Our press release outlines our concerns about the decisions. See Media above for coverage.  We are working to create Practice Notes and other guidance for the profession in preparation for supporting members in complying with the new rules. 
 
AGFS
We held a follow up meeting with the Criminal Bar Association discussing future reform. 
 
Courts modernisation
HMCTS has confirmed it will provide a stakeholder engagement plan by November. 
 
Technology and Law Policy Commission Evidence Session - algorithms in the justice system
The Law Society’s Technology and Law Policy Commission held its second evidence session on Monday.
 
The commission, which I lead along with co-commissioners Sofia Olhede (UCL), Sylvie Delacroix (University of Birmingham) and guest commissioner William Blair, examined the use of algorithms in the justice system, the impacts on the rule of law, implications for data rights, and whether our human rights framework is fit for purpose. Witnesses included Marion Oswald, Adrian Weller, Lord Tim Clement-Jones and Karen Yeung. 
 
Probate fees
The Ministry of Justice announced a revised probate fee increase on 5th November.  The announcement was unexpected as the fee increase was not mentioned in the Budget the previous week. We will continue to engage with government over this change.
 
Law Commission consultation on the Suspicious Activity Reporting (SARs) regime
We responded to the Law Commission’s consultation asking how the UK’s SARs regime could be improved. Our response said that many of the proposals would only tinker around the edges of the problems with the regime. We recommended the introduction of a reasonable excuse defense for failure to report specific offences on a ‘de-scoped list’ of offences, supported by statutory guidance on reasonable excuses.
 
AML leaflets
We published leaflets on AML checks and responsibilities for firms to download.
 
Social Housing
We responded to a Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government consultation on making sure that social housing provides safe and secure homes.
 
Brexit
On Wednesday evening, the European Commission published the full draft legal text of the Withdrawal Agreement which had been approved by Cabinet on Wednesday night. A summary of the draft legal text for lawyers will be available shortly. The UK Government also published the political declaration on the future relationship between the UK and the EU.
 
Women in Leadership in Law
The first three men’s roundtables took place this week with senior male leaders from inhouse and private practice. There were 25 attendees and the events were hosted by Simon Davis and Stephen Denyer. Firms included: Prudential, Irwin Mitchell, Lewis Silkin, Debevoise, Freeths, Mayer Brown, Goodman Derrick, Cooley, Ashurst, Shearman & Sterling, Standard Chartered Bank, NatWest, Nestle, Charles Russell Speechlys, Dentons, Legal Aid Agency, Wikborg Rein, Gibson Dunn, Macfarlanes.
 
Write to the Lord Chancellor on the Early Advice Campaign
The government is currently preparing its response as part of its review of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 and we are actively pushing our online campaign tool which allows you to tell the lord chancellor why he needs to bring back legal aid for early advice. It only takes 2 minutes to join in: https://lawsociety.e-activist.com/page/26570/action/1
 
Speeches
On Thursday, I spoke on a panel at an International Bar Association event on building the law firm of the future.
 
Our influencing work internationally:
This week, I was delighted to open the fifth Russian Law Week conference in London. The conference was organised by the Law Society’s international team and the Bar Council to promote legal links, best practices and opportunities between legal practitioners from the UK and Russia. As part of the conference. Simon Davis participated in a panel discussion on ‘Law firms in Russia: Innovations, challenges and opportunities for Russian and international law firms’.
 
On Monday, EU Policy Adviser Rita Giannini chaired an ERA (Academy of European Law) event on: Post-Brexit Cooperation in Criminal Justice. On Tuesday, she also delivered the closing speech in the ERA conference on Criminal Justice, on the topic “Achieving a close and functional security deal between the EU and the UK – avoiding the ‘cliff-edge’ solution”.
 
On Wednesday and Thursday, Stephen Denyer and Helena Raulus met with partners at Bird & Bird, Freshfields, Norton Rose and Eversheds based in Brussels.
 
Helena Raulus also spoke at the EPC Brexit Forum on the implications of a no deal Brexit.
 
Supporting members at every stage of their career
This week I signed a new Memorandum of Understanding. The Law Society is working with the JAC D&I working group to deliver a positive action initiative to support more lawyers from under represented groups who have aspirations of becoming judges. The initiative, Pre application judicial education (PAJE) is due to launch early next year.  
 
We've now published ‘Your professional body – the value of your membership’ aligned to the member offer. It clearly shows how we influence for impact and promote the profession. It also showcases the services we offer to support practice excellence, keep members up to date, and as a career companion. All new members will receive a copy in the post. A simple summary of our member offer is also available.
 
Get involved in the 2019 Solicitor Brand Campaign - we need your help!We’ll be promoting the solicitor profession throughout 2019 to consumers, businesses and managers, raising its profile and endorsing the use of solicitors above other sources of legal advice. 
Our campaign will develop understanding of the vital role solicitors play and drive more people to the Law Society public pages (to help consumers understand their legal needs) and our Find a Solicitor website (which helps you attract new clients).
Over the last two years our campaign has featured real solicitors. We also want the 2019 campaign to feature contented clients who have positive things to say about their experience of using a solicitor.
 
We’ll also feature solicitors in some of the photography and in video case studies. The content we create will promote the solicitor profession overall, so won’t include individual solicitor details. However, we can create alternative versions for members who get involved so you can use them in your own marketing materials. Read on if you’re interested in being involved.
 
Some of our upcoming events are:
London Law Fair 2018: Promoting access to a diverse legal profession - Morning session, 28 November
The London Law Fair is the only national recruitment event specifically designed to encourage a more diverse range of entrants into the legal sector.
 
Judicial appointments: interview training for solicitors, 23 November
In view of increasing competition for judicial appointments, this course will equip delegates with the skills to help enhance your application and interview performance. This training course has been developed specifically for solicitor applicants.
Supporting practice excellence
 
2019 will be 100 years since the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act was passed, which finally paved the way for women to practise law – an important milestone in the slow progress towards the rights of women to fulfil their potential and gain ownership over their lives and futures.
 
The March4Women in London, supported by the Law Society will mark this occasion next March and is seeking sponsors. Please do assist if you can.
 
Competition Section seminar: update on recent pharmaceutical competition cases, 4 December
Insights into the latest on patent settlement agreements following the reference from the Tribunal to the Court of Justice in the paroxetine case (GSK and others); and the Tribunal's judgment on the CMA's first ever stand-alone unfair pricing decision in the pharmaceutical sector (Pfizer/ Flynn - phenytoin).

Advocacy and the Vulnerable Training, 6 December 2018
The Advocacy and the Vulnerable Training was developed in conjunction with the Bar to help solicitor advocates and barristers strike the balance between advancing their client’s case effectively in court whilst ensuring vulnerable witnesses are not subjected to undue stress. We anticipate that the Ministry of Justice will make this training compulsory for all publicly-funded advocates before they can act in serious sexual offences cases.  
As always, please feel free to share this update with your members unless otherwise specified.
 
Kind regards,
 
Christina
 
Christina Blacklaws
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL
twitter: @lawsocpresident
www.lawsociety.org.uk

As the professional body for solicitors, every week the Law Society is working hard to influence the legal and regulatory environment on behalf of our profession and to promote solicitors at home and abroad. We support practice excellence, are an informed source of legal sector news and support members at every stage of their career.
 
Here are some highlights from our work this week.
 
Influencing on behalf of the profession and promoting the profession
The Law Society’s media profile this week:
 
New rules which clearly limit the influence the Law Society can have on the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), and the Bar Council on the Bar Standards Board (BSB), have been published. Full report in Legal Futures
 
At Toynbee Hall Legal Advice Centre in Tower Hamlets, an experiment is taking place. It is the result of collaboration between a number of people from many corners of the legal profession and represents a prime example of how commercial law can play a part in access to justice beyond offering simple pro bono advice. And it’s the brainchild, at least partially, of the mental health and human rights lawyer and former Law Society president Lucy Scott-Moncrieff. Feature in The Lawyer (£).
 
The latest MoJ data shows that 297 cases reached crown courts in Devon and Cornwall, between April and June, down from 440 over the same period in 2014. Crown courts deal with the most serious crimes, such as murder, robbery and sexual offences. Magistrates’ courts can only hand out a maximum sentence of six months’ imprisonment, so crimes which require longer jail terms go to trial at crown court. Ian Kelcey, co-chair of the Law Society’s criminal law committee, said: "The problem is that police forces do not have the manpower to put together the information the CPS wants and I suspect a lot of cases have just not been pursued because it is too much trouble for them.” Report in the Crediton Courier
 
The Law Society is calling on its members to provide feedback for a consultation exercise that could make life easier for leaseholds. The Law Commission is seeking views on provisional proposals for a new, single enfranchisement regime designed to benefit leaseholders of both houses and flats. “The closing date for responses is January 7, 2019.” Full report in Yorkshire Post, p.4
 
The Legal Services Board approved SRA plans to liberalise the market, after 90 days of deliberation. In effect, solicitors can now offer paid-for legal services through any business, outside the remit of SRA regulation. I branded the LSB's decision 'a serious error' adding: “The regulators have sacrificed the best interests of the public they exist to protect. This ill-conceived scheme creates an overly complex marketplace for legal services, jeopardising the public interest and the rule of law under the guise of driving access to justice. Yet there is no evidence deregulation will achieve this. On the contrary, the most vulnerable are the most likely to fall foul of a less-shackled marketplace for legal services.” Coverage in the Gazette, Legal Futures & Times (£). Further reaction in Legal Futures, New Law Journal, Legal Business & Today’s Conveyancer.
 
The Law Society is recommending that all law firms, including those with fewer than 250 employees, should publish their gender pay gap statistics in the current reporting period. I said: “Law firms can get ahead of the curve by assessing and tackling the range of pay gaps that may exist in their organisation. Inequalities can be compounded by the intersection of protected characteristics like gender and ethnicity, so identifying these dynamics will help firms to create far more effective, sustainable equality action plans.” Reports in the Gazette, Legal Business, Legal Week & Legal Cheek.
 
The lack of diversity within senior law firm roles is contributing to fewer women applying to become a judge, the lord chancellor has warned. The government is also working with the Law Society, which will host a roundtable for senior partners and law firms ‘to explore what support is needed to encourage more solicitors to apply for judicial office’. He also paid tribute to the emphasis I’ve placed on this issue during my presidency saying: “Where [Christina Blacklaws] is making women in leadership in law a key theme of her tenure. That drive for change should inspire others to follow suit”. Coverage in the Gazette, Times (£) & Legal Futures.
 
Deputy vice president David Greene appeared on Ian King Live on Sky News on Wednesday to discuss the impact of Brexit on both the legal sector and people’s lives. A short part of his appearance is available here.
 
The proposed new ‘super-exam’ for aspiring solicitors will cost between £3,000 and £4,500, according to tentative predictions from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), as it finally revealed more details about the proposed overhaul to qualification. Adele Edwin-Lamerton, chair of the JLD, told the Gazette it has concerns about the exam’s affordability. Report in the Gazette. Meanwhile Legal Futures reports two academics have said the SQE will increase inequality in the profession.
 
Don’t forget you can read all Law Society press releases by clicking on this link. For live updates follow us on Twitter.
 
Consultation responses and parliamentary activity, influencing on behalf of the profession:
 
AGFS
We have met with the Ministry of Justice to discuss our response to the AGFS consultation. 
 
Justice
Justice Week launched on 29 October and ran until 2 November. This was a new initiative – a week of events organised by the Law Society, Bar Council & CILEX, to boost the profile of justice and the rule of law. More information on the week is available here. The week also included a photography exhibition in the main foyer at Chancery Lane – ‘Justice in Focus’ – highlighting the importance of access to the justice system for those with difficult legal issues and celebrates the tenacity and resilience of people in times of crisis and the lawyers and advisors who help them. More information and examples of some of the photos in the exhibition are available here. We hosted an ethics event during Justice Week consisting of a panel discussion on the ethical obligations of lawyers during major incidents. 
 
Government economic crime strategy
We participated in a high-level discussion between the private sector (accountancy, banking, estate agents, legal sector) and Home Office and  HM Treasury officials to discuss the launch of the National Economic Crime Centre and the development of the government’s economic crime strategy. The emphasis was on improved collaboration with the private sector.
 
Seminar on appeals to the Court of Appeal Criminal Division
We hosted a well-attended and well-received seminar for criminal law practitioners on new procedures for submitting appeals to the CACD.
 
Court professional access scheme
We had an update from HMCTS officials about the professional access pilot. As at the end of October, 787 lawyers were signed up to the pilot, the overwhelming majority of whom were barristers; there had been 2500 court ‘entries’ since 5 September, with 1600 of those at Southwark, because of a large-scale fraud trial there. The pilot is being extended to five other courts from November, but those courts will only accept electronic ID: no paper applications will be accepted.
 
Mental Capacity (Amendment) Bill
We participated in a roundtable to discuss the Bill at the Department of Health.
 
SARs roundtable
We participated in a roundtable to discuss the SARs regime hosted by Linklaters.
 
Parliamentary
On Monday I gave oral evidence to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Artificial Intelligence.  The session was chaired by Conservative MP Stephen Metcalfe and focused on the next practical steps for ensuring that the UK “remains one of the world’s leading AI proponents.”  I spoke about the ethical implications of AI, and gave an update on the Law Society’s work on technology more generally – including our Technology and Law Policy Commission and the LawTech Delivery Panel.
 
Lord Chancellor David Gauke gave his first speech on diversity in the legal profession at the Spark 21 conference. The lord chancellor specifically praised our ‘Women in Leadership in Law: Toolkit’ as an example of leadership on diversity issues and our work on women in leadership more generally (see Media above). He encouraged people within the profession to contact us for a copy. He also thanked us for our support on judicial diversity, including agreeing to chair and host a joint roundtable for senior partners and law firms to explore what support is needed to encourage more solicitors to apply for judicial office.
 
Campaigns
Our campaigns on early advice, the means test and criminal duty solicitors all received wide coverage in Parliament last week during a debate on legal aid. Conservative and Labour MPs called legal aid for early advice “essential” – including Justice Select Committee chair Bob Neill. The shadow justice minister Gloria de Piero backed our call for a review into the legal aid means test, and a number of MPs highlighted our criminal duty solicitors heat map and called for the government to take action. You can read the full debate here.
 
The government is preparing its response to feedback it received as part of its review of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO). We are encouraging people to write to the lord chancellor encouraging him to bring back legal aid for early advice. Please take two to minutes to write to him via our online portal.
 
Speeches
I took part in an in-conversation event at the Spark 21 Annual Conference on “levelling the playing field” on Wednesday.
 
Deputy vice president David Greene spoke at a University of Michigan event on securities regulation. He is also spoke at the Law Society’s commercial litigation conference.
 
Chair of the board Robert Bourns spoke at a Westminster Legal Policy Forum event on the impact of changes to the legal training structure.
 
Our influencing work internationally:
On Wednesday, the Society of European Affairs Professionals (SEAP) and the Brussels office organised a seminar on lobbying and ethics. The event addressed the question of the role of ethics and codes of conduct in the era of increased lobbying regulation. The event was opened by Helena Raulus, head of Brussels office and Wes Himes, SEAP President. Panellists included Vitor Teixeira, Transparency International; Mark Clough QC, Dentons; and Koen Roovers, European Ombudsman.
 
Yesterday, Helena spoke at the Coram Day Conference in London on potential implications of Brexit on Family Law and legal profession. Other speakers included: Withers Worldwide’s Suzanne Kingston; Mark Twomey QC; Kingsley Napley’s Kim Vowden; and Preiskel & Co’s David Allen Green.
 
Supporting members at every stage of their career
We've now published ‘Your professional body – the value of your membership’ aligned to the member offer. It clearly shows how we influence for impact and promote the profession. It also showcases the services we offer to support practice excellence, keep members up to date, and as a career companion. All new members will receive a copy in the post. A simple summary of our member offer is also available.
 
Regulation
We have published our Practice Note on Price and Service Transparency to support firms preparing for new SRA transparency rules. It is now available on our website
 
Justice
In a new podcast, former president Lucy Scott Moncrieff talks about the International Bar Association’s recently published guide to legal aid principles and how the UK is measuring up against them. You can listen to the podcast here. We have published a guide to what is in the scope of the legal aid to support pro bono clinics. The guide is available here. We have also launched our newly developed webpage which will keep members up to date on the HMCTS court reform programme including relevant events, information and guidance.
 
Some of our upcoming events are:
Careers: Preparing 2nd year trainee solicitors for qualification - Career planning tips for trainees approaching qualification, 22 November
This event will provide an opportunity for trainee solicitors, mulling their post-training contract options, to gain insight into the newly qualified (NQ) jobs markets from Husnara Begum, a career coach who specialises in offering guidance to final seat trainees who miss out on internal jobs. 
 
Judicial appointments: interview training for solicitors, 23 November
In view of increasing competition for judicial appointments, this course will equip delegates with the skills to help enhance your application and interview performance. This training course has been developed specifically for solicitor applicants.
2019 will be 100 years since the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act was passed, which paved the way for women to finally practice law – an important milestone in the slow progress towards the rights of women to fulfil their potential and gain ownership over their lives and futures.
 
The March4Women in London, supported by the Law Society will mark this occasion next March and is seeking sponsors. Please do assist if you can.
 
Supporting practice excellence
 
 
The Technology and Law Policy Commission evidence session, 12 November
Technology in the law is a major force of change. How technology is used in our justice system and its impacts on the Rule of Law and society is a question which is crucial to understand and explore. The Law Society of England and Wales, as part of its flagship programme, will be examining this issue through its Technology and Law Policy Commission and you are invited to participate.

Capital markets in the 21st century, 30 November
The 2018 edition of our popular capital markets event in conjunction with the American Bar Association will provide the latest updates and insight from leading authorities in the capital markets field. 
 
As always, please feel free to share this update with your constituents unless otherwise specified.
 
Kind regards,
 
Christina
 
Christina Blacklaws
President
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL
twitter: @lawsocpresident
www.lawsociety.org.uk