I know that many Law Society members are having a difficult time right now, and it certainly is not the first time in my career that the death of the high street has been predicted. It is also true that current practising and economic conditions are exceptionally testing for many members, but I have met too many resilient, adaptable and committed solicitors during the past two years to think all is lost.

There are three times as many solicitors in practice than when I qualified, and the current range of work and ways of practising would have been unthinkable then. I have complete faith in the profession’s ability to meet the challenges of these difficult times through the hard work and ingenuity for which it is known.

Undoubtedly though, we could all do with a helping hand, which is why I am encouraging members to share the innovative ways they have found to do business and provide legal services to the public. ‘Good Ideas for Hard Times’ is an ongoing and profession-wide debate aiming to help identify new ways in which solicitors across England and Wales can attract new business, access new funding sources and cut overheads. I hope that any solicitor with a good idea, or examples of successful practice, will feel they can share their ideas with others in the profession and also find practical solutions to consider for their own circumstances.

You can join me via the GazetteLinkedIn group, where many members have taken up the challenge and the debate is robust. I am especially keen to hear from members working in-house, or in commercial firms, because I am convinced that many of their efficiencies could be adapted, or adopted, by the rest of us.

Shared values

Another constant theme in my meetings with solicitors around the country is the profession’s commitment to access to justice. That commitment was evident at the recent Law Society’s conference: Mitigating LASPO - the role of the Society and the profession, where we heard from practitioners of large and small firms about the ingenious ways in which they were providing advice, delivering legal services and helping dispute resolution and litigation.

Alistair Douglas, chairman of the City of London Law Society, spoke about the work City firms do to provide legal services pro bono. I am a trustee of LawWorks and know how much it does. I also know that its commitment to pro bono is accompanied by a real appreciation of the pro bono work done by those in the profession who do not have its resources. I would like to take this opportunity to applaud all of you who do pro bono, which is one of the many reasons that the profession is held in such high esteem.

Relevance

The Law Society is very conscious of the diverse practices of our members, and therefore the diversity of the needs we should be trying to meet. This responsibility was something I raised when I had my first meeting with a large City firm last week. Firms of all sizes are entitled to get good value from their Law Society membership, and that includes our largest firms, where our usefulness may be less obvious than to smaller firms. However, just because we do not shout about what we are up to, it does not mean it is not happening - we work very hard to ensure that we use our high-level and high-quality access to powerful decision-makers around the world to advance the profile of our members and our jurisdiction, to open new markets for our members and to represent solicitors who work overseas, such as the 1,350 members currently working in the US.

Bar associations

This week I am travelling to Chicago for the American Bar Association’s (ABA) annual meeting which will bring together international bar leaders to discuss global issues facing the profession. I will also have one-to-one meetings with the presidents of the bar associations of France, Germany, Japan, Mexico and Australia. A meeting with the Law Society is a hot ticket at the moment and I am keen to capitalise on this international interest. Naturally, people want to hear about the emerging alternative business structure models of law firms, but colleagues are also keen to understand our experiences across a broader range of areas, including court funding, supporting younger or newly qualified members of the profession and the role of bar associations in post-conflict resolution - all of which are challenging bar associations around the world.

Like me, the incoming president of the ABA Laurel Bellows is interested in, and committed to, increasing diversity in the profession. She spoke brilliantly at a Chancery Lane conference last year about addressing barriers to career progression for women and I look forward to hearing her speak again. I will also record a webinar with the Chicago Bar Association on developments in England and Wales, and on the diversity of work within the Society, reflecting the diversity of work among the profession. Continuing my drive to find and share new ways to help the profession deliver legal services to the public, I plan to meet a leading public law organisation that provides pro bono legal services in Chicago. I shall report back on any interesting or relevant ideas.

I will then head to Vancouver for the Canadian Bar Association’s (CBA) annual conference, where I will once again participate in a special programme for international bar leaders. The specific value of the CBA is the work it does supporting the rule of law across the Commonwealth. I am positive that there is much more good work that could be done between our two organisations to promote that valuable cause.

It has been a busy and productive start to my presidential year and I have no doubt that the year ahead will be challenging, but I have been greatly cheered by the support I have received from solicitors and their enthusiasm for new ideas. I look forward to working with you all to do everything we can collectively to ensure this profession thrives, and guarantee the future provision of legal services in England and Wales.

Lucy Scott-Moncrieff is president of the Law Society

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