In my very first Podium last August, I wrote of the challenges facing the profession in what I anticipated would be one of the busiest years in the Law Society’s history. In my final article as president, I can state with confidence that the Society has met and dealt with many of these issues. The path remains a tricky one to navigate and Linda Lee has my every best wish for her success as she leads the Society onwards.

I nominated three key themes for my presidential year, the first of which was the promotion of the rule of law. The Society has lobbied extensively for positive action to champion civil liberties and the rights of the individual. Before the general election, the Society produced its own comprehensive policy manifesto, Delivering Justice, which, among other things, set out the measures needed to protect the rights of the individual.

Just two months after the election, it is of note that much of the action we called for has found a response in the coalition agreement on government policy. We were particularly glad that the government is to bring forward plans for a Freedom Bill to introduce greater safeguards within the DNA database and against the misuse of anti-terrorism legislation, defend trial by jury, further regulate CCTV and create a mechanism to prevent the further proliferation of unnecessary criminal offences.

The Law Society has a proud record on human rights, and the need for local focus has never been more necessary. The Society is the leading supporter for the development of a pro bono privacy rights centre to uphold the rule of law and the rights of the individual against injustices caused by the use of oppressive surveillance technologies in the UK and abroad. Add to this the Society’s recent stunningly successful action overturning the former government’s decision to restrict the recovery of costs by successful defendants in criminal cases and it is clear that the Law Society has bite.

We should not be modest about the scale of these achievements. The Society has been lobbying consistently on these points for a long time and we will remain central to the debate about the importance of the rule of law.

The rule of law must surely become little more than of academic interest without regard to the second main theme of my presidential year – access to justice. The abandonment late last year of best value tendering in criminal legal aid contracts occurred as a direct result of concerted efforts by the Law Society. The government is to review the provision of legal assistance and representation at public cost. That is welcome and our commitment to access to justice requires us to help as best we can in exploring new options for legal aid provision. The Law Society has a huge range of expertise in this area which we will make available to the review.

The third key theme was that of promoting the significance and importance of the commercial expertise of our profession, nationally and across the globe. The profession in this country makes a significant contribution to GNP, reckoned to be worth £2bn. Across England and Wales, solicitors are part of the commercial fabric of society. Across the globe, the entrepreneurial activity of our firms should be a source of pride. The bedrock for this success, achieved in the midst of growing competition, is that of global recognition of an independent judiciary and legal profession.

In addition to these themes, the future regulation of the profession has been a fundamentally important issue on which great progress has been made over the past year. In commissioning the Smedley and Hunt reviews, the Society played a pivotal role in ensuring that the regulator knows and understands the views and interests of the regulated community so that these can be properly taken into account in determining regulatory policy.

The relationship between the Society and the Solicitors Regulation Authority is now one of increasing collaboration in the public and the professional interest. A new dynamic will come into play with the introduction of outcomes-focused regulation, requiring a huge change in the culture of both the SRA and the profession. Regulatory assistance, rather than ambush, is the key for success on the part of the SRA in this regard.

A fortnight ago the Society and the SRA formally signed a regulatory independence certificate, covering such matters as budget approval, provision of support services and oversight of SRA operations. This marks a watershed in the relationship between the Society and the SRA and bodes well for the future.

The aspect of the Legal Services Act that causes most anxiety across the profession remains the development of alternative business structures. The provision of legal services is not the same as selling cans of baked beans, as one former minister put it. Satisfaction levels with solicitors exceed 90%, which is a figure for any profession to be proud of, especially when, in general terms, the consumption of legal services represents what many would call a distress purchase. When entering a solicitor’s office, consumers become clients because of the relationship they develop with their trusted adviser. That relationship is the unique selling point which members of the Society carry with them day by day.

The Society is in favour of choice, and new structures through which legal services are offered bring new challenges and opportunities. Our profession is nothing but resourceful and the time to prepare for competition is now. It makes good business sense to seek continual improvement in utilising the most cost-efficient routes to meet need. Whatever the shape new legal businesses take, the key factor is that the regulatory playing field must be level and the achievement of this goal should not be rushed. Above all, the access to justice caveat in the act on the provision of ABS licences should be rigorously applied.

Our profession is a broad church. Its diversity and complexity of interest is immense. The Law Society is well placed, both as approved regulator and representative body, to meet the needs of its members. In that I would pay open tribute to its staff, lead by the redoubtable Desmond Hudson as chief executive. It has been a wonderful and rewarding experience to be president. These are difficult times and my very best wishes extend to every member of our great profession – a description we should never allow others to diminish.

Robert Heslett is president of the Law Society