Non-constituency seats on council

Under charter and by-law amendments recently agreed, the Law Society Council consists of 61 constituency members, 39 non-constituency members and five lay members.

All council members serve a four-year term of office.

Twenty-five of the non-constituency seats were created as part of the recent governance reforms, and a number of these are to be filled shortly by ballots of the solicitors in the group, association or section represented by each seat.The remaining 14 non-constituency seats, which have existed for several years, will continue to fall vacant on a rotation scheme, whereby one-quarter of the seats need to be filled each year.

Two vacancies, for seats designated to local government and young solicitors, will be filled by ballots at the same time as the ballots for new seats.

The other two vacancies arising this year, for seats designated to criminal defence and education and training, will be filled by the council, following a transparent recruitment process and interview by an independent panel.Applications are invited from those interested in filling either the criminal defence or the education and training seats.

Applicants should be members of the Law Society.

Applicants for the criminal defence seat should be specialist criminal law practitioners with a detailed knowledge of topical issues in this area of practice.

Applicants for the education and training seat should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the issues which arise on all aspects of the education and training of solicitors and the interests of solicitors engaged in education and training work.

The successful candidates would be expected to play an active part in all the work of the council, and would be able to serve on committees and working parties.Additional information and application forms are available from Elizabeth Kwok, Corporate Administration, tel: 020 7320 5736, fax: 020 7320 5759.

Applications should be sent to Ann Weede, Corporate Administration, The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL, LDE 56, not later than 13 July 2001.It is expected that short-listed candidates would be invited for interview during the week beginning 16 July 2001.