The government has generated a quantity of law reform proposals, and with a second term most likely in the offing there is no reason to suppose the trend will diminish.That raises the question of how to guarantee the quality of the ultimate legislation, in particular how to ensure that it protects the individual adequately and -- bearing in mind the government's avowed interest in promoting UK plc -- how it supports the economy.

In achieving this, no government can afford to ignore the input of those who will use the legislation in daily practice -- the lawyers.As the representative body of the majority of those lawyers, the Law Society is ideally positioned to be an authoritative voice on law reform and as part of its reform agenda it is giving new emphasis to this role.

This summer, a law reform board will be established to oversee the Society's programme of law reform and to be the Society's voice on all issues relating to the laws of this country.The Society has a history of shaping legislative proposals, and over the years has scored some notable successes in getting flawed Bills amended.

The Society is able to achieve this through its network of specialist committees, stocked with experts in a wide range of fields of law.The quality of law reform submissions produced by these committees is highly rated -- not least by government departments.

For example, the company law committee has been involved from the start in helping the Department of Trade and Industry in its work completely to overhaul company legislation.

The revenue law committe e is acknowledged by the Treasury and the Inland Revenue to be a key player in shaping the annual Finance Bill.The committees' work is not confined to passive responses to government-inspired legislation.

It has also highlighted gaps in existing law or suggested the need for new laws when necessary.

A recent example of such activity came in the form of a highly praised submission on cohabitation rights by the family law committee.

Similarly, the mental health and disability committee has long campaigned for new legislation on mental incapacity.Meanwhile, the e-commerce working party is looking closely at all the legal issues of security, identity and title, presented by electronic business.However, the best law reform submissions need to be vigorously backed by lobbying and media handling skills if they are to hit the mark more often than not.

Catching the eye of government with law reform proposals is a major challenge; to secure time in a packed parliamentary timetable, ministers must not only be convinced of the worth of a legislative proposal, but they must also be convinced that it will not wait until later.With a new government and a heavy legislative programme on the horizon, the Law Society is redoubling its efforts to meet this task.

Through its parliamentary unit, press office and various channels of communication, including the Gazette and the Society's Web site, the Society has a strategy to ensure that the work of its committees is brought to the attention of the policy makers and legislators on a continual basis.The Society will also continue its policy of forming partnerships on law reform -- with the Law Commission, professional bodies and other relevant groups -- in the interests of enhancing the quality of submissions and raising the Society's lobbying clout when the time comes to bang on Whitehall's doors and the portals of Brussels.