Moving into the presidential office is a strange experience, despite having two years to prepare, and the help of Rodger Pannone and many others.

My first impression is one of support.

I have heard from many solicitors, some old friends, some people I have never met.

All of them have expressed their good wishes and many offered their views on the state of the profession.

For the staff too, from the policy advisers to the porters and waiters, nothing seems to be too much trouble.The AGM is rather like the New Year.

A new year starts with fresh hopes.

Sadly some of these will fade.

Whatever we may want to believe, there are some things which are outside our control.

We may try to influence the government, but ultimately we have to accept that the government is elected by the people and has the power and authority to impose its will.

Sometimes leadership means helping the profession to face an unpalatable reality.

There is a time for expressing views, and doing so strongly.

The voice of the profession must be heard, and it is the duty of the Law Society to speak out.

But there is also a time for quiet negotiation, when even achievements cannot be acknowledged publicly.The profession is a mixture of small and large businesses, catering for a variety of work and clients.

All these different interests are reflected in the Council.

That is why the Council must be the principal decision-making body.

When I first joined the Council I assumed it would be dominated by large firms.

That was not so and is not so today.

In its policy-making role the Council is helped by the views of the standing committees.

These committees, and the specialist committees, have Council members and other solicitors serving on them.

Decisions may not always be popular, but they are always informed by the views of the profession.Leadership means looking forward.

It sometimes leads by decisions which are considered unpopular at the time, but are later accepted as right.

Leadership involves listening as well as speaking.

We need more opportunities to hear the voice of the profession.

There are formal consultations on major policy issues and some local law societies always respond.

Others do not and the responses from individual solicitors are few in number.

The purpose is not to take a vote, but to gauge the profession's reaction, and to seek help.Sometimes it is right to go ahead even if the weight of opinion is against proceeding.

The President's postbag is another means of learning about current problems.

Another means of getting your voice heard is through Council members.

Most of them are regularly in touch with local law societies, but they do need to hear direct from you, particularly if you are not active in your local society.During the next year I am proposing to start a series of local visits.

These have been done in the past, but will be arranged on a more organised basis.

It will not be possible to cover the entire country in one year, but this programme will be continued by my successors.

Do come if you can, they will be on a 'question time' fo rmat so that views can be expressed and answers given.

I am hoping that on most occasions a member of the Management Board will be with me and the local Council member.At the Council meeting in October we shall be considering our strategy and programme of work for the ensuing year.

The Council will be helped by the work already done by the strategy committee.

This has included a review of our communications, which has led to the decisions referred to earlier.

Another item of work for the next year is to improve our relations with Parliament.

This is important when we want to make representations, for example about legal aid.

B ut I am concerned about the quality of legislation.

In our daily work we see the problems caused by unclear legislation and I believe we can help to improve it.

We also see the effect of ill thought-out legislation.The Child Support Act has been universally condemned, yet the principle that parents should support their children is one to which everyone subscribes.

If only Parliament had listened to our representations when the Bill was before them.

We are not a party political organisation, but we can claim to represent the public interest as well as that of our members.

We also know something about drafting.We must also persuade Parliament to reconsider the procedure for handling Bills.

Non-political Bills fare badly.

Virtually none of the Law Commission's Bills, although accepted in principle, has become law in the last session.The Solicitors Bill is awaiting parliamentary time.

If these non-controversial Bills, which will simplify the law, are squeezed out year after year by more political Bills, Parliament will bring itself into disrepute.

Is it acceptable that real improvements in our law are being frustrated? Is it not possible to refer these Bills to a committee rather than the full House? Is the combined brain power of parliamentarians and civil servants unable to resolve this?May I invite you to the solicitors' annual conference on 7 to 8 October in London? It is a new-style conference with an exciting programme.

Apart from the opportunity to learn more about your area of practice, you will be able to meet your Council member and make your views known!