I am immensely proud of the profession to which I belong.

It is a profession which has developed skills and abilities which are unsurpassed throughout the world.

Our colleagues in the major law firms are established world-wide, and it is not just the major firms which have achieved this: a number of smaller firms have pioneered and developed niche practices across the globe.

More than half of some major firms' fee income is generated from international work.Our profession is a major contributor to the invisible exports of this country.

It is therefore essential that it has every possible support in building upon what has already been achieved, and also in raising awareness of the international dimension to ensure practice development.The international committee aims to secure opportunities for the profession.

The international dimension of solicitors' practices is of growing importance and those who ignore this do so at their peril.

Legislation from the European Parliament and decisions from the European courts increasingly have their impact upon our practices, whether or not we or our clients venture out of our jurisdiction.The Law Society's office in Brussels has already proved to be of value not only in giving us early warning of likely developments within the EU but also in lobbying on behalf of our profession during the passage of proposed legislation.It is not just our profession which has faced change in recent times; the entire world has been affected.

Political change in eastern Europe, economic change in China and developments in the Far East have provided opportunities for our profession.

This is where the international committee aims to be of practical assistance, by identifying those opportunities and helping the profession to pursue them.The committee's aim is not only to ensure that the major firms have the utmost help in maintaining their leading role in the world at large, but also that smaller firms also have the help they need.A practice's international dimension is not limited to the activities of multinational companies.

Commercial ventures of all shapes and sizes will have more and more involvement outside our own jurisdiction.

As our clients travel further so their involvement with legal processes abroad will increase.

Solicitors in every field of practice will be affected.Those firms which cannot meet the needs of their existing clients in coping with the consequences of their activities abroad will surely see that client base erode.

In order to meet clients' needs, many solicitors have set themselves up in other jurisdictions to provide advice on English law and also to seek qualifications in their host country.This is another area where the committee has actively been involved, promotin g the interests of individual practitioners in different jurisdictions throughout the world.

At this very moment this whole issue is being keenly debated within the EU.The committee's responsibilities are not limited to this very important area of practice development.

There is another equally -- and perhaps more important -- role that the committee has: to ensure that the rule of law is established and upheld wherever our clients trade and travel.For this reason the committee has promoted a number of initiatives, particularly in eastern Europe and China, in training lawyers, the judiciary and students, supporting universities and advising governments.

Its human rights working party is concerned with the work of lawyers world-wide and strives to ensure that colleagues in other jurisdictions can practise free from intimidation and persecution.Democratic society can only survive if it is based upon the rule of law and commerce can only flourish within such a society.The international committee has an ambitious programme and has set itself an arduous task on many fronts.

It is essential to the profession that the committee succeeds in meeting its objectives.There are times of change, but also times of opportunity.

With skilled and dedicated staff and with the considerable expertise of its members, the committee will do its utmost to meet those aims to secure the future for the profession, from the major firms to the sole practitioner, from the private practitioner to the in-house lawyer -- indeed, for each and every solicitor.