The Law Society's international issues working party oversees the work of the international unit.

It has a remit in five areas:Opening of overseas markets for solicitorsThe invisible earnings of English law firms have increased dramatically over recent years, and City firms are opening offices in many new jurisdictions.

The working party oversees a variety of activities which take place to promote solicitors' practice rights, such as visits abroad to lobby governments, co mments on new foreign laws regulating lawyers in other jurisdictions, and liaison with the various country working parties which exist to bring together solicitors interested in opening up markets in particular jurisdictions.The most important overall issue with which the working party is dealing at present in this area is the current round of global multi-lateral trade talks, GATS 2000.

The round is picking up speed, and a number of countries, such as the US and Australia, have submitted their opening negotiating stances.

These talks are of great potential value to solicitor exporters, and the Law Society has been lobbying institutions and promoting solicitors' interests to international legal organisations.Promotion of international human rightsThis work is undertaken by the international human rights committee (IHRC), which reports to the international issues working party.Undertaking of international legal co-operation projectsThe Law Society receives generous funding from the European Commission, the Lord Chancellor's Department (LCD) and elsewhere to undertake legal co-operation projects in foreign countries.At present, the three main projects being undertaken are:-- Arab world - the sum of 2.1 million has been granted over four years by the commission for training lawyers in human rights and international trade in eight countries of the Middle East (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine Authority and Syria);-- Nigeria - the sum of 400,000 has been granted over two years by the commission for training lawyers in human rights, and for the resourcing of our partner organisation and the Nigerian Bar Association, in Nigeria;-- China - we are expecting £300,000 per year for ten years from the LCD for training 15 Chinese lawyers a year in England and Wales and Hong Kong.Oversight of the work of the Brussels officeThe Law Society has run an office in Brussels for 10 years, latterly in conjunction with the law societies of Scotland and of Northern Ireland.The office lobbies on current EU directives (such as, at present, the Money Laundering Directive), obtains funding for the Law Society from the European Commission, monitors developments in EU law, opens doors for Law Society committees and officials that need access to the European institutions, and liaises with the 40 or so firms of solicitors operating in Brussels.Representing the Law Society abroadThere is a number of international legal organisations on which the Law Society is represented.

For instance, there is the International Bar Association (on which I am a representative) and its largely francophone sister organisation, the Union Internationale des Avocats (on which Lucy Winskell represents the Society).Most important of all, there is the Council of Bars and Law Societies of the EU, on which I also represent the Law Society.There are other organisations, too, with which the Law Society needs to maintain contact: the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, the leading bars in the EU such as in Paris or Brussels, and the international notarial organisations.Often, these organisations discuss topics of great interest to the solicitors' profession, such as at multi-disciplinary partnerships or the current GATS round.INTERNATIONAL ISSUES WORKING PARTY FACT FILECHAIRMANRobin Healey is a consultant with Ince & Co in the City.

He has been Chairman of the working party since 1999.

He is the Law Society Council member for international practice, and has long experience of international work, having practised in Hong Kong for a number of years.COMMITTEE MEMBERSMichael Franks -- Law Society Council member, William Sturges & Co, LondonDavid Keating -- Law Society Council memberMichael Mathews -- former Law Society President, council memberDavid Morgan -- Wright Son & Pepper, LondonBill Shelford -- Cameron McKenna, LondonAndrew Symms -- DLA, LeedsLucy Winskell -- Chairman of the international human rights committee, Eversheds, NewcastleDavid Wyld -- Chairman of City of London Law Society, Macfarlanes, London-- For more information about the work of the working party, contact Jonathan Goldsmith, Director, International, The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL.

Tel: 020 7320 5803, e-mail: jonathan.goldsmith@lawsociety.org.uk-- The Law Society's international unit produces a quarterly publication, called International Highlights, which is distributed free to interested members of the profession and others who monitor the developments of international legal practice.

To be included on the circulation list, please contact Angela O'Grady at: angela.o'grady@lawsociety.org.uk.