Voicing local interest

Local Law Societies play a vital role in the profession - yet they are underused.

Carolyn Kirby calls on solicitors to make use of these local heroes

Local law societies are underused, undervalued and unappreciated by a large proportion of our profession.

I think it is time for that to change.

We are all aware of the immense challenges facing our profession today and in the immediate future.

Wherever you practice and whatever your specialism, one thing that you share with all other members of your profession is that there is a source of support, training and advice, with relevant local knowledge, on your doorstep - your local law society.

Specialist interest groups have great importance and influence within the Law Society and many of you may already be involved with those.

However, your local society is effectively a specialist interest group, with many different areas of practice overlapping on issues of local relevance.

I urge you to consider the possibilities, options and opportunities that may be open to you through increasing your involvement with your local society.

My personal experience, more than 20 years of active participation in local society events, convinces me of the benefits to be gained.

The Law Society has a strong representational role.

It is the less prominent of the Society's roles of regulation and representation, but we never forget that we are a membership organisation.

The views and interests of our members matter greatly.

By the time the Society was formed in 1825, although there were many eminent solicitors, there were also 'pettifoggers and vipers' who disgraced the profession and were vilified in the press.

The founders of the Society wanted to enhance the status and reputation of the profession and to create the first truly national body.

I believe that aim still holds true today.

I have no time for those who would suggest that such a diverse profession as ours cannot be truly represented by one body.

We are one profession.

No matter where, how, or even why, we practise, we all work to protect and promote the same core values and ethical standards.

There is more that unites us than divides us.

Interestingly, some of the local law societies pre-date the founding of the Law Society of England and Wales.

In most cases local societies were founded for the same purpose - to be a support network for those who want to practise reputably and in the best interests of the community they serve.

One of my aims during my year as president is to improve communication between the Society and the profession that we represent.

However, this cannot be achieved in isolation.

As an organisation, the Society wants to listen to its members, but it is difficult to hear those who will not raise their voices.

Your local society is an invaluable conduit through which you can make your views and opinions known.

These organisations are not 'branches' of the Law Society - they are autonomous and there is no reason why they should not be truly representative of their members.

Local societies already undertake a great deal of valuable work that often goes unrecognised or unnoticed in their local legal communities.

Networking opportunities and support mechanisms can arise from regular meetings and social events, but the contribution of local societies does not end there.

Local society responses to consultations addressing professional issues, for example, are an invaluable source of information from solicitors at the sharp end of legal service provision.

The recent Lord Chancellor's Department consultation, In the Public Interest?, is a prime example.

The Society values the input of local societies through their provision of local views and experience.

The most vibrant and lively of the local societies are those comprising the greatest variety of members.

I do not simply mean in terms of areas of practice, but also in terms of gender, age, background and experience.

Many of you who have not yet participated in your local society may have avoided doing so for any number of reasons.

Perhaps you simply take the view that you cannot spare the time.

But can you really afford not to make time to ensure that your interests are being adequately and accurately represented? Or, perhaps you think that existing members will be stuffy, and uninterested in what you may have to say.

Only by attending a meeting in person will you be able to judge for yourself and, if necessary, make a difference.

Although I urge all solicitors to become more actively involved in their local societies, I would like to emphasise to trainee, young and newly qualified solicitors, the value of their contributions at a local level.

Every organisation benefits from the influx of new ideas, fresh opinions and different perspectives; local societies are no different.

The challenges currently facing our profession are numerous and varied, but so too is the membership of the Society.

Working as one profession, sharing our expertise and ideas, is crucial to our strength as a group.

Please help your local society to ensure that your voice is heard.

Carolyn Kirby is the Law Society president