I was very interested to read the letter ‘No logo’ from Dermot Burke in last week’s Gazette (see [2008] Gazette, 5 June, 11). I agree that it is time for there to be a solicitors logo.
I run an online service for residential landlords and tenants. There are a number of other online services aimed at the private rented sector. It would be enormously helpful for me to be able to differentiate my site from the non-solicitor sites by the use of a recognised solicitors logo. I agree with Mr Burke that the current Law Society logo would be a good choice as it is already well known.
Although I say on my home page that I am a solicitor, apparently many web-site visitors make their minds up about a site within a few seconds. They are much more likely to see and recognise a solicitors logo – which would imply that the site is one to be trusted – within those few seconds, than find and read the text.
The logo could perhaps link as standard to a page on the Law Society website which outlines the advantages of using a solicitor (professional indemnity insurance, continuing professional development and so on).
It would not cost the Law Society very much to provide this service. But the benefit to those of us who run an online service would be immeasurable.
Tessa Shepperson, TJ Shepperson/Landlord-Law, Norwich
Dermot Burke makes the good suggestion that solicitors be permitted to use the Law Society logo on their marketing material to distinguish us from non-solicitors, given that our letterheads now have to say ‘regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority’. Another suggestion for solicitors wanting the Law Society association might be to add, after the reference to the SRA on notepaper, ‘the independent regulatory body of the Law Society’. In addition, one presumes that notepaper of sole practitioner solicitors might also say, as in my case, ‘Susan Singleton is a member of the Law Society of England and Wales’.
Susan Singleton, Singletons, Pinner, Middlesex
- Law Society chief executive Des Hudson replies: ‘We have begun exploring ways to provide solicitors with a means of indicating their status as members of the Law Society. This is indeed a benefit that other professional bodies provide to their members and there is no reason for us not to run a similar scheme. We will be testing our proposals on solicitors and the public before we launch the scheme.’
He adds: ‘The [new] advertising campaign was funded from the Society's commercial income and we will be reporting back to the profession on evaluation of it later this year.’
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