Dwelling on the past

This week, the Law Society launched its 2020 ‘discussion’ on how it will support, promote and represent solicitors for the next few years and I, for one, welcome it.

I am pleased that the society’s chief executive, Catherine Dixon, has already been listening to the profession since she came into office earlier this year. The Law Society is setting out to resolve the question that many members have been scratching their collective heads over in recent years: what does the Law Society do, exactly? 

The consultation – sorry, discussion – will inform the solicitors’ representative body about what we want from it. Having looked over its questions, it is perhaps more than a little worrying that it hasn’t had a check-up for some time and is suffering from signs of myopia. I would have hoped that the questions it now asks the profession to answer, on its behalf, would have already been thought about some time ago.

What will the future looks like for the legal sector? What should regulation look like? And what should the Law Society’s role be in legal education and professional standards? 

Putting my misgivings momentarily to one side, I am pleased that my thoughts from last week have not gone unnoticed, with one of the consultation points concerning ‘the title of solicitor and its value to the profession, business and the public’. 

Protecting the brand of solicitor is surely one of the society’s key objectives. As competition continues to challenge the role of solicitors across every level of the legal landscape, the task is not a small one. But without a strong brand to start with, and one that aspiring lawyers as well as established ones continue to want to be associated with, there is a real risk that it is not only the public that is confused about the role, responsibilities, and requirements of a solicitor, but also those working in the legal sector.

I would implore all members of the profession to take this opportunity and engage with the Law Society in a positive way to shape its vision for the future. I am sure we all have worries and concerns about how it has responded to the myriad concerns of the profession, especially over the past 12 months, but it also needs to be reassured about what it is doing right, and where it should be heading in the future.

Much like the forthcoming general election, this is an opportunity to look forward and, unlike Jeremy Paxman’s most recent TV grilling of Ed Miliband, not dwell on the past. We are told that there will be ample opportunity to participate at special events and on social media. And much like the election, if you don’t speak up now, you shouldn’t complain that your voice hasn’t been heard.

So, maybe it’s time to have the cataracts removed and for the Law Society to invest in some varifocals, preferably rose-tinted, but also fit for purpose. It might be painful at first, but sometimes it is the suffering that makes us stronger, together.

Kevin Poulter, editor at large #SJPOULTER | editorial@solicitorsjournal.co.uk