Solicitors need support during 'ongoing turbulence in legal services'

SBA The Solicitors' Charity has appointed a new chairman as it tries to raise awareness of its services during a turbulent period for the legal services market.

Christl Hughes, a former high street solicitor who specialised in contentious business work, has taken over the role from previous chair, Michael Gillman, who was the first chairman to hold the post for three years.

Hughes' elevation makes her the sixth woman in the SBA's 160-year history to take the chair. She now leads a board of trustees which includes six women, all recruited in the last two years.

In addition to her work at the charity, Hughes is a committee member for the Association of Women Solicitors and a trustee of the Gender Identity Research and Education Society, which offers support to transgender individuals.

Hughes will now oversee the SBA's core objective to relieve the financial hardship of former and current solicitors and their families.

In 2014, the SBA granted over £1m in outright grants and interest-free loans.

However, despite being one of the best known legal charities, the general awareness of what the SBA can do to help those solicitors in need, especially among younger members of the profession, is still relatively low.

'Many lawyers have known about the charity since the day they were admitted,' said Hughes. 'But for others, news that the profession has its own benevolent fund, run by and for solicitors and their families, is a real surprise. SBA has made great profession in the last few years of modernising its governance and services. Our attention for the next period now needs to turn to generating better awareness.'

Hughes added that, at a time of ongoing turbulence in legal services, it was critical for the profession's own charity to reach out to the people most in need of help.

'SBA wants to do all it can to ensure that no solicitor is unsupported in times of need or crisis,' said Hughes.