Supporting the practice of law

Specialist support

Our sections are membership networks that provide tailored products and services to solicitors working in competition law, civil justice, probate, property and law management. Specific services vary but most of the sections provide training, conferences, information services, publications and networking as well as providing a discussion forum and campaigning for the sector.

During the year the Dispute Resolution Section became the Civil Justice Section. The Civil Justice Section has a more integrated approach and greater contribution from the Society's Civil Justice Committee. It started the year with a conference on the Jackson costs review, addressed by Lord Justice Jackson.

New Risk and Compliance Service

In 2009 we piloted a client care and complaints consultancy service to deliver improvements in client care and reduce complaints. Feedback from firms was so positive that the project became the blueprint for a Risk and Compliance Service that was launched at the end of May 2010. The Service provides tools, support, training and information to help solicitors successfully address and respond to changes in regulatory, financial and client expectations.

Practice management and marketing support

Law firm management support and toolkits

Our Law Management Section provides expert support on all aspects of law firm management and our toolkits are an indispensable aid for practices on mergers, risk, HR, internet policies and legal aid. Membership benefits include Managing for Success - the leading law firm management magazine, bimonthly business advice alerts, a range of one day conferences on every key management discipline and regional seminars and managing partner network events.

The Lexcel practice management standard

With over 850 accredited firms, Lexcel continues to grow in recognition and status as the only specific legal practice quality mark. Benefits include better client service, more effective risk management and operational efficiencies. Lexcel can also help firms to demonstrate best practice in order to gain lower insurance premiums.

The standard was updated in 2010 so it can be applied on an international level, to cater for the needs of firms, practices and legal departments operating both within and outside the UK. Recognising the importance of Lexcel and the opportunities for growth, an intensive marketing campaign will be launched during summer 2010 to increase awareness, interest and new registrations.

Accreditation schemes

Accreditation schemes boost public awareness of the need to choose legal representatives carefully. We have developed a brand for each scheme which members can use on their stationery and promotional material. Only scheme members may use the brands. Some 18,000 solicitors benefit from belonging to one of the following schemes: Children Law, Family Law, Family Law Advanced, Family Mediation, Criminal Litigation, Clinical Negligence, Immigration Law, Civil & Commercial Mediation, Planning Law, Personal Injury, Mental Health Review Tribunal.

Lawyers For Your Business

Lawyers For Your Business helps solicitors to find long-term small business clients by promoting the value of legal advice to anyone in or starting up a small business. The scheme generates over 500 new leads for solicitors every month.  

Yellow Pages advertising

We have negotiated competitively-priced advertising in Yellow Pages for solicitors. By taking advantage of the scheme your firm is advertised alongside the Law Society brand.

Best practice and guidance

Practice notes

This extensive series represents our view of good practice in aspects of professional practice from acting in the absence of a childrenâ??s guardian to virtual courts. We have published 29 new and updated practice notes on subjects including the Disability Discrimination Act, Legal Disciplinary Practice and Use of Interpreters in Criminal Cases during the last 12 months.

Helplines

Lawyerline was added to our suite of helplines for solicitors and their staff. Lawyerline provides advice on client care and complaints handling, including resolving complaints directly with clients and advice on the practice and procedures of the Legal Complaints Service (LCS).

The other Law Society helplines are:

Practice Advice Service - advice on legal practice issues and Law Society policy and practice notes - recently scored 100% satisfaction in a user survey.

Pastoral Care Helpline - help with personal, financial, professional and employment problems.

JLD Helpline - for junior lawyers who want to talk to someone about a pastoral or career related problem.

Help with anti-money laundering obligations

Our practice note on the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, Terrorism Act 2000 and Money Laundering Regulations 2007 received approval from HM Treasury, giving solicitors added protection if they follow this guidance.

We run 32 money laundering reporting officer (MLRO) networking groups and 40 anti-money laundering (AML) training sessions around England and Wales each year. Over 1600 solicitors attended these events this year, with a 93% or higher satisfaction rating across each programme.

We launched the first part of our AML online introductory course helping firms to comply with the Money Laundering Regulations 2007, with a course on compliance with the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 scheduled for later in 2010.

Our spring 2010 regional AML training programme offered courses at three levels - for MLROs with a working knowledge of AML law, for those with more experience, and a masterclass for firms engaged in international corporate and commercial transactions. Many were fully booked at an early stage. Our second AML annual conference, held in June 2010, offered fresh insights on compliance challenges.

We maintain an online directory of law firms with expertise on AML compliance. Every two months we issue a free e-alert highlighting changes in the law, recent cases, new methodologies and practical tips on compliance.

We published a new video giving expert advice on when to make a suspicious activity report and staff training for e-forum members.

Our Practice Advice Service answers 500 money laundering compliance enquiries on average each month.

Support for in-house solicitors

We continue to support in-house solicitors directly and by funding and supporting the Commerce and Industry Group and Solicitors in Local Government. We hold forum events for in-house solicitors, and in-house counsel from GC100 firms and the Government Legal Service network. Following a successful forum with each of the specialist external groups at the end of 2009 we will be providing more direct support to this sector, including an e-newsletter and a conference.

Our work in the English regions and Wales

Our regional structure of managers in the nine English regions and Wales builds closer relationships between individual members and firms, and the Law Society. We also have a senior relationship manager who builds and sustains relationships with our members at Top 100 law firms, promotes their interests and raises awareness of Law Society services and initiatives.

Work this year included seminars to help legal aid practitioners with civil legal aid tendering and open meetings to gather their views on the future of legal aid. We worked with local law societies to rally the profession in Bristol and Avon, and in Manchester, in opposition to the Legal Services Commission (LSC) proposals on best value tendering, and held regular meetings for MLRO groups. In response to the Jackson review on civil litigation costs we conducted focus groups to help us present the professionâ??s views clearly in the consultation process.

We addressed particular issues and concerns with Top 100 firms, playing a major part in co-ordinating members' views and contributions to the Smedley report and the Hunt review on the future regulatory regime. We also worked to ensure that members across England and Wales understand the key issues of outcomes-focused regulation (OFR).

In Wales we hosted the Lord Chancellor's lecture on the administration of justice in Wales, which attracted over 350 delegates including the First Minister. We continued to monitor detailed legislation from National Assembly for Wales to ensure our members are at the forefront of developments.

News and information

Law Society Gazette

The Law Society Gazette reaches more than four times as many practising solicitors as any other legal weekly. Focusing on the solicitors' profession, the Gazette provides comprehensive coverage of the law both at home and abroad. From the high street to City boardrooms, the Gazette prides itself on breaking news stories before any other legal publication. The Gazette also publishes a website and an e-newsletter. 

E-newsletters

Professional Update is published weekly and covers the top issues facing the profession. We also publish Anti-money Laundering Update, Legal Aid Update, International Update, Brussels Agenda, Junior Lawyers Update and Lawyers with Disabilities Division Update. Look out for our latest e-newsletter - In-house Forum - coming soon.  

Library and online information services

Solicitors have free access to one of the best law libraries in England. You can visit in person or phone, fax, or e-mail your legal information enquiries and our team of experienced law librarians will look for the information you need. We can also send you copies of law reports and other legal material via our fee-based document supply service.  

Research and trends

We publish reports on trends in the solicitors' profession, using data collected via surveys, other commissioned research, the Society's databases, and in-house projects. Subjects include firms' views on regulatory performance, salary surveys and the annual statistical report which covers all aspects of the profession. 

Specialist publications

The Law Society's online bookshop offers over 200 published and forthcoming titles covering every major area of practice. Favourites include The Solicitor's Handbook, the Conveyancing Handbook and the Solicitors' Code of Conduct.