Promoting the profession

Promotion of the brand of solicitor has been identified by the profession as a priority for the Law Society.

We ran a second major advertising and PR campaign during Autumn 2009 with the strapline Your solicitor - qualified to answer to provide practical support to members. The campaign promoted the expert service that solicitors provide to the public, helping members to attract new business and retain existing clients. Advertisements in the national press, more than 200 railway and underground stations and on trains in England and Wales were seen an estimated 100 million times during the two month campaign.

Each 'opportunity to see' cost less than a penny. The value of the free publicity we secured was equivalent to £1.5m of advertising spend. An even bigger campaign is running during summer 2010, building on the success of the 2009 promotion.

Celebrating excellence

The outstanding achievements of legal teams and individuals in England and Wales are celebrated annually at a prestigious Law Society ceremony. The 2009 awards again attracted entries from across the solicitors' profession and the entire legal sector.

Winners included Jason McCue from H20 Law LLP who won the Solicitor of the Year - Private Practice category for his exceptional contribution to securing the rights of victims of the Omagh bombing, and for his efforts to promote peace and equality in Darfur. Roger Clayson, selected for his groundbreaking work at the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, won the award for Solicitor of the Year - In-house.

The awards were sponsored by Mercedes-Benz and other blue chip companies and leading organisations.

Proactive PR

We achieved positive media coverage worth over £60m for the Society and the profession during 2009. We use media relations to generate thousands of media stories every year promoting the interests of the profession, from highlighting to the public the importance of seeking legal advice from properly qualified professionals, to calling on government to ensure that the regulatory environment in which city firms operate is proportionate.

Another first was the launch of a free media training service for firms. Some 200 firms have already benefited from regionally provided advice on how to exploit media opportunities to best advantage.

The definitive online solicitor search engine

Find a Solicitor, our online directory of solicitors, receives around 3,500,000 page views each month, driving new business to firms. Entries show the areas of law a firm specialises in, along with Lexcel accreditation and membership of other Law Society accreditation schemes.

Comprehensive website signposts public to solicitors

Our website is an accurate and comprehensive resource for solicitors. It also contains content for the general public, in particular a series of guides to common legal problems which explain why it's so important to get legal advice from properly qualified and regulated professionals.