Yorkshire
The Yorkshire Regional Office, Wakefield, operates throughout Yorkshire and Humberside. At present it also covers the counties of Durham and Northumbria, but a new regional office will open in Newcastle during the early part of 2005.
There are 921 firms in the area. 38.3% of these are sole practitioners, and a further 43.6% have fewer than 5 partners.
Our work
- We provide support and information to local solicitors.
- We facilitate communication between the Law Society, local law societies, Commerce and Industry Group, local TSG/YSG and solicitors within the region – complementing their activities and encouraging joint initiatives.
- We maintain strong links with external organisations, including the Legal Services Commission, Land Registry, Professional Associations, Business in the Community, Business Link and the education sector.
The office is staffed by the regional manager, a regional development office, and an office manager/PA. The regional manager develops and delivers a range of regional services, promotes solicitors' personal and professional development, and business interests, and promotes the regional profession to the business community and the public.
Current initiatives
- Developing the Money Laundering Reporting Officers Group, following the inaugural meeting held in January.
- Supporting the regional associations, including a study trip to Brussels planned for September 2005.
- A CPD training programme for local law societies – 54 events planned for the first 6 months of 2005.
- Establishing a Solicitors Management Forum in South Yorkshire.
- Parliamentary visits for practitioners to lobby their MPs.
- Further development of Specialist Practitioner Liaison Groups and Forums.
- A Best Practice programme of events scheduled for the first half of 2005.