New figures from the Law Society reveal that 142 local councils
in England & Wales hold the legal management quality standard
- Lexcel, which is awarded by the national Law Society to
in-house legal teams and law firms that meet high client care and
business management standards.
Local authorities in the south east have the highest number of
Lexcel accredited legal teams, with a total of 54 county, district
and city council legal teams in the region holding the practice
management standard.
Law Society President John Wotton said: 'Legal services in
England & Wales are well known to be a major contributor to our
economy. Local authority legal teams make their contribution by
helping their authorities to operate to high standards and deliver
services efficiently to the communities they serve. They have a lot
to be proud of, particularly as gaining and maintaining Lexcel is
no mean feat.
'There are many facets of being Lexcel accredited, including
client care and systems to ensure the practice is well run. A
commitment to customer service chimes well with other
customer-focused initiatives of local authorities.
'Lexcel has a number of benefits for in-house legal teams from a
risk management viewpoint. As well as demonstrating good practice,
Lexcel helps legal teams identify and mitigate risks that impact on
them and the wider body or organisation. Lexcel also supports core
principles of best value tendering.'
As well as a robust application and assessment process to gain
Lexcel, practices must reapply annually to maintain the Lexcel
status, undergoing background checks and on-site visits from Lexcel
assessors to ensure they meet the high standards expected for
Lexcel.
There are currently more than 1000 Lexcel accredited law firms
and in-house legal teams in England & Wales, as well as two
firms in the Republic of Ireland, one in Scotland and one in
Poland.
Ends
Find Lexcel accredited solicitors
Find out more about Lexcel at www.lawsociety.org.uk/lexcel