Updated

Guide

In-house ethics framework resources

Explore other useful resources, including guidance on regulatory obligations and whistleblowing.

14 May 2025

1 minute read

Practice Advice Service

Our Practice Advice Service offers free and confidential support on legal practice and procedure to Law Society members and their staff. We do not give legal advice.

Our experienced solicitors can answer your questions and make suggestions to help you with your legal practice issues.

Contact the Practice Advice Service

In-house practice: regulatory requirements

Our practice note on in-house practice: regulatory requirements aims to help in-house solicitors understand their professional responsibilities as set out in the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Standards and Regulations 2019.

There may be other professional requirements that you may need to be aware of, depending on the nature of your business.

Read the practice note

Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) resources

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) provides guidance and information for solicitors working in in-house roles, and those they work with or for:

For in-house solicitors

For employers

SRA professional ethics helpline

The SRA's professional ethics helpline for solicitors offers advice on the SRA Standards and Regulations to solicitors, trainees and solicitor apprentices. You can choose to remain anonymous.

Call 0370 6062577 from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Chat with the team online between 9am and 10am, 1pm and 2pm, and 4pm and 5pm, Monday to Friday (closed on Wednesday).

Protect: UK whistleblowing charity

Protect provides guidance to individuals with whistleblowing concerns.

Call 020 3117 2520 from 9.30am to 1pm and 2pm to 5.30pm on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and 9.30am to 1pm on Wednesday and Friday.

Anyone in need of advice outside of those times can reach Protect via its contact form.

The Lawyer

The Lawyer offers news, interviews, events and examples of best practice for in-house practitioners. Find out more about the Lawyer's:

The in-house ethics framework is not legal advice but represents the Law Society’s view of good practice in this area.

It is not intended to be the only standard of good practice that can be followed and it is not a requirement that it must be followed.

The in-house ethics framework does not necessarily provide a defence to complaints of misconduct.

While we have taken care to ensure the framework is up to date and useful, we will not accept any legal liability in relation to it.

In this framework

The role of the in-house solicitor Protocol for employing organisations Contract amendment letter template Job description template Working effectively and ethically Ethical organisational culture Ethical decision-making tool Interactive scenarios Whistleblowing as an in-house solicitor Model whistleblowing policy template How to position the framework in your organisation In-house networks and groups

Resources

Save to bookmark

In-house Network

Ethics

Regulation

Books

Regulation and In-house Lawyers, 2nd edition

Go to bookshop

Online Learning

Confidentiality and disclosure

Go to online learning

Explore the in-house ethics framework

Each element of the in-house ethics framework has been designed to offer structured support for different aspects of ethical practice.

The framework is intended to be a flexible and adaptable resource for your context and needs.

It can be used flexibly, whether as a reference tool, a basis for discussion within legal teams or various corporate support groups in your organisation, or a foundation for organisational policies and procedures.

We recognise that not every element will be useful in every organisation. You should use discretion in deciding which elements to use.

The elements can be viewed in any order.