Terms and conditions

1.1 You are entering into an agreement (the “Agreement”) to attend an in-person event (“In-Person Event”), or a live or pre-recorded online conference, webinar or other online event (“Online Event”) (either of which are an “Event”) provided by The Law Society of England and Wales (“The Law Society”), a company incorporated by Royal Charter (under number RC000304) with its registered address at 113 Chancery Lane, London, England WC2A 1PL, through its website available at www.lawsociety.org.uk (“Website”).

1.2 For Events which we are offering on a hybrid basis, i.e. where delegates book to attend either in person or online, if you have booked to attend the Event in person, our In-Person terms at Clauses 6-8 below will apply to cancellations of your booking. If you have booked to attend the Event online, our Online terms at Clauses 9-11 below will apply.

1.3 Admission ceremonies at the Law Society are not In-Person Events for the purposes of these terms and conditions. They are covered by separate terms which can be found here.

1.4 The Agreement is made up of the following:

• 1.4.1 these Event Terms and Conditions (“these terms and conditions”);
• 1.4.2 the information and description of the Event on the Website;
• 1.4.3 the Website Legal Notice, located at https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/website-information/legal-notice; and
• 1.4.4 the Privacy Policy, located at https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/website-information/privacy-policy.

1.5 In the event of any conflict between the provisions of these terms and conditions and the provisions of any other documents set out in clause 1.2 above, the provisions in these terms and conditions shall prevail.

1.6 The expressions "we", "us" and "our" refer to The Law Society and/or its affiliated undertakings and "you", "your" and “user” refer to the user of the Website. If you are accessing or using the Event in your capacity as an employee, director, officer, partner or agent of a corporate or unincorporated entity “you” and “your” shall refer to you and such entity and you represent that you are authorised to accept the Agreement on behalf of such entity and agree to be personally bound by the Agreement and you are also responsible for ensuring that all persons who access the Website through your internet connection are aware of the Agreement and that that they comply with its terms.

1.7 The Law Society may update and vary the terms of the Agreement at any time. Your continued use of or access to Events following any variation to the Agreement will signify your agreement to the updated terms. If you do not agree to any of these terms or any future amendments, do not use or access (or continue to access) the Events.

1.8 Contact details for the Law Society are as follows:

By telephone: +44 (0) 207 242 1222;

By email: events@lawsociety.org.uk

1.9 The Law Society Events team are usually available between 09:00 and 17:00 Monday to Friday (except on a public holiday).

2.1 Your attendance at and/or access to the Event is conditional upon:

• 2.1.1 our receipt of payment in full in advance of the Event;
• 2.1.2 you providing true, genuine, accurate and complete information in your order
• 2.1.3 where you are placing an order on behalf of an organisation or another individual, that you are duly authorised to place such order on behalf of such organisation or other person(s); and
• 2.1.4 your continued compliance with this Agreement.

2.2 If your payment is made upon the placement of your order through the Website, an email confirming your order will be sent to the email address provided in your order, and/or a message confirming your order will be displayed on the Website. If your payment is made by bank transfer after you place your order, you will receive confirmation of your order by email. If you do not receive confirmation of your order within twenty-four (24) hours of placing your order, please contact the Law Society Events team (contact details set out at clause 1.8 above).

2.3 Delegates and their firm/organisation are jointly and severally liable for payment of the fees due.

3.1 The prices payable and payment methods available for each Event are set out on the Website.

3.2 All prices are expressed inclusive of any VAT payable unless otherwise stated.

3.3 All payments must be in GB Pounds Sterling.

3.4 If you require an invoice or a VAT receipt, this must be requested by our support contact form, https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/contact-or-visit-us.

4.1 Confirmation of your Event order by us will constitute a legally binding contract between us.

4.2 The Law Society reserves the right to give booking preference to those people who meet the attendance criteria listed for the Event on the Website. If you do not meet these requirements your order may be refused, or your place may be cancelled.

5.1  We want all attendees to feel safe at and enjoy our Events.  It is a condition of entry to our Events that all attendees, whether in person or online, adhere at all times to the following standards of conduct:

• You must follow the reasonable instructions of Event staff;
• You must treat each other, Event staff and guests with respect and courtesy;
• You must refrain from any statement or behaviour which:
  • is discriminatory of any person based on race, sex, religion or belief, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or age;
  • may be perceived by others as threatening, intimidating, harassing, abusive or derogatory;
  • is obscene, offensive, hateful, inflammatory or sexually explicit; or which
  • invades another’s privacy, or promotes or constitutes violence.

5.2 Conduct online at our Events must also adhere at all times to the standards in our Acceptable Use Policy (accessible here: https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/website-information/legal-notice). References in that policy to our Website are to be read as references to our Online Events platform for these purposes;

5.3 If you observe someone breaching these standards please report it to our staff at the Event or online. We reserve the right to determine a complaint, and/or to take such action as we deem appropriate to remedy a situation, at our discretion, including by excluding an attendee from an Event without refund, excluding them from future Events, by reporting incidents and/or involving authorities where we deem it necessary. By booking the Event you acknowledge that you have read and agree to comply with these standards (and where you are booking for others, you confirm you will procure that they have read and agree to comply with these standards as a condition of attendance.)

6.1 You must give us written notice at least 10 working days before an Event if you have any special dietary requirements. Please contact the Law Society using the contact details at clause 1.8 to confirm whether an Event involves catering. We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate any dietary requirements notified to us under this clause, but it may not be possible to do so. A supplement may be payable for special dietary requests.

7.1 We reserve the right to amend or cancel any In-Person Event or any booking for an In-Person Event.

• 7.1.1 Amendment for these purposes includes a decision by us to convert the In-Person Event to an Online Event, at any time prior to the Event date. If this occurs the Law Society Events Team will contact you as soon as practicable to notify you of the amended format. You will be offered the option of converting your booking to an Online Event booking, and you will be refunded the difference, if any, between the In-Person and Online Event fees. You may also choose to cancel your booking under this clause for a full refund.
• 7.1.2 Should the Event or a booking be cancelled by us, or if you elect to cancel your booking following a decision by us to convert the Event to an Online Event, a full refund of the registration fee will be made. The Law Society can accept no further liability in the event of cancellation or amendment, including no liability for any expenses incurred in relation to the booking or cancellation.

8.1 Subject to clause 7.1.1, under which you may cancel your booking for a full refund if we convert an In-Person Event to an Online Event, the following provisions apply to cancellations by you of a booking for an In-Person Event.

• 8.1.1 If you wish to cancel your booking more than 10 working days before the Event, where a “working day” means a day (other than a Saturday or Sunday or public holiday) on which banks are open for domestic business in the City of London, you will be refunded the registration fee less an administration charge of 20%. If you cancel your place prior to payment, you are still required to pay either the 20% administration fee or the full costs dependent on the time of cancellation. No refunds will be given for cancellations by you that occur at or less than 10 working days before the event date.
• 8.1.2 Cancellation requests should be submitted via our website. A cancellation request received before 4:30pm on a working day will be effective as of the date you send the email. A cancellation request received at or after 4:30pm on a working day or received on a day that is not a working day, will be effective the next working day.
• 8.1.3 You may request to convert your booking to an Online Event booking, if this option is available for the Event, up to 10 working days before the Event date. To enquire about this, please submit a request via our website. Requests will be considered subject to our online capacity. If your order is converted to an Online Event booking, you agree that our Online Events terms will apply to your amended order which appear at Clauses 8-10 below. You will be refunded the difference between the In-Person Event fee and the Online Event booking fee, if any.
• 8.1.4 Requests to convert your booking to an Online Event booking on or less than 10 working days before the Event date will be accepted at the discretion of the Events booking team. No refunds (in part or in full) will be paid in these circumstances.

8.2 Practices may substitute a delegate at an In-Person Event without charge, provided you confirm their full name in writing to us before the day of the Event. An additional payment will be required if the substitute delegate is not eligible for the original booking rate or category. These are commonly Section member; practising certificate holder; non-practising certificate holder.

8.3 We are unable to move a booking to another Event, location or date. The original booking will need to be cancelled (incurring the applicable cancellation fees) and a new booking made for the chosen Event.

8.4 If you need to change other details of your booking, please contact us via our website. You can also contact the Law Society for advice using the contact details at clause 1.8. Please be ready to quote your booking ID and date of booking.

9.1 We will send you an email (to the email address provided in your order) containing a link that will allow you to access the Online Event. The Online Event will be accessible on the date of that Online Event (“Online Event Date”) as specified on the Website or as may otherwise be communicated to you.

9.2 Unless specified otherwise, registrations for the Online Event will close 2 hours prior to the start time of the Online Event Date.

9.3 Digital recordings of the Online Event will be accessible on the MyLS for a period of at least 6 months following the Online Event Date.

10.1 No refunds will be given for cancellations that occur at or less than 10 working days from the date of the Online Event Date. If you cancel the Online Event prior to making payment, you shall remain responsible for paying either a 20% administration fee or the full cost of the Online Event, as applicable.

10.2 Subject to clause 9.1 above:

• 10.2.1 you may cancel your order for an Online Event by sending a cancellation request via our website. Your cancellation request must include the following details: order reference number; order title (i.e. the title of the Online Event) and name of person attending the Online Event;
• 10.2.2 a cancellation request received before 4:30pm on a working day will be effective as of the date you send the email;
• 10.2.3 a cancellation request received at or after 4:30pm on a working day or received on a day that is not a working day will be effective the next working day; and
• 10.2.4 upon cancellation, you will be issued with a refund of your registration fee, less an administration charge of 20% of the registration fee. Refunds will be made to the original payment method. Card payment refunds usually take 3-5 working days and bank transfer refunds may take up to 10 working days.

10.3 You may substitute a delegate without charge, provided you confirm to us by email the existing and new delegate’s full name at least 24 hours before the Online Event Date. If you need to change details of your order, please contact the Law Society for advice using the contact details set out at clause 1.8. Please be ready to quote your booking ID and date of booking.

10.4 An additional payment will be required if the substitute delegate is not eligible for the original booking rate/category. These are commonly: Section member; practising certificate holder; and non-practising certificate holder.

10.5 The Law Society is unable to move an order to another Online Event, location or date. The original Online Event will need to be cancelled (incurring the standard cancellation fees set out in this clause 9) and a new booking made for the chosen new Online Event.

11.1 If you do not meet the attendance criteria for the Event or if at any time you default in or commit any breach of your obligations under the Agreement we may, in our sole discretion, immediately suspend your access to the Event or immediately terminate the Agreement on giving notice to you by email.

11.2 We reserve the right to change or cancel Online Events at our discretion in the event of any unforeseen circumstances. If the changes or no alternative Online Events are available or acceptable to you, you will receive a refund for any payments made following a change or cancellation by us pursuant to this clause 11.2.

12.1 Without prejudice to any rights available to you under data protection law, where applicable, by attending the Event, you agree that the Law Society may use, reproduce, and/or publish in any way whatsoever (without any payment being due to you) any materials (including but not limited to written material, images and/or video/audio) pertaining to you or that you share in the course of your participation in the Event (“Attendee Materials”) and that the Law Society may license others to do the same. Attendee Materials may be used (without limitation) in various publications, public affairs releases, recruitment material, broadcast material, the Law Society’s website/s or for other related endeavours. This authorisation is continuous and may only be withdrawn with the prior written agreement of the Law Society. 

12.2 The Law Society reserves all its intellectual property rights (including but not limited to all copyright) which it either owns or holds as licensor in the Event and any materials forming part of the Event (including but not limited to written materials, slides, recordings, assessments and downloadable materials) made available to you as part of the Event (“Law Society Materials”) and you agree that you will not do anything to infringe or prejudice those rights.

12.3 You may view (and where required to do so, download certain) Law Society Materials for your personal educational and training purposes only, subject to the restrictions set out in clause 11.4 below.

12.4 You may not:

• 12.4.1 download or copy onto any device or medium any Law Society Materials other than as may be required as part of the Event;
• 12.4.2 sell, sublicense, distribute, display, broadcast, store, modify, translate or transfer any Law Society Materials;
• 12.4.3 use any Law Society Materials to create any derivative materials or competitive products;
• 12.4.4 use any automated, programmatic, scripted or other mechanical means to access the Event;
• 12.4.5 allow anyone access to the Event except the individual to whom access to an Event has been allocated by us;
• 12.4.6 allow any third parties to access, use or benefit from the Law Society Materials in any way; or
• 12.4.7 share your password or logon details with anyone.

13.1 The Law Society makes every effort to try to ensure that Events are relevant and topical. However, no representations are made that Events are tailored or bespoke for any specific business or individual purposes and all warranties for fitness for purpose and all other express and implied warranties are therefore excluded to the fullest extent lawfully permitted.

13.2 Except in respect of death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud and except as otherwise specifically provided by law, The Law Society’s entire liability under or in connection with the Agreement shall be the price paid by you and we will have no liability to you for any claim to the extent that the same is or can be characterised as a claim for (or arising from): loss of revenue or profits; loss of anticipated savings; loss of goodwill or injury to reputation; loss of business opportunity; loss of data; losses suffered by third parties (whether such losses are direct or indirect); losses suffered by any person acting or refraining from action as a result of information delivered during or in connection with the Event; or indirect, consequential or special loss or damage, regardless of the form of action, whether in contract, strict liability or tort (including negligence), and howsoever arising.

14.1 All personal information you disclose to us under the Agreement will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

14.2 Without prejudice to clause 14.1 above:

• 14.2.1 Your name, job title and organisation as provided on the Order Form will be shared with fellow delegates and sponsors of the Event for networking purposes. We will not share your contact details without your consent. If you would prefer for your personal information not to be visible to delegates and sponsors in this way, please contact us using the contact details at clause 1.8 and quote your booking reference number.
• 14.2.2 For Online Events, your personal information, including your name, job title, organisation and email address, will also be shared with our Online Event platform provider (Aventri Inc) and will be used to facilitate access by you to the Online Event, including to invite you to the Online Event by email and access via your MyLS profile. The profile will include your name and job title. You may elect to share additional information in your profile.

14.3 You agree that any personal information you submit as part of your use of the Event is accurate and that you have all necessary permissions to submit such personal information.

15.1 If you are not satisfied with any aspect of the Event, please contact the Law Society Events team using the contact details set out at clause 1.8.

16.1 The Agreement sets out the entire agreement between you and us and supersedes any previous agreement or understanding and may not be varied except in writing between you and us.

16.2 No waiver by us of any breach of these terms and conditions shall be considered as a waiver of any subsequent breach of the same or any other provision.

16.3 You may not transfer any of your rights under the Agreement to any other person. We may transfer our rights under the Agreement where we reasonably believe your rights will not be affected.

16.4 A person who is not a party to the Agreement shall have no right under the UK Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any term of the Agreement. This does not affect any right or remedy of a person who is not a party to the Agreement that exists or is available apart from that Act.

16.5 If any provision in the Agreement is held by any competent authority to be invalid or unenforceable in whole or in part, the validity of the other provisions (and the remainder of the provision in question) shall be unaffected.

16.6 The Agreement shall be governed by the laws of England and Wales and you agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

1.1    We are the Law Society. Our principal place of business is situated at 113 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1PL. If you have any queries or concerns about the admissions ceremony to which your order relates please contact our support centre by telephone (+44 (0) 20 7242 1222) or our website. If we need to contact you, we will do so by telephone or in writing using the details you provided to us in your order. The support centre is usually available between 09:00 and 17:00 Monday to Friday (except on a public holiday).

2.1    Your order is an offer to buy from us which, if we accept it, becomes a booking permitting you and up to two guests to attend an in-person admission ceremony provided by us on a specified date (“Ceremony”). You may apply to buy additional guest passes from us, subject to availability, at the price specified on our website once we have accepted your main order. All orders for guest passes are also governed by these terms and conditions. 

2.2    By placing an order you confirm that you have been admitted to the roll of solicitors in England and Wales and that you have not previously participated in a Law Society admission ceremony as a candidate. 

2.3    We must receive payment of the whole of the price for your order before your order can be accepted. Once we have received payment in full, we will confirm whether your order has been accepted by sending you an e-mail to the e-mail address you provide in your order form. Our acceptance of your order brings into existence a legally binding contract between us (“Agreement”). At any point up until then we may decline to fulfil your order without giving you any reason. 

3.1    Our Agreement is made up of the following:

3.1.1    these Admission Ceremonies Terms and Conditions (“these terms and conditions”);

3.1.2    the information and description of the Ceremony on our website;

3.1.3    our Legal Notice, located at https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/website-information/legal-notice; and

                           3.1.4    our Privacy Policy, located at https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/website-information/privacy-policy.

3.2    In the event that there is any inconsistency between the above documents, they should be interpreted in the numbered order of preference in which they appear above. 

4.1    The prices payable for the Ceremony are set out on our website. Payment is due in advance of the Ceremony.

4.2    All prices are expressed inclusive of any VAT payable unless otherwise stated.

4.3    Your payment card details will be encrypted to minimise the possibility of unauthorized access or disclosure. Authority for payment must be given at the time of placing your order.

5.1    The Ceremony is a formal occasion and attendees are expected to dress appropriately. Candidates for admission may wear a black academic gown for the Ceremony and for photographs.

5.2    You are able to order gown hire, professional Ceremony photographs and merchandise from our supplier Marston Events Limited (“Marston”). We will email you instructions on how to do this prior to the Ceremony. If you do not receive any instructions from us within 5 days of the Ceremony, please contact the support centre. You will be able to collect and return your hired gown from Marston staff at the Ceremony location on the day of the Ceremony.

5.3    Any order you place with Marston is a separate agreement, to which we are not a party. You are responsible for complying with the terms of any agreement you make with Marston. 

5.4    If your Ceremony is at the Law Society Hall on Chancery Lane, your guests (with tickets) attending the Ceremony with you will each need a guest pass to gain access to our premises, which you can collect upon entering our premises. If the Ceremony is at another location, we will send you information about entry requirements by email prior to that ceremony. 

5.5.   You are permitted to take your own photographs before and after the Ceremony within certain locations at our premises, which we will direct you to on the day. Whilst we may sometimes permit some photography during the Ceremony, we reserve the right to withdraw any such permission in our sole discretion.

6.1    No refunds will be given if you cancel your booking within ten (10) working days of the date of the Ceremony (“exclusion window”). Cancellations received by us before the exclusion window may be eligible for a partial refund under clause 6.3. 

6.2    We calculate timings for the purposes of this section of this Agreement as follows:

    6.2.1   a “working day” means a day (other than a Saturday or Sunday or public holiday) on which banks are open for domestic business in the City of London;

    6.2.2    Cancellation requests we receive before 4.30pm on a working day will be effective that day; 

    6.2.3    Cancellation requests we receive at or after 4.30pm on a working day, or on a day that is not a working day, will be effective the next working day.

For the avoidance of doubt, this means that if you request to cancel a booking for a Ceremony scheduled for a Friday, we must receive your request before 4.30pm on the Thursday 2 weeks prior (if no public holidays fall during that 2 week period), in order for you to be eligible for a partial refund under clause 6.3 below 

6.3    Subject to clauses 6.1 and 6.2 above:

    6.3.1    if you wish to cancel your booking, you must do so by submitting your cancellation request via our website. Your cancellation request must include your name and order number; 

    6.3.2    if we receive your notice of cancellation before the start of the exclusion window, you will be issued with a refund of your registration fee, less an administration charge of 20% of the order price. Refunds will be made to the original payment method.

6.3    You cannot transfer your booking to a different ceremony other than as set out in clause 6.4.  Your booking will need to be cancelled (incurring the administration fee set out in clause 6.3.2 above) and a new booking made for the chosen ceremony.

6.4.   In the event there is a national train strike scheduled for the date of the Ceremony or a regional train strike which we accept will materially affect your travel to the Ceremony, we may offer to transfer your booking to an alternative date at no charge, at our discretion. This policy does not apply to strikes which affect only your guests’ travel arrangements. If you choose to cancel your booking, you will be subject to our cancellation policy outlined in clauses 6.1 – 6.3. 

6.5    If you want to cancel your agreement for gown hire, photography or merchandise that you have ordered through Marston, you must give notice direct to Marston. Any such cancellation will be subject to Marston’s terms and conditions.

7.1    If we determine that you do not meet the Ceremony attendance criteria (as specified in clause 2.2) or if at any time you default in or commit any breach of your obligations to us under these terms and conditions we may, in our sole discretion, immediately cancel your booking. 

7.2    We reserve the right to change or cancel your booking, or to change or cancel the Ceremony at our discretion, in the event of any unforeseen circumstances or for reasons beyond our control. We will endeavour to offer you an alternative ceremony if this occurs. If these changes are not acceptable to you, and/or no alternative ceremonies are available or acceptable to you, you will receive a refund for any payments you have made to us.

8.1    The Law Society’s entire liability under or in connection with the Agreement shall be the price paid by you and we will have no liability to you for any claim to the extent that the same is or can be characterised as a claim for (or arising from): loss of revenue or profits; loss of anticipated savings; loss of goodwill or injury to reputation; loss of business opportunity; loss of data; losses suffered by third parties (whether such losses are direct or indirect); or indirect, consequential or special loss or damage, regardless of the form of action, whether in contract, strict liability or tort (including negligence), and howsoever arising.

8.2    Nothing in these terms and conditions shall limit or affect: any rights you may have as a consumer under applicable laws that may not be excluded, or our liability for fraud or if something we do negligently causes death or personal injury.

9.1    If you have any complaints, please send them to the support centre using the details given above. We would like to hear from you so we can improve our service.

10.1    All personal information you disclose to us under the Agreement will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy. 

10.2    Without prejudice to clause 10.1 above, your name, as provided on your order form will be shared with the Ceremony toastmaster and the venue hire team, for the purposes of carrying out the Ceremony. If you have specified any dietary or access requirements these will also be shared with the venue hire team for the purposes of planning and will be promptly deleted at the conclusion of the Ceremony. We will not share your contact details (such as your telephone number or email or postal address) without your consent.  

10.3    The Ceremony will be live streamed on the Law Society’s YouTube channel and the recording will then be available to view for a limited period.  Access to the live stream and recording is by direct link only which you may share with your family and friends.  This is a private recording and access is given on condition that you and anyone you invite to watch the live stream will not share the link, the recording (in whole or part) or any still images taken from the recording on social media or any other public forum.  

10.4    A Law Society photographer may be present at some ceremonies to capture group images of the occasion for use on our website or in other promotional material.  If you do not wish to appear in Law Society photographs and records of the day please notify Law Society staff at the event prior to the Ceremony. 

11.1    You may not transfer any of your rights under this Agreement to any other person. We may transfer our rights under this Agreement where we reasonably believe your rights will not be affected.

11.2    If you breach this Agreement and we choose to ignore this, we will still be entitled to use our rights and remedies at a later date or in any other situation where you breach this Agreement.

11.3    We shall not be responsible for any breach of this Agreement caused by circumstances beyond our reasonable control.

11.4    A person who is not a party to this Agreement (including any individual accessing this website under bulk access) shall have no right under the UK Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any term of this Agreement. This does not affect any right or remedy of a person who is not a party to this Agreement that exists or is available apart from that Act.

11.5    This Agreement shall be subject to the laws governing England and Wales. We will try to resolve any disagreements quickly, but if you are not happy with the way we deal with any disagreement and you want to take court proceedings, you must do so within England and Wales.