Have your say in our Council elections

We’re celebrating 200 years of supporting solicitors. But we’re also looking to the future.

Our Council helps shape our strategic direction and how we’ll support solicitors to navigate the future of legal practice.

Your choice matters when it comes to who’ll be your voice on the issues that affect your practice or region, as we advocate for the profession with decision makers at the highest levels.

If you’re eligible to vote, you’ll receive an email with a link to cast your ballot.

Make sure your voice is heard. Voting will open on Wednesday 18 June.

How voting works

Elections take place each year when current Council members’ reach the end of their terms.

An online ballot, administered by our election scrutineer UK engage, is held to decide who'll represent solicitors within contested constituencies.

An election will be held for the following Council seats:

• Central London
• Derbyshire, East Staffordshire and Nottinghamshire
• Ethnic Minority
• Central Government
• Commercial Property
• Immigration
• EU and International
• Residential Property

Am I eligible to vote?

If you're eligible to vote, you'll receive an email from UK Engage to cast your ballot.

You may be eligible to vote in one or more constituencies, depending on seats being contested.

Not eligible to vote this year? Find out who currently represents you on our Council.

How to vote

If you’re eligible to vote, you'll receive a ballot by email from UK Engage, which administers the election on our behalf.

The email will contain a unique two-part pin and link to the voting website.

Once you've accessed the voting site with your link, you'll be able to view the statements from each of the candidates. You'll also see instructions on how to cast your vote.

If you believe you're eligible to vote in one or more of the contested seats, but haven't received an email from UK Engage, check your junk or spam folder.

Voting closes at 4pm on Wednesday 16 July.

Ballot request deadline

The deadline to request a voting ballot is 9am on Tuesday 15 July.

If requests are received after this deadline, we cannot guarantee you'll be able to vote in time as voting closes at 4pm on Wednesday 16 July.

Email ballotrequest@lawsociety.org.uk to request a ballot.

The role of our Council

Our Council helps to shape our strategic direction and the future of the profession by championing the diverse views of solicitors from across England and Wales.

Council members are elected officials who:

• represent the views of their constituents at Council meetings and in discussions with the government and public bodies
• contribute to the direction and formation of our strategies and policy work
• review and debate our business plans and budgets
• engage with our members, local law societies, Sections and special interest groups, to communicate our advocacy work and gather feedback
• keep up to date with our work through policy papers and reports
• approve appointments to Council committees
• approve the appointment of our chief executive

Council meetings take place on average five times a year.

One meeting per year is dedicated to strategic planning, providing Council members with an opportunity to contribute to our strategy and business plans.

Council members serve four-year terms, up to a limit of 12 years of service in total.

Learn more about Council member roles and responsibilities.

Join our Council

Nominations are closed. Our next election cycle will begin in early 2026.

How to stand for election

You need to be a member of the Law Society to nominate yourself for election to Council.

For geographic seats, you must have a work or home address within the constituency you're standing for election in.

Create a My LS account and confirm your work practice and/or characteristics.

Steps to nominate to stand for election

• Complete our nomination form
• Ask two eligible Law Society members to sign the form as your nominators
• Write a candidate statement (up to 1,000 words)
• Supply a head-and shoulders-photograph of yourself

We encourage nominations from eligible solicitors from a range of backgrounds, regardless of sex, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, or gender.

We conduct the elections in accordance with the Law Society bye-laws.

If you're elected to Council

Induction and training

We’ll provide a full induction and discuss any other training you feel you need to be fully effective in your role.

You’ll also need to undertake online equality and diversity training within six months of being elected.

Code of conduct

You’ll need to comply with our Principles of Conduct for Council members.

You’ll also be asked to register relevant interests on our published register of Council members’ interests.