Liverpool Law Society boasts 2400 or so members in practice; it is one of the largest local Law Societies in England and Wales. Membership is broad and varies from legal practitioners engaged in high-value commercial work to complex charity work.
The Society prides itself in being at the forefront of debate and has been able to communicate on behalf of its members their concerns in a number of areas both public and professional, and at regional and national levels. The directors meet twice a year with local MPs where there is exchange of information, news about bills going through parliament and constituent issues are raised and discussed and parliamentary questions are put down on behalf of LLS members. Separately, the directors also meet with the nominated councillors from the Liverpool City Region local authorities. This again is a useful way of ensuring our members’ concerns and issues, including those of their clients, can be raised at one of these meetings. The councillors also come to the Society with matters their constituents are facing and we work together on joint initiatives where there is a common aim.
The Society also has good communication channels with The Law Society, the SRA and the LeO, where members’ issues can be raised and matters affecting the legal profession discussed.
On a regional level, Liverpool Law Society is a member of the Joint V, a grouping of autonomous local law societies that meet and discuss common issues affecting membership organisations for legal professionals, sharing best practice. The members of the Joint V are Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester Law Societies. United the Joint V have a strong voice nationally, representing over 15,000 legal professionals.
In addition to our representation role, Liverpool Law Society runs an extensive legal training programme with approximately 60 seminars and conferences organised every year in various specialist areas of law. To view the training programme, please click here.
The benefits of membership are numerous and include representation, reduced rates for legal training, invitations to social and networking events, a copy of ‘Liverpool Law’ the Society’s monthly magazine and links with other professsional and membership organisations. Events organised by the Society for its membership include the Legal Awards, the Annual Dinner, the Conkerton Memorial Lecture, business networking events and a ceremony to welcome Newly Qualified Solicitors, Pupil Barristers, Fellows of CILEx and patent attorneys to the legal profession.
The Society is led by 27 committee members. They include the Officers: President, Vice President, Deputy Vice President, Honorary Treasurer, the two Joint Honorary Secretaries and the Immediate Past President.