Greetings! To members, Patrons, Sponsors and other Leicestershire Law Society supporters.
Happy New Year and let us all hope that 2021 will be an improvement on 2020.
At the AGM in September 2020 I was delighted to be elected as your President for the second time. I am therefore the 161st President, the 2nd and 9th female. I am not the first to serve more than one term – predecessors who did that include Mr. E Percy Smyth and Charles Crane, founder of Crane & Walton, respectively during and after World War II.
Issue 20 of this publication featured my immediate predecessor Glynis Wright at her “Triumphs Of Leicester” Dinner in February 2020 ,an event which was itself a triumph crowning an equally triumphant tenure. Well Done Glynis on that and becoming the 4th LLS President to be awarded the MBE (the other three are Mehmooda Duke DL, Peter Smith referred to below, and myself).
At the time of writing New Year’s Eve I remain hopeful that I will be able to stage at least one or two real life events over the summer in addition to the Awards Ceremony in May.
Congratulations to Nelsons and Glynis Wright & Co on their merger and also to the Christmas Quiz winner Angela Titley-Vial. Runners up were Drew Dennis of Gateley Legal and David Gilmore Director of our Patron DG Legal.
Goodbye and Good Luck to our former manager Lucy Miller who moved on at the end of September and welcome back to Kauser Patel. Farewell also to Rav Hothi our National Law Society Relationship Manager. Rav served us well over many years despite covering a geographical area stretching from Newcastle to Devon. From now on our only non electronic contact with Chancery Lane will be through our Council member Linda Lee, although solicitors will of course continue to receive emails such as the weekly Professional Update.
I was admitted in 1980 and retired from High Street (litigation) practice in 2011. Since then my roles in the voluntary sector have included Secretary of the Gender Identity Research & Education Society (GIRES), Chair of The Solicitors’ Charity, and Committee member of Association of Women Solicitors, London. Having been delighted to be honoured for services to Equality & Charity at New Year 2020 my plan is to work on those themes during my term of office. So I have started by setting up a new Award for voluntary services in memory of LLS Past President Peter Smith MBE*, founder member of our local charity Menphys and involved in many other local roles too. Huge numbers of solicitors undertake pro bono and other unremunerated work within the third sector and I wish to recognise that. The application form can be downloaded from the website** and the closing date for nominations is Sunday 14th February 2021.
Moving on to Equality & Diversity I am delighted to be serving as President of what has been described as one of the most vibrant and successful local law societies in a community which has itself been described as one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in the UK. The profile of our profession locally reflects that and your Committee has embraced the current issue of Black Lives Matter. Our Antidiscrimination Statement is on our website and work on that is continuing. There are vacancies on both the Equality & Diversity sub board and other sub boards and if you are interested in getting involved do please contact our Manager Kauser for more information.
We continue to work very closely with young and aspiring solicitors through the Junior Lawyers Division and our two local University Law Schools. Congratulations to Professor Sally Kyd on her appointment as Head of Law School at Leicester, the first woman to hold that post.
The feminisation of our profession continues with the number of women admitted annually now exceeding the number of men but issues do remain such as a high attrition rate, sexual harassment, the gender pay gap and low representation at the top for example. I intend to do an event in 2021 for our lady members hopefully including our several fantastic local female role models in both the public and private sectors.
What has changed since 2005 when I first wore the LLS chain of office? Almost everything!
Regulation, firm structures, the demise of legal aid, the return of the paralegal, Court closures and now of course remote working are examples. For me the most significant development is the decline of the traditional High Street partnership business model and the emergence and success of the “niche” specialist practice. In addition Leicestershire Law Society now welcomes Barristers’ Chambers into Associate Membership for example and the formal black tie sedentary Annual Dinner has been replaced by music, dancing and fancy dress at the Awards. The structure of LLS has also changed with the Executive Board replacing the old Finance and General Purposes Committee for example and the advent of the Deputy Vice President role reflecting a longer run in period for a workload of increased volume and complexity.
My Charity for my term of office will be our profession’s own Solicitors’ Charity formerly known as the Solicitors’ Benevolent Association. ***
It is a charity working for solicitors both past and present and their families. Every year the Charity helps hundreds of people of all ages and backgrounds who are unable to support themselves financially, due to ill health, life-changing disabilities, unemployment, low or no income, family crisis or older age.
The Charity provides welfare grants and other support grants, assistance with getting back into work and access to advice on welfare benefits and managing personal debt. The Charity also works closely with partners such as Law Care and the Solicitors Assistance Scheme offering general well-being support plus regulatory and legal advice.
During the current pandemic and in its aftermath, the Charity is making more funds available, widening the support provided and offering information and support to help any solicitor who is impacted by the virus.
Since the start of the lockdown LLS has continued to offer training and social events by Zoom and that will continue in 2021. Training events already announced for the New Year cover the Stamp Duty Land Tax holiday and Litigation Funding. An event with the JLD is in the pipeline, together with the Book Club and perhaps a ghostly online Murder Mystery…
Hopefully by the time I write this column again we shall be back to “normal”. Meanwhile keep going everyone and thank you all for your support during this difficult time.
Christl Hughes
President Leicestershire Law Society.
* Obituary Issue 19 Winter/Spring 2020.
** Peter Smith Award – Leicestershire Law Society
*** https:/thesolicitorscharity.org.uk
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