The Law Society, representing solicitors across England and Wales,
(around 100,000) negotiating with regulators, government and others, offering training and advice.
Solicitors Regulation Authority, dealing with regulatory and disciplinary
matters, setting and monitoring standards, acting solely in the public interest. The SRA was previously called the Law Society Regulation Board.
The Legal Complaints Service. A service for the public wishing
to make a complaints against solicitors, independent and impartial. "We have a dedicated staff of 390 helping
you to resolve your complaint." Previously known as the Consumer Complaints Service.
eLIS (electronic Library and Information Services)
provides legal information for the judiciary, the DCA and the Her Majesty's Courts Service.
This site also provides a portal service to key legal information on the Internet.
Council of the Bars and Law Societies of the European Union
is the officially recognised representative organisation for the legal profession in
the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA).
The CCBE liases between the Bars and Law Societies from the Members States of the
European Union and the European Economic Area. It represents all such Bars and Law
Societies before the European institutions, and
through them some 500,000 European lawyers.
The CCBE enjoys consultative status with the Council of Europe.
Local Law Societies
There are 127 local law societies, some of which have their own web sites.
These are listed on the main Law Society page but
you have to know where to look - take "Links" from the top right corner of the narrow banner heading
and then "Local Law Societies" from the list on the left.
Here is one particularly large and active one.....
Liverpool Law Society was
founded in 1827 and now has 1,600 members in practice within the Merseyside area.
It is one of the largest law societies in England and Wales.
Membership is broad and varies from practitioners engaged in high value commercial
work to complex charity work; from Maritime law to legal aid.
There is a major law library which is one of the largest outside London and the Society
runs its own CPD courses and arranges special events and exhibitions.
and here is a smaller, rural one
Norfolk and Norwich Law Society have launched a new web site showing what can be
done by knowing what you are trying to do and then doing it well. As solicitor Tessa Shepperson says (who is
secretary of the group and herself provides an important site on Landlord Law)
"Non members can read about the society, do a search for a local solicitors firm, and read about our courses as
well as read articles submitted by members (there is only one at present but hopefully we will have some more soon),
and read about the annual Norfolk Law lecture.
There is more information for NNLS members but this is password protected. We also have a newsflash service
for members, which keeps them informed of what is going on. Non members
can ask to go on our mailing list to be kept informed of our courses." It is an attractive site with
some very nice photographs of local landscapes - if you've got it, flaunt it!
Professional Societies, Gateways, Legal Communities, Portals