Council Members Report

ADRIENNE EDGERLEY HARRIS, Council Member- 

YOUR VOICE AT THE LAW SOCIETY

Council Members Report

Summer 2025

Welcome to my latest update on what has been happening since my last report for the Spring issue. 

A further opportunity to represent you: I am delighted to confirm that I have been appointed to represent you on The Law Society (TLS) Council for a further three years. This will be my second three-year term and enable me to build up my contacts and experience to represent you to the full. I also sit on the Policy and Regulatory Processes Committee of TLS, so I am in a unique position to comment on regulatory proposals from the SRA and Legal Services Board.

The SRA is consulting on its business plan for the next few years and the LSB is looking closely at the SRA, following the disastrous financial and ethical situations created by SSB and Axiom Ince. Regarding Axiom, the LSB has issued directions to the SRA as to how they must address their failings.  (TLS was consulted prior to the issue of the directions and the Society executive were able to comment. Unfortunately, in view of the timeline, Council was not involved in this.)

Council meetings: There has been one Council meeting since my last report, in May 2025. The focus was on the threat to the independence of solicitors, both internationally and domestically.  You may have noted the challenges that the US President is making against judges; it is not an isolated activity, with our colleagues in many parts of the world being targeted and criticised for doing their jobs. There is concern for firms having offices in the USA and other jurisdictions and for in-house lawyers working at global firms, who may also be affected. TLS is working to support them and ensure that justice remains accessible, without fear or favour.

Succession: After the meeting, there was a hustings for the next Deputy Vice President. Five able candidates made their pitches to Council and faced questions on what they would do if elected to office.  A private vote was held later and the chosen DVP candidate is Dana Denis-Smith OBE, a solicitor and CEO of Obelisk Support and the founder of the First 100 Years campaign. A TedX speaker, she regularly speaks at industry events and in the media on gender equality, culture in the legal profession, and the future of legal work. In 2020, she was recognised for her work as a women’s advocate and champion of gender equality with the Special Contribution Award at the Women in Law Awards. In 2019, she was awarded the Outstanding Achievement in Legal Services by the Legal 500 and, in 2018, she was voted Legal Personality of the Year. Following TLS AGM in October 2025, if elected, she will become the next DVP and then progress to Vice President and then President.

The next meeting of Council is in July, when the SRA will report – an “assurance” report. The purpose of this report is to let Council- and TLS- know, as the official regulator and key stakeholder in SRA Limited- what the SRA is doing in key areas. Council is concerned, in the light of the firm failures already mentioned, that the report is robust and that Council is really in the picture.  The Boards of the SRA and TLS are talking about what information should be given to Council for better assurance. No doubt this will be discussed further in July. We may also be given an update on steps being taken to appoint a new CEO, with the departure of Paul Philip in October 2025.

Southern Area Association of Law Societies (SAALS): This association is an meeting of local law societies across the south of England. I attend as your Council member to update the group on Council matters. There are two meetings a year, the next being on the IOW on 11 July- it’s going to be a busy day.

2025- TLS Bicentenary Year

Remember that we are having two events in the South- one on Wednesday, 9th July 2025 in Southampton and the other on Friday, 11th July 2025, being a lunch by invitation, on the Isle of Wight- the same date as their annual dinner. The itinerary and invitations will be published shortly. The Vice-President Mark Evens will stand in for the President, Richard Atkinson, if he is engaged elsewhere.

If anyone would like to meet with me whilst I am in Southampton or on the Island, do please get in touch.

Adrienne Edgerley Harris 

Council Member 

for the South Constituency