President’s Address

NEWS

I am so delighted and proud to have finally been installed as the new President of Birmingham Law Society at the AGM on 30 September. After an unprecedented and difficult year, I am looking forward to returning to normality, meeting face to face and most importantly, hosting inperson events.

To repeat what I said at the AGM, building a strong legal community is at the heart of everything we do at Birmingham Law Society. As a collective, I want us to re-engage, reconnect, and to become stronger and more resilient than ever. The profession, as always, faces many challenges and it is for the Society to lead in times of doubt.

When considering the role Birmingham Law Society plays within the legal profession, the city of Birmingham and on the national stage, it was important that my initiatives for the year, reflected the need to rebuild. For my Presidential year, the society will focus on people, health and well-being and the local community.

People are incredibly important to me, my family, friends, work colleagues and of course, members of this Society. Re-engaging with members will ensure the society organises relevant and thought-provoking events. I plan to re-ignite the Ambassador Programme, to keep members up to date with what we are doing and how they can get involved, alongside a rejuvenated and engaging social media presence, promoting the Society’s work, initiatives and upcoming events.

Our Society aims to be truly representative of our diverse membership and respond to changes in our community. The past year has sadly prevented some of our newly qualified lawyers, trainees, paralegals and students from meeting one another. To encourage our members to reconnect, we will provide networking events to suit a range of preferences, whether that be cooking, exercise, charity work or evening drinks.

Health and Wellbeing - This notion of reconnecting and rebuilding comes to mind when discussing the importance of wellbeing. A recent survey of our members revealed that the majority of respondents wanted more health and wellbeing support from the Society. Understandably, life as a solicitor can be challenging and the demands and pressures can easily build up. People who have time off with illness and mental health problems can often The impact of the pandemic has forced us to evaluate what is important to us with many colleagues looking for a better, fairer work life balance in the future. To help BLS members know where they can get help if needed, I have already started work on a Health & Wellbeing section for the website to provide easy access to a wide range of support. It is also important to us, individually and collectively as a Society, to widen our discussion around wellbeing, with research indicating that improvements to physical and mental health increase our job satisfaction and productivity. As leaders in Birmingham’s legal profession, we can encourage this wider reconnection to employee wellbeing.

I want to promote Birmingham as a centre of legal excellence by spotlighting who, what, where and how our lawyers have been working hard. Let’s celebrate our Birmingham heritage and support the growth of an outstanding legal hub of expertise and ambition.

Birmingham is also the place The Commonwealth Lawyers Association have chosen for their next Conference. Vice President, Tony McDaid has worked tirelessly over the past 3 years with the International Committee to persuade them to come to Birmingham and the Conference, "Race to the Commonwealth and Beyond" is an excellent opportunity for us to showcase our extremely talented lawyers on the International Stage. And with the Commonwealth Games in hot pursuit, this year presents a great opportunity for our city, our profession, and Birmingham Law Society.

To build on our society’s inclusivity and efforts to re-engage and reconnect, the charities I have chosen to support are: SIFA Fireside and Walk the Walk. Both are fantastic causes which support individuals during significantly difficult times in their lives. They offer the opportunity to get involved, and do something positive rather than just donating. By keeping in touch with our local community, whether that be cooking for those who find themselves homeless, or by completing a 26.2 mile fundraised walk, we are enriching our increasingly diverse BLS community.

Stephanie Perraton

NEW BIRMINGHAM LAW SOCIETY PRESIDENT TO CHAMPION WELLBEING SUPPORT

Supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of members is to become a top priority for Stephanie Perraton after her inauguration as the new president of Birmingham Law Society.

Stephanie, who heads up the licensing team at Squire Patton Boggs, replaces Inez Brown in the role as the society’s president, after a delayed start due to Covid. The legal expert says the events over the past two years are the driving force behind her plans to focus on the mental and physical wellbeing of society members.

Speaking on this, Stephanie Perraton, President of Birmingham Law Society, explained: “Without our members we wouldn’t be here which is why it is important to give back to the legal pool across Birmingham and the West Midlands. If recent months have taught us anything, looking out for one another is key for a thriving community. Therefore, it is critical that we seek to raise awareness, develop resources that are built to last and signpost members to these.”

With over 30 years’ experience in her field, Stephanie has already played an active part in mental health awareness during her time as the society’s Vice President. Following in the footsteps of the society’s first Black president, Inez Brown, Stephanie has also spoken about the importance of continuing progress regarding diversity in the profession.

“Building a strong legal community is at the heart of everything we do at Birmingham Law Society. It is an honour to follow a succession of excellent leaders who have made their mark as previous presidents. Equality, diversity and inclusion run through everything that the society stands for and I look forward to maintaining these values, continuing a culture of inclusion while representing the interests of all of our members across the Midlands.”

Representing more than 5,000 legal professionals across the region, Birmingham Law Society is the largest society of its kind.

“If we are to establish Birmingham as the centre of legal excellence, then supporting our members with a scheme that covers all aspects of wellbeing - mental and physical - is critical. I aspire to equip members with the tools necessary to support their own and others’ health to futureproof the legal profession in the region”, said Stephanie.