5 minute read
President Colin Mitchell in conversation with Alison Grundle
Traditionally, The Writ has included a profile of the incoming President. Last year, Darren Toombs introduced a more relaxed approach with a chat over a coffee in the Law Club. 2025 President Colin Mitchell has also decided to follow the same format this year.
Welcome President, you’ve been in post for a couple of months now. How are you finding it?
It’s a bit of a stop start. It begins in November with lots of meetings and a number of calendar events, the annual dinner etc. Then there’s the break for Christmas. So you really only get into the day-to-day grind of it in January but my diary is definitely filling up now.
For those members who don’t know you yet – tell us a little about yourself. I was born in Lisburn. None of my family has a legal background. I studied Law at the University of Dundee, came back, was apprenticed to McCartan Turkington Breen and have been there ever since, and I’m now a senior partner.
To become President, you have to have been a Council Member so it’s a path that takes time. Before becoming involved with the Society I was involved in the Belfast Solicitors’ Association and other bodies. I’ve never been one for sitting on the sidelines shouting and waiting for someone else to sort things out. That doesn’t necessarily mean a seat on Council. There are lots of other ways to support the profession, such as through sitting on Committees. For me it’s a case of you can’t get anything done if you aren’t on the inside and I wanted to be on the inside to influence decisions and making change possible.
You mentioned Committees, every Council member sits on various Committees as do other members who are co-opted. What’s your passion for Committees?
I’ve been Chair of the Contentious Business Committee for the past number of years. Most of my working life has been spent on litigation and licensing which are both covered by that Committee, so that’s an obvious one. It has allowed me, to have that ballast behind the things I feel are important and the policy decisions I want to drive. Albeit those must align with the objectives and direction of Council and your fellow solicitors. But, if there’s something you really want and have a passion for then you should enquire about joining the Committee dealing with that matter and throw yourself in! You really can make change happen. It’s also useful to be able to speak to decision makers, MLAs etc. under the banner of the Law Society – a respected name and organisation.
And in terms of commitment, is being on a Committee demanding of your time?
It’s not overly demanding, but it is what you make of it to a certain degree. To get the most out of it, you will have to commit a bit of time. Most Committees meet monthly or every six weeks. In addition there may be a specific project or a consultation that needs a response and you can put yourself forward to work on that. If it’s a matter you have an interest in you’ll want to get involved and make your voice heard. That usually involves another meeting here or there, but there is a good secretariat which looks after a lot of the admin. It really is up to you though – but to make sure your ideas are being considered you’re talking perhaps another 1-2 hours per month as a Committee member.
You’re certainly an advocate for members getting involved. 2025 is an election year. Do you have a message to members?
Put yourselves forward! Elections are online these days so it’s easier to get your name out to the electorate and Council meetings are online so it no longer requires a trek to Belfast. Don’t be afraid to stand for Council. As well as a new Council in November, we will also have refreshed Committees and you can be co-opted onto a Committee without sitting on Council.
Looking ahead at the rest of this year – what else will you be focusing on?
Remuneration needs to be addressed. It is important for our firms as businesses to be able to operate in a way that drives financial security, that allows more work to be taken on and makes practice work attractive for younger solicitors. This year you’ll see us doing a lot more advocacy work on the hourly rate and on Legal Aid fees.
I’m also very keen on looking at conveyancing rates – I believe they are currently too low. It’s a fool’s errand to say an increase would lose clients. We need to have the confidence to charge our worth.
There’s currently a consultation under way on ‘entry routes to the profession’ undoubtedly this is another passion of yours?
Definitely, but it should be a passion for all of us. The consultation leaves nothing off the table, so to speak. The National Minimum Wage issue last year created a lot of debate about this and the Society has responded. So please take some time and get your responses in. I’m really looking forward to seeing what members think and to moving this forward.
