Preliminary notice of Council elections 2022

The Law Society and our Council

The Law Society is the independent professional body for solicitors, acting as the voice of solicitors, driving excellence in the profession and safeguarding the rule of law.

Our Council fulfils the following strategic and high-level functions:

• providing the collective voice of the profession
• setting policy on issues of profession-wide significance perhaps referred to it by boards or committees
• keeping under review the arrangements for dealing with regulatory functions, including the appointment of members of the regulatory boards, and modifying them as necessary, in consultation with the Legal Services Board (LSB)
• setting priorities for the representative Law Society, to provide a framework within which supporting structures can work
• providing a forum for debate on issues of significance to the profession
• setting key targets and a budget reflecting the organisation’s priorities
• electing the office holders, who are the primary spokespeople for the profession
• ensuring that arrangements are in place for coordinating the work carried out by boards and committees and so on, and for resolving divergences of view where necessary

We are grateful to you for your interest in joining Council. If you are elected, we will of course provide support, induction and training to assist you in your role, and more details of this will be provided to successful candidates.

A statement of the role and responsibilities of Council members can be found at annex 5 to this preliminary notice.

Induction and training

We will provide you with induction to help you meet your responsibilities.

You will also have to undertake equality and diversity training within six months of your election. We will provide you with more information if you are elected.

Code of conduct

We have a set of Principles of Conduct for all elected and appointed members, including Council members, which includes guidance on a number of matters including:

• conflicts of interest
• dignity at work
• member and staff relations

If you are elected, we will expect you to comply with the Principles of Conduct.

We have a published register of Council members’ interests. If you are elected, we will ask you to register relevant interests.

We will expect you to adhere to these rules and to maintain good professional standing throughout your term as a Council member.

View the Principles of Conduct and other constitutional documents

Council member expenses

We will refund your expenses for coming to Council, board and committee meetings. If you are elected, you will be provided with guidelines on expenses.

Candidate expenses

You must meet your own costs in the election.

If you use our facilities for meetings, we will charge you our normal commercial rates.

Canvassing

We do not share potential electors’ contact details with candidates.

We provide copies of candidates’ personal statements to electors alongside voting papers.

We also send out an election canvassing email to electors in each constituency where there is a contest, which pulls together in a single email attachment all personal statements from those candidates who have chosen to submit them.

For further information, email [email protected] or call 020 8049 4109.

The Principles of Conduct set out the general principles to be followed by members canvassing in any election.

Withdrawal of nominations

You may withdraw your nomination at any time.

If you withdraw after the last date for nominations but before the voting papers (if the election is contested) have been circulated, the election will proceed as if you had never been nominated or, if there is only one remaining candidate, they will be elected unopposed.

If you were the only candidate, we will proceed as if you had never been nominated and ask a nomination committee of representatives of the relevant local law societies or (for non-geographical seats) relevant bodies to select a candidate who will be elected accordingly.