President’s Jottings

INTRODUCTION

President’s Jottings

AUTUMN 2022

As I write this, we have just enjoyed the fourth Surrey Legal Awards celebrating some of the best of the county’s legal talent. We had a record number of nominations, and the calibre of the firms and individuals involved really showed what incredible work is being done by our members. Huge congratulations to everyone who was shortlisted, and of course the winners on the night.

Having been involved with the Awards since the first event in 2018, it’s wonderful to see how it grows each year, and I’m looking forward to next year already.

We had a brilliant time celebrating with everyone. It was so lovely to see people supporting their colleagues, and we had a very funny after-dinner speech from Clive Anderson, including reflecting on “that” Bee Gees interview.

Between the silent auction and the generous donations received on the night, we raised over £4,000 for the Samson Centre for Multiple Sclerosis, which far surpasses the amount raised in any previous year. Thank you to everyone who participated for their amazing generosity, which I know will make an enormous difference to the valuable work done by this very small local charity.

The event would not have been possible without our fantastic sponsors, particularly our headline sponsor Actionstep, and thank you to all of our other sponsors – Evelyn Partners, Chantries & Pewleys, Conscious Solutions, Guildford Chambers, Landmark Information, LawSure Insurance, My New Venture, Square Daisy and Tower Street Finance.

Mentoring Scheme

During my welcome speech at the Awards, I mentioned that we will soon be putting together a mentoring scheme, pairing junior lawyers with more experienced lawyers outside of their firms for general career guidance and support. It is my hope that this will be valuable and rewarding for both sides; if you would be interested in shaping the scheme with your input, we would very much like to hear from you.

Pride

I was pleased to join the Pride in Surrey march in August, representing Surrey Law Society’s commitment to making sure that we encourage a profession as diverse as the community it serves. Pride of course celebrates the LGBTQ+ community, and we are also committed to making sure we represent diversity in every sense. If you have any ideas as to how things can be improved or have experiences you think would be worth sharing (whether positive or negative), please do get in touch. We have a very active EDI Committee and are always looking to welcome new members to join this group.

100 years of women in law

December 2022 marks 100 years since the first female solicitor was admitted to the roll, paving the way for thousands more over the following century. There were four women due to qualify at the same time in December 1922; because this was a momentous event, it was decided that one of them needed to be the first, leading to a running race down Chancery Lane! The first to reach the Law Society, and therefore the first female solicitor admitted, was Carrie Morrison.

Today, 60% of those entering the profession are female, and over time we will see this reflected more in senior positions.

Current Affairs

As the nation mourns the loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II there remains a sense of instability, and our experience over the last few years causes concern there is always something else just around the corner, and so far, there is.

The “mini-Budget” will have significant implications for practitioners across the legal profession, touching almost every area of practice. For example, property lawyers who are advising on the changes to Stamp Duty Land Tax will potentially see an influx in client demand similar to the Stamp Duty holiday in 2020. With rising interest rates, practitioners are seeing lenders withdrawing from the market and a growing sense of uncertainty among clients as well.

If Surrey Law Society can support you in any way as we continue to navigate our way through, please do reach out.

AGM

The next event in our social calendar is the AGM and ‘Legal Brain of Surrey Quiz’ on 17 November 2022. This will be held at The Weyside Pub in Guildford, and it’s always a fun evening; I look forward to meeting some of you there.

Madeleine Beresford

Madeleine Beresford

President