180 years of the Worcestershire Law Society - part one

180 years of the Worcestershire Law Society (founded 1841)

My recollections of the WLS from 1990 to 2017 – James Sommerville

James Sommerville When I first came to Worcestershire in April 1990 I was quickly inveigled by the late Adrian Gaynor-Smith, then the President of Worcestershire Law Society (WLS), into the ways of the Society. The AGM fell shortly afterwards attended by 70 or 80 members at The Bishop’s Palace at Worcester with a meal afterwards in the Bishop’s Parlour.

At the 1990 AGM, David Hallmark assumed the mantle of President.

The principal guest speaker at the AGM for many years was the current President of the National Law Society (NLS).

I particularly recall the visit of Martin Mears in 1996 (he had become President in 1995 in the Peasants Revolt, a protest by solicitors against Buggins’ turn) and the visit by Tony Girling in 1997 when things had calmed down.

The AGM was an event for the local legal calendar and an opportunity to catch up with colleagues, rivals and members of the legal fraternity and sorority.

Over the years and with changing times, attendance at the WLS AGM has declined. The venue was moved to the former police station at Deansway and sometimes we were fortunate to attract 25 to 30 legal souls.

Annual Dinner

This was and still is the highlight of the President’s year. Traditionally, Presidents of neighboring Law Societies (including Birmingham), members of the local judiciary, local worthies, and other guests of the President’s choice are invited. Occasionally the Chief Constable also makes an appearance.

Notable guest speakers have included (in no particular order) Carol Thatcher, Mr Justice Curtis, Mr Justice Hughes (as he then was), Mr Justice Flaux (as he then was), former Labour Government Minister Mike O’Brien QC, Peter Morris (Crown Prosecutor), Dr Alex Pravda (an Oxford don) and Lord Digby Jones. The contributions of the guest speakers varied from informative, educational and often hilarious, to the dire. No names, no pack drill.

The venues for the annual dinner are also varied and have included Eastnor Castle, the Pear Tree at Smite, Star Hotel in Worcester, the Guildhall at Worcester, Grafton Manor in Bromsgrove, Stanbrook Abbey in Callow End, the Abbey Hotel in Malvern, and Chateau Impney in Droitwich. Again, the annual dinner was an opportunity to network.

In 2002, the postponement for a month or two of the date of the annual dinner led to a court hearing in London in August 2002 at the suit of the aptly named “Stand and Deliver” - who lost.

In contrast to fabled stories of the shenanigans of senior partners of member firms of neighboring local law societies at their annual dinners, WLS members have behaved themselves.

Training

In 1998, the WLS entered into a fruitful partnership with Central Law Training (CLT) and this commenced in 1999 when CLT began to offer courses over a wide range of disciplines. CLT accepted the commercial risk and shared the net profits equally with WLS. For many years this produced a welcome addition to the WLS’s revenue stream over and above member subscriptions.

In the course of time, the onset of the internet and webinars together with in-house training resulted in fewer members of the WLS attending the in-person CLT courses and the arrangement came to a dignified conclusion in the second decade of this century.

Presidents

Over the years, Presidents have been drawn from firms across the county including the larger firms. Robin Humphreys went beyond the call of duty by remaining as President for two years after his year in office. Other Presidents have gone on to become Presidents of the West Midlands Association of the Law Society, Council members at the National Law Society and District Judges.

Two Presidents have been struck off and/or spent time at Her Majesty’s pleasure.

WLS and the National Law Society

The late Robin ap Cynan was the Council member for the Welsh Marches (Worcestershire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Brecon & Radnorshire) from 1990 to 2015 and was a valuable conduit to the WLS. Patricia Beeching nobly stepped up to the task of being our Council member after Robin died in the autumn of 2015.

Traditionally, the President and the Secretary attend the National Law Society conference and the local Law Society conference each year in order to catch up with developments in the legal sector, to give input, and to network.

WLS Committees

The President was and is assisted by the WLS Committee consisting of volunteer members from the Solicitor body in Worcestershire. The Committee:

• Considers papers emanating from the National Law Society and responds; • Makes representations on behalf of WLS members e.g. on conveyancing, legal aid, civil charging rates, laws reform and the like; • Lobbies local MPs; • Acts as a conduit for local solicitors and their firms.

The Secretary

The job of the Secretary of the WLS was and is to take minutes of the meetings at WLS Committees, liaise with the President and members of the WLS regarding courses/training and local legal issues arising, send out the paperwork for the AGM and report back to the Committee and the President on communications received from the National Law Society.

The Secretary also attends the Annual Secretaries Conference hosted by NLS.

A former Secretary has gone on to be a District Judge in the County. From 2013 onwards the day to day tasks of the Secretary were taken over by a part-time Administrator. • Murder mystery at the Commandery; • Visit to Madresfield Court; • Visit to Hobsons Brewery in Cleobury Mortimer; • Tenpin bowling; • Visit to the Edgbaston Test Match; • A lecture by Professor Anthony Bradley (with a supporting cast) in 2000 at Worcester Cathedral to mark the Millennium and

Worcester’s connection with King John and the Magna Carta – attended by over 400 guests; • Visit to the Tower of Worcester Cathedral; • Participation in Worcester Lawyers Cricket matches with WLS members providing contributions of varying quality.

Final Note

I would encourage all those who have had a long association with our Worcestershire Law Society to put pen to paper with their recollections and I look forward to reading them. Time does pass quickly and a written record will be a helpful reminder for our colleagues in the future of what it was like.

J A Sommerville

[Note from the Editor of Pears – we would like to invite anybody with their own recollections of the WLS over the years, which they would like to share with our members, to email these to katie.banks@mfgsolicitors.com for inclusion in the next edition.]

Communications and Social Events

In the last 10 years and at no cost to the WLS, the Pears magazine was launched. It is paid for by advertising within its pages. It has proved a popular and effective conduit to members, not only by the President but also by Committee members, and has included contributions by members of the WLS to its editions. It has advertised forthcoming training, the AGM and social events.

In relation to the latter, these have included (and preceding the Pears magazine itself):