James Joseph is JURIST’s UK Senior Editor, and was recently accepted as a Ph.D. student in the King’s College London Department of War Studies, where he will study law and the responsibility to protect. 

In a press release issued by The Law Society Friday it was announced that “Solicitors wishing to celebrate their hard work “can now attend The Law Society of England and Wales admissions ceremony”. The first inaugural ceremony is due to take place in Leeds on 11th September, as I reported in earlier coverage.

The ceremony is open not just to those who have recently qualified, but to solicitors who qualified many years ago but who did not have chance to attend their ceremony. This marks the first time The Law Society has trialed such ceremonies since the 1990s. Today’s Law Society announcement follows previous announcements from March this year which reflect the profession taking huge steps towards broader access and empowerment for regional solicitors.

President of The Law Society Lubna Shuja commented:

“We are delighted to be introducing regional admissions ceremonies for our members. We hope the event in Leeds will be a step towards ensuring all lawyers, no matter where they are based, can attend, and celebrate their achievements.

“This has long been a Law Society goal, as well as being part of my presidential priorities to support members and address the barriers to entering the profession. It has been great to work alongside James Joseph and Emma Lilley, who have tirelessly campaigned for ‘Mission Admission‘ to realise this goal.

“Not all qualified solicitors can make it to the London ceremony. We want everyone to   have the chance to be cheered on by their peers and loved ones in recognition of their accomplishments. We hope that holding regional ceremonies will help achieve this.”

“I’m excited to be at the Leeds ceremony and look forward to celebrating with attendees on the day.”

Having worked on Mission Admission alongside Emma for the past couple of years, I’m delighted to see regional access to the profession open for solicitors wanting to have their day of celebration, and be admitted to the role of solicitor, without the cost, access arrangements and whatever other struggles attending a London-based ceremony might involve. If we are to make the legal profession truly accessible to all, we must start at the inception of their journey, and not as we find pitfalls along the way. This is a momentous occasion and one, both Emma and I cannot wait to celebrate in Leeds early next month!