Next month
The Law Society has announced its first regional admission ceremony for solicitors qualifying outside London.
The ceremony, hosted by the Law Society of England and Wales, will take place at Leeds Civic Hall on Monday 11 September.
It comes after the success of “mission admission” a campaign by Manchester-based in-house solicitor and blogger Emma Lilley and bar course graduate James Joseph.
The campaign looks to broaden access to the ceremony for newly qualified solicitors celebrating their entrance to the profession. Traditionally, the ceremony takes place at the Society’s HQ on London’s Chancery Lane.
The Law Society has partnered up with Leeds Law Society to organise the celebration, which will also be open to solicitors who previously entered the profession but were unable to attend the London ceremonies.
Law Society of England and Wales president, 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.”
She continued: “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.”