I am honoured to be the 181st president of the Law Society of England and Wales, and proud to be only the third to come from Wales. Supporting the next generation of solicitors, whatever their background, has been central to my career and will remain at the heart of my presidency.
My vision is clear. I want to build a profession fit for the future, give solicitors a strong voice and place wellbeing at the centre of how we work. These priorities will prepare the profession for the challenges ahead and protect access to justice for the public we serve.
By 2027, more than 30,000 new solicitors are expected to qualify across England and Wales, and our profession is more diverse than ever. Yet many aspiring solicitors still face financial, geographical and social barriers.
One solution already working in England is their funded legal level seven apprenticeships. For more than a decade, this route has allowed young people to earn while they study, avoiding significant debt. Equivalent to a master’s degree, they are the only way to qualify outside university and provide a vital route into the profession for those who cannot afford tuition fees.
Welsh Government have made the choice to not make this option available to young people in Wales, and our aspiring solicitors must either take on heavy financial burdens or move to England to qualify in this way. Having grown up and built my career in Wales, I know how important it is to be able to stay close to your own community to train and work, and I will continue to urge the Welsh Government to match or even improve upon the offer available in England.
Fully funding a legal level seven apprenticeship programme in Wales would support retention of talent, the growth of rural and high street firms and slow the growth of legal deserts. These are large areas where there are either not enough solicitors or none at all, meaning people cannot access suitable legal advice when they need it most.
The human cost of these legal deserts is already visible. In 2023, a disabled tenant in Rhondda Cynon Taf travelled 43 miles for legal aid representation, only to find the firm had closed. She was one of 7,000 people classed as hidden homeless in Wales that year. Without action, solicitor numbers in some parts of Wales could fall by a third within five years.
Our Reimagining Justice by 2030 papers, set out the challenges facing Wales and highlighted opportunities for growth. With the 2026 Senedd election, we have the chance to tackle long-standing problems and ensure Wales is not left behind.
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A highlight of my year will be the St David’s Day Celebration in Cardiff. It will bring our profession together in the heart of Wales to celebrate our culture and set out the Law Society’s vision for the future.
We will hear a keynote address from Dr Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury and co-chair of the Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales, who will reflect on the current state of the justice sector in Wales and the evidence the commission gathered for devolving justice.
As we shape the profession for the future, we must also support the solicitors at its heart. Too many struggle with burnout and poor mental health, with evidence showing lower wellbeing and higher anxiety amongst solicitors than the general working population. The impact is greatest on junior lawyers, women, ethnic minorities and disabled colleagues.
Many firms already support wellbeing in different ways, but it must be central to how we work. LawCare has published its Life in the Law 2025 survey, and I will promote the outcomes and use the information gathered to shape ongoing conversations around mental health and wellbeing. It is crucial we give solicitors the opportunity to share the challenges they are facing and identify where the Law Society and expert partners can provide support.
My experience of practising law for nearly three decades has given me a clear sense of what is needed. That is why I am committed to listening to solicitors, in Wales and England, on issues such as the solicitors qualifying examination, while pressing Welsh and 海角视频 governments to invest in courts, technology and regulation so the profession remains resilient and forward-looking.
This commitment extends to our new get involved strategy launching in November, which will create more opportunities for solicitors to shape the Law Society’s work in ways that suit them, ensuring volunteers and local law societies are recognised and their voices heard nationally.
Our profession has always embodied quality, expertise and innovation, grounded in the rule of law and personal integrity. Looking ahead, I want us to face the future with aspiration, confidence and optimism, ensuring solicitors have a strong voice, the support they need and a profession ready for the challenges to come.