Promoting Professional Excellence.
There are 17 professional committees at Birmingham Law Society, each dealing with a different area of legal practice. The committees meet regularly to review and discuss relevant legislation, news and other issues affecting their sector of expertise.
Through regular email updates and specialist events, the committees communicate and engage with all Society members operating in their respective areas of law, keeping them consistently informed, connected and challenged.
The Committees
Criminal Law Committee
The Criminal Law Committee consists of members drawn from throughout Birmingham and surrounding areas. Its co-opted members include representatives of the judiciary and the Legal Aid Agency, as well as HMCTS staff, probation officers, prosecutors and others.
The Committee liaises with prisons, police and the courts about issues affecting all of our members. It also responds to consultations, and lobbies on behalf of both members and clients.
Dispute Resolution Committee
The Dispute Resolution Committee supports members working in commercial and civil dispute resolution litigation (excluding personal injury). It is dedicated to improving standards of all forms of commercial dispute resolution within the Midlands region including litigation and all forms of ADR such as mediation and arbitration.
The DRC organises a variety of professional development and networking opportunities for members with the aim of raising the profile of the city’s dispute resolution network and the Birmingham Business & Property Courts as a centre of excellence and innovation for commercial dispute resolution.
Employment Law Committee
The Employment Law Committee, formed of senior employment law practitioners from across the Midlands region, meets monthly to consider recent and proposed changes in employment law and practice.
The Committee also undertakes annual discussions with senior representatives of ACAS, the regional judiciary, and various trade unions, as well as responding to government and other consultations as required.
Family Law Committee
Formed of a range of professionals working in the family justice system, the Family Law Committee aims to promote the Midlands as a centre of national excellence for the sector.
The committee’s current objectives include improving access to specialist financial judges in relevant finance cases; addressing the significant increase in the number of applications relating to children issued at courts across the Midlands; and offering a greater range of ADR services to accommodate the increase in LiPs, thus reducing the volume of cases dealt with by the courts (and subsequently reducing the delay and expense involved for all).
Immigration Committee
Further to lobbying by several BLS members it was noted that despite there being a large number of Immigration lawyers in Birmingham and the surrounding areas, BLS did not have a dedicated immigration committee.
Our primary focus is the law and the legislative process relating to contentious and non-contentious immigration practice and engaging with consultations relevant to those areas.
In-House Committee
The In House Committee, formed of lawyers from a diverse range of public and private sector organisations in the Midlands region, seeks to raise the profile of the in house community in the region and to encourage further in house lawyers to join the Birmingham Law Society.
The Committee’s initial objectives to develop the in house community include: creating a forum and opportunities for in house lawyers across the region to network and share experience and best practice, and creating training and development opportunities to assist organisations throughout the region in respect of recruitment, training and retention of in house talent.
International Committee
The International Committee exists primarily to promote the legal expertise that exists in Birmingham to the global market.
The Committee regularly engages with lawyers in overseas jurisdictions, hosts visiting lawyers, students and members of the overseas judiciary, and provides seminars and events relevant to those with an interest in international law and procedure.
Junior Lawyers Division Committee
The Junior Lawyers Division Committee supports, represents, and inspires the next generation of Birmingham’s legal profession.
They do this by providing meaningful opportunities for professional development, networking, mentoring, and wellbeing, while championing diversity, inclusion, and access to the profession.
Legal Tech Committee
The Legal Tech Committee aims to promote the integration and adoption of legal technology in practice, influencing policy, and advancing professional development and education through innovation and collaboration.
The committee will provide a platform for discussion, knowledge-sharing, and thought leadership in legal technology. The committee will also engage with law firms, legal professionals, academics, and technology providers, organise events, training sessions, and networking opportunities and influence regulatory policies and guidelines related to the use of technology in legal practice. Finally, the committee will bridge the gap between legal professionals and emerging legal technologies through research, best practices, and industry collaborations.
Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Committee
More details to follow.
Private Client Committee
The main objective of the Private Client Committee is to focus on the law and the legislative process relating to private client practice (specifically: wills; probate and estate administration; wealth and inheritance tax planning; capacity issues (including powers of attorney and Court of Protection matters); and trusts) and engaging with consultations relevant to those areas, including liaising with public bodies such as the Office of the Public Guardian and the Probate Registry where appropriate.
Pro Bono Committee
The objectives of the Pro Bono Committee are to support, promote and celebrate pro bono work in the Midlands region, by facilitating the sharing of best practice amongst practitioners, publicising relevant career development opportunities, and hosting events for Birmingham Law Society members and the wider community.
The Committee is also responsible for maintaining the Society’s public pro bono database, through which individuals seeking free legal advice can be connected with members and organisations offering pro bono services.
Professional Regulation Committee
The Professional Regulation Committee is responsible both for responding directly to professional regulation consultations – from the SRA, LSB, Legal Ombudsman, SDT and, occasionally, the Ministry of Justice – and for assisting with specialist consultation responses by the Society’s other professional committees.
It also deals with all professional regulatory issues as and when they arise, including providing information to The Law Society when requested and commenting on issues where appropriate.
Property and Development Committee
The Property and Development Committee has representatives from across commercial and residential property, construction and planning law. It meets monthly to discuss best practice, recent case law updates and risk management.
The Committee also responds to government consultation papers, with past consultation topics including the privatisation of the Land Registry and proposed changes in leasehold and conveyancing practice, as well as holding occasional social events for property professionals.
Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage (REACH) Committee
Committed to promoting diversity, inclusion and representation across the legal profession.
REACH works to increase access, visibility and opportunity for individuals from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds, as well as others from underrepresented communities. The committee seeks to address barriers to entry and progression, while celebrating the rich cultural heritage that strengthens both the profession and the communities it serves.
Through a range of initiatives, REACH creates spaces for connection, learning and celebration. Its work has included the annual Cultural Heritage Dinner, which brings together members of the legal profession to celebrate diversity and encourage cross-cultural dialogue, as well as a Spoken Word Competition for students, designed to build confidence, amplify diverse voices and develop key employability skills.
REACH members also regularly contribute to panel discussions and wider sector conversations on diversity, inclusion, career development and representation within the law.
By working collaboratively and creatively, REACH supports aspiring, early-career and established legal professionals, while championing equity and cultural understanding. The committee plays an important role in helping to shape a legal profession that is more representative, accessible and responsive to the diverse communities it serves.