Committees

Promoting Professional Excellence.

There are 12 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 litigation (excluding personal injury) and is dedicated to improving standards of litigation within the Midlands region.

The Committee organises a variety of professional development opportunities for members, including ongoing advocacy training and a recent accountancy training program run in conjunction with BDO. It also runs the Circuit Commercial Court Network (CCC Network), through which members can provide anonymous feedback to the courts, with a view to improving the court experience for members and their clients.

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.

Equality and Diversity Committee

The Equality and Diversity Committee deals with issues of equality, diversity and inclusion, both in Birmingham Law Society itself and in the legal profession more widely.

By providing information, advice and support, the Committee helps progress initiatives that promote equality for all members of the profession, regardless of race, ethnicity, heritage, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.

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.

Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Committee

More details to follow.

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.