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Welcome to the Middlesex Law Society website
We are in our 50th year as a local law society and thanks to a change to the Constitution of the Middlesex Law Society – made necessary because I am an academic and not a practitioner - I was honoured to become the 48th president of the MLS, especially as it was at the same time as Barak Obama became the 44th President of the USA.
It is a momentous time in many ways as we await the historic event in October 2009 with the opening of the UK Supreme Court in the renovated Middlesex Guildhall. The reform is intended to strengthen the rule of law in the UK.
It is also important for the rule of law, in a less grand way, to remember the contribution played by organisations such as the Middlesex Law Society. We are a representative of both the voluntary sector and of the independent professions.
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These aspects of British society should be treasured for the small role they play to ensure the continuity of good advice and the integrity of informed opinion in a world where the limitations of government and the temptation and pitfalls of the commercial market are obvious, particularly in times of a recession. We are fortunate in the UK in having a very effective civil society that works to provide important services, opportunities and protection amongst the big battalions of Government policy and market forces.
What we have in common with other local law societies is that we bring people together for a range of activities. Most important is to enjoy the company of other lawyers, law students, court officials and friends through social events such as annual dinners, wine tasting, walking tours, clay-pigeon shooting, garden parties and events for the young members group.
We also bring local practitioners together for the purpose of professional development through training events which provide information about recent changes to the law in specialist fields and a chance to top up their CPD points.
We act as a conduit to communicate with and to represent local lawyers. We aim to keep them up to date with changes in policy, funding and provide a means of consultation on new developments that affect the profession. Currently there is consultation taking place, through Lord Hunt on behalf of the Law Society, about the future of the organisation, regulation and control of legal practitioners. We bring professionals, lawyers and others together to discuss the major reforms that are facing the profession on such matters of legal aid, alternative business structures and multi-disciplinary partnerships.
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We have a most successful magazine, the Bill of Middlesex that is published four times a year. If you haven’t seen it I recommend it as an interesting insight into events in the legal world and to illustrate the activities of our society.
This year we celebrated our 50th anniversary with a dinner on 6th February 2009 in the glorious surroundings of the Law Society Council Chamber in Chancery lane. In attendance were many ex-presidents, current members and our guests of honour Lord Bach, Minister of Justice, Paul Marsh, President of the Law Society and Adrian Rees, CEO of the Solicitors Benevolent Association.
Bringing local lawyers together is our main aim and to this end I would extend an invitation to you to attended the Middlesex Law Society annual dinner on Thursday, 3 December 2009 in the prize winning Pillars restaurant on the Ealing campus, St Mary’s Road, of Thames Valley University.
We welcome new members from the legal and allied professions and I look forward to seeing you at our forthcoming events.
Cordially yours,
Professor Malcolm Davies.
Head of Ealing Law School, Thames Valley University, and President of the Middlesex Law Society
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