The Law Society
The Law Society (www.lawsociety.org.uk) is the regulatory and representative body for solicitors in England and Wales.
In 1823, several prominent attorneys met to call for the formation of "The London Law Institution" to raise the reputation of the profession by setting standards and ensuring good practice. This would be housed near the Inns of Court. By 1825 the term "London" was dropped from the title to reflect the Institution´s national aspirations.
The Society was founded on 2 June 1825, when a committee of management was appointed. The Society acquired its first Royal Charter in 1831 and opened a new building in Chancery Lane in 1832. A new Charter in 1845 defined the Society as an independent, private body servicing the affairs of the profession like other professional, literary and scientific bodies.
The organisation became known colloquially as the Law Society although its first formal title was "The Society of Attorneys, Solicitors, Proctors and others not being Barristers, practising in the Courts of Law and Equity of the United Kingdom". In 1903 the Society changed its official name to "The Law Society".
The Law Society works with a wide variety of external bodies across legal, government and professional institutions to achieve a better system of justice for the public. These relationships are essential to the Society´s key functions.
The Assessment Network is licensed by The Law Society to undertake assessments and annual maintenance visits against "Lexcel", the Law Society´s Practice Management Quality Mark.
