Thank you for your email.

I am out of the office until Thursday 3 December 2009 but I will be checking emails from Thursday 26 November. If you require an urgent response before 26 November please forward your email to [email address].

Regards,
Bob Stanley
Information Compliance Manager
The Law Society
113 Chancery Lane
London
WC2A 1PL

Dear Mr Tyes

Freedom of Information Request - Our Ref: FOI/BS/315

Thank you for your email dated 24 December 2009 requesting information
under the Law Society Freedom of Information Code of Practice.

You have requested access to the following information:

'Please can you provide a list of all sub-groups of Solicitors - eg
'Asian' Solicitors, 'black women's solicitor' etc and your policy
and/or guidance on how these groups are set up/chosen.

Please provide details of any proposed groups that have been
refused permission to set up in the last 10 years.'

As you are aware, the Law Society is not covered by the Freedom of
Information Act (the FOIA) as it is not a designated authority, but has
adopted its own voluntary Code of Practice which closely reflects the
FOIA. For more information please read
[1]www.lawsociety.org.uk/documents/downloads/foicode.pdf

I am currently dealing with your request. Bob Stanley, Information
Compliance Manager will aim to respond formally by 22 January 2010 which
is 20 working days from the receipt of your request.

Yours sincerely

Joao Curro
Information Compliance Officer - Legal Services
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL
t: 020 7320 5729 (Ext 4539)
f: 020 7320 5685
[2]www.lawsociety.org.uk
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Dear Mr Tyes

Freedom of Information Request - Our Ref: FOI/BS/315

I refer to the above freedom of information request. Unfortunately due to
staff shortages we have been forced to extend the original deadline to
respond to your request by another two weeks to 05 February 2010. Please
accept my apologies for the delay in responding to you.

I am sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Yours sincerely

Joao Curro
Information Compliance Officer - Legal Services
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL
t: 020 7320 5729 (Ext 4539)
f: 020 7320 5685
[1]www.lawsociety.org.uk
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Dear Mr Tyes

Freedom of Information Request - Our Ref: FOI/BS/315

Further to my colleague Joao Curro's email of 29 December 2009, please
find below the response to your request for information under the Law
Society's Freedom of Information Code of Practice ("the Code").

You have requested access to the following information:

'Please can you provide a list of all sub-groups of Solicitors - eg
'Asian' Solicitors, 'black women's solicitor' etc and your policy
and/or guidance on how these groups are set up/chosen.

Please provide details of any proposed groups that have been
refused permission to set up in the last 10 years.'

An invitation was extended to the main BME groups: Black Solicitors'
Network (BSN), Society of Asian Lawyers (SAL) and Society of Black Lawyers
(SBL). SAL at the time expressed an interest but there was an issue as
the group also represent barristers. In the end BSN were the only group
that submitted a formal application. The BSN application was assessed by
a sub-group of the then Representation Board, chaired by Angus Andrew.
There was a lot of discussion around whether BSN should receive
recognition status as it is not truly representative of all BME groups.
The decision was made on the basis that no other groups came forward and
the Law Society was keen to have some representation for the BME sector.
This received the backing of Janet Paraskeva and was formally approved by
the Board. In response to point 2, no groups have been refused permission
to set up as, besides the BSN application, there were no other
applications made to the Law Society in the last 10 years.

Please find below additional information.

Extract from Council mins held on 16/17 July 2003

PROPOSAL TO AWARD RECOGNISED GROUP STATUS TO THE BLACK SOLICITORS' NETWORK

The Council agreed:

To approve, in principle, that the Black Solicitors' Network should be
accorded recognised group status by the Law Society on the basis that it
would aspire to achieve a membership of 500 in the first two years.

<<BSN recognition of new groups.doc>> <<recognised group status BSN.doc>>

REPRESENTATION BOARD MINUTES.

MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE REPRESENTATION BOARD

SUB-GROUP ON GRANT ALLOCATIONS TO RECOGNISED GROUPS

HELD AT THE LAW SOCIETY

ON WEDNESDAY 11 JUNE, 7 JULY AND 16 JULY 2003

Black Solicitors Network

10.1 The sub-group noted the recommendation to Council that this
group should be accorded a Law Society Recognised Group status. The
sub-group's recommendation for funding and support were subject to
the Council's approval of Representation Board proposals.

10.2 The BSN currently had 150 members and had been given a
target that in a two-year period membership would have increased to
500.

10.3. Conclusion

Having considered the bids in detail, it was recommended that the
Group be awarded £25,000 plus reasonable administrative staff
support from the Law Society. It is recommended that a 1/3 of a
Policy Executive and a 1/3 of an administrative officer be
allocated to support the work of this group. The Group should be
encouraged to network with other groups to ensure that duplication
of activities is avoided. Details of this funding against that
requested by the group and any relevant comments are attached at
table 6.

Yours sincerely

Bob Stanley
Information Compliance Manager - Legal Services
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL
t: 020 7242 1222 (x4117)
f: 020 7320 5685
[1]www.lawsociety.org.uk
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Dear Mr Tyes

I refer to your email dated 27 January 2010 to my colleague, Joao Curro,
in which you ask the following:

"It appears that you have answered my question on criteria for group
creation, and appliations in last 10 years, but please could you
provide a list of all existing sub-groups."

I list below the groups that have Law Society recognition status based on
either representing a demographic or 'disadvantaged' sector of the
profession.

Recognised Groups
Association of Women Solicitors
Black Solicitors Network
Commerce & Industry Group
Solicitors in Local Government Group
Solicitor Sole Practitioners Group

Divisions
Lawyers with Disabilities Division (formerly Group for Solicitors with
Disabilities)
Junior Lawyers Division (formerly the Trainee Solicitors Group and Young
Solicitors Group)

There are a number of independent solicitor associations and groups that
operate independently of The Law Society.

You also ask the following question

"Please could you also confirm whether a sub-group for male
solicitors would be acceptable, given that you have a group for
female solicitors and have an equality duty?"

This is a request for the Law Society's opinion or future policy position
rather than an information request and we are therefore not obliged to
respond to this under the Society's Freedom of Information Code.

Yours sincerely

Bob Stanley
Information Compliance Manager - Legal Services
The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL
t: 020 7242 1222 (x4117)
f: 020 7320 5685
[1]www.lawsociety.org.uk
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