During the first six months of my presidency of the Law Society I have travelled overseas and across England and Wales to speak to lawyers from sectors such as the City, small high street practitioners, sole practitioners, in-house solicitors, private practice and solicitors working in publicly funded roles. This includes specialist conveyancers, legal aid solicitors and solicitors with right of audience at higher courts. I have met local law societies, student solicitors, law teachers, solicitors working for local government, solicitors who work abroad and overseas lawyers who want to work in England and Wales.

More importantly, as president, I have also been in the privileged position of speaking up for all these people; to the government, policy makers, the public and the media.

All of these individual and specific groups of solicitors have questions and concerns that are unique to them. They want to know how changes to the legal services market, regulation, and international or domestic trends will affect their interests and careers. They look to the Law Society for guidance on all these issues and to be a strong public voice on their behalf.

The City lawyer, the high street practitioner and the in-house counsel all want to know that the Law Society is making their best case. It is understandable that there is often one question (sometimes even criticism) that is levelled at us: how can just one person speak for, truly represent or even understand the whole profession?

I agree. I don’t think that any one solicitor can claim to represent the entire profession. Then again, why should one person be wholly representative of a profession that is as diverse as ours? Therein lies our strength.

Each of our members’ individual life stories, different experiences, professional insights and expertise mean that we bring something different to clients who rely on us for our professional judgement and advice. Without our diversity, in all senses of the word, how can we understand our clients’ different circumstances, or the situation they find themselves in, and best be able to guide them?

Chancery LaneAt Chancery Lane we have a president, vice-president and deputy vice-president with very different professional backgrounds who have been chosen to speak on behalf of every solicitor in England and Wales. We are committed to working together, consulting the profession and being its strongest possible advocate. Office-holders are elected from a Council of elected representatives that is as diverse as the profession that it represents. That helps to make sure those solicitors with a common or a specific viewpoint are represented and heard at national level. Many solicitors work through our specialist committees to develop policy and to lobby on behalf of the profession.

I have written before about the profession’s shared ethical bond. Our exceptional professional standards, duty to the court and desire to see the rule of law upheld and justice carried out bring us together as a coherent professional body. I firmly believe that shared professional and personal pride means more than where we trained or where we practised, and contributes to the exceptional added value that our profession brings to its clients.

When we are admitted to the roll we voluntarily put our personal interests aside in favour of duties to the public interest and securing fundamental principles around law and justice. I am pleased to report that the commitment is still alive and as strong as ever.

Greater goodI was delighted, when we decided to take action against the Legal Services Commission earlier this year during their family legal aid tendering process, to see how many different branches of the profession came together to support us. The City offered its support and, most impressively, many firms which stood to benefit from the tendering process put their interests aside for the greater good and filed statements in support of the Society’s position. That was proof to me that my belief in the profession is grounded in actions and not just words.

During that process, solicitors recognised that no matter which area of work we practised in, or who we represented, what we do is what is important. Solicitors are often all that stand between the public and government attacks on the rule of law, or the professional route through which anyone can seek justice. This is a powerful position to be in.

I would argue that no single individual is uniquely qualified to represent a profession that is as diverse and as interesting as ours. But when you are lucky enough to belong to a profession whose purpose is as clearly defined as ours, it is possible to speak with one voice and ambition.

That will be important given the decisions and changes we face during 2011. I hope that the profession will join me in remembering the value that lies in standing together for what we believe in.

Linda Lee is president of the Law Society