What attracted me to be on the committee of the SLLS:
I have always practiced law in South London and it felt natural to join the committee when the opportunity presented itself. Working with other lawyers in different fields has enabled me to have a better understanding of the extensive variety in the respective fields of work of our members.
What I would like to achieve during my tenure:
I hope to achieve as much as possible. One way of achieving this is by helping to grow and increase our membership. I also wish to reach out to smaller firms and sole practitioners who might feel disconnected and underrepresented. This is a big ask, but with the assistance of the other committee members I am determined to achieve this.
What attracted me to be on the committee of the SLLS:
The South London Law Society appeared on my radar in the course of my work as the Director of Greenwich Housing Rights, a charity providing housing legal services to people who cannot afford to pay. I was delighted to accept the nomination as its current serving vice president within a very short time after joining the committee.
What I would like to achieve during my tenure:
I am a founding member of the Windrush Justice Clinic and aim to continue my pro bono work to achieve justice for those who have suffered as a result of the Windrush Scandal.
What attracted me to be on the committee of the SLLS:
Having during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns responded to a SLLS invitation to members to raise issues affecting their work, it was suggested that I voice my concerns during a monthly SLLS meeting after which I was invited to join the committee. Having attended committee meetings for some months, I was honoured to be asked to stand in for the then Honorary Secretary while she was on maternity leave and I subsequently stayed on to fill this post.
What I would like to achieve during my tenure:
I would like help the SLLS to modernise and simplify administrative processes. I further absolutely love mentoring younger lawyers and am keen to do so.
What attracted me to be on the committee of the SLLS:
I joined the SLLS committee in 2017 as I was attracted to work with lawyers across a range of firms to promote the interest of the profession and as keen to maintain my involvement in the community and especially in relation to encouraging young people in South London to explore a career in law and overcome social barriers to enter the profession. When I moved to a firm in central London I was keen to retain my links with South London having lived and worked in the area since 2005. Although I now live in East London, my connection to south of the river remains my strongest!
What I would like to achieve during my tenure:
During my tenure I am keen to be involved in promoting awareness of mental and physical health as a way to manage wellness and resilience across the profession.
What attracted me to be on the committee of the SLLS:
I was pleased to be invited to join the committee of the SLLS during 2021 as I am keen to support other members of the profession in the South London Area with their specific needs and interests.
What I would like to achieve during my tenure:
I would love to organise at least two events which members would find useful.
What attracted me to be on the committee of the SLLS:
I joined the junior lawyer’s division of the South London Law Society when I was a trainee solicitor. Working for a small firm, my firm only took on one trainee solicitor at a time, so I didn’t have any peers and found them through joining the committee. Over time I joined the South London Law Society committee and have also been nominated to sit on the Law Society Council.
What I would like to achieve during my tenure:
During my tenure I would like to encourage more events to be hosted by the South London Law Society, bringing together peers from large firms, small firms and in-house to get people talking and sharing ideas in the interests of justice.
What attracted me to be on the committee of the SLLS:
I was asked to join the SLLS after being elected chair of the South London Junior Lawyers Division (SLJLD), which is the members committee for junior lawyers working and living in South London. I had initially joined the SLJLD as a committee member in order to network with other lawyers and give back to the legal community both through professional and social events. I have continued this passion during my time at the SLLS, which has allowed me to support and further the legal profession for our members in South London.
What I would like to achieve during my tenure:
Alongside the objectives of the SLLS, one of my keen interests is improving the diversity within the legal profession and especially increasing diversity of lawyers in non-traditional roles, such as in-house. I am also keen on mentoring and working with students to navigate the entrance into the profession and securing relevant experience.
What attracted me to be on the committee of the SLLS:
Hanne & Co’s David Taylor was President of the South London Law Society from 2003 to 2006 and a committee member following this. Having heard and seen all of the fantastic things David was involved in over the years, I was thrilled when the opportunity arose to get involved this year. This year marks Hanne & Co’s 125th year in Battersea and protecting and advancing the legal profession in the South London region is incredibly important to me.
What I would like to achieve during my tenure:
During my tenure, I would like to play a part in protecting and advancing the profession and making a positive impact in the South London region. I am passionate about mentoring junior lawyers and further hope to share my knowledge with and inspire particularly those that have changed their careers as I had.
What attracted me to be on the committee of the SLLS:
I am a Senior Lecturer in law at London South Bank University which has always had an extremely close relationship with the South London Law Society. As a South London resident, an experienced family law solicitor and past chair of the Family Law Committee of the Law Society of England & Wales where he I currently serve as a member of the Access to Justice Committee, I was pleased to serve as President of the SLLS before, throughout and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
What I would like to achieve during my tenure:
In continuing my pro bono work as Director of the LSBU’s Family Law hub I would like to encourage other SLLS member firms both to mentor law students and do pro bono work if they do not do so already.
What attracted me to be on the committee of the SLLS:
I am a solicitor in London South Bank University’s Legal Advice Clinic and was a Council Member of the Law Society of England & Wales for 19 years. Becoming a committee member of the SLLS was therefore a natural development and I served as President of the SLLS in 2002/3.
What I would like to achieve during my tenure:
I am deeply passionate about justice and the defence of human rights. I am Secretary of the Human Rights Commission of the European Bars Federation (FBE), and an internationalist. I will continue this work with the aim of making a difference to those suffering human rights abuses and I will support and defend human rights lawyers at risk in whatever jurisdiction.
What attracted me to be on the committee of the SLLS:
I joined the Committee to make a contribution to the wellbeing of South London law firms and to give us a voice both locally and in the wider domain.
What I would like to achieve during my tenure:
My tenure has been long, some 16 years, with 4 as President. I feel we have made progress but there is much more to do and my aim now is to support the current President and his team to drive membership and awareness.
What attracted me to be on the committee of the SLLS:
Being a born and bred South Londoner (I grew up in Wandsworth and now live in Wimbledon), I was thrilled to be asked to join the SLLS as an opportunity to give something back to my local community. My day to day role doesn’t naturally lend itself to working with people who are unable to access the legal system and I was therefore particularly drawn to the SLLS’ close links with local and national organisations and the opportunity to participate in the society’s access to justice projects.
What I would like to achieve during my tenure:
During my tenure, I would like making a positive change for property lawyers in the South London area, help facilitate greater access to justice for those without the means to access it and also to work with the Junior Lawyers Division to guide junior solicitors and trainees interested in property law.
What attracted me to be on the committee of the SLLS:
I was invited to join the SLLS committee in 2022 having previously been a committee member of the SLLS’s Junior Lawyer Division for over 5 years. My previous role gave me first-hand experience of the excellent work done by the SLLS.
What I would like to achieve during my tenure:
I would like to see the our membership grow by encouraging other South London firms to join the SLLS.
What attracted me to be on the committee of the SLLS:
Geoffrey Grant, who gave his name to my firm Grant Saw, was very influential in establishing the Society in the early 1960s. In recent years I have been less aware of the Society’s work and, having been invited to join the committee in 2023, did so, as I would like to see whether, like he did, I can help the SLLS grow and flourish.
What I would like to achieve during my tenure:
I would like to help the Society answer the fundamental question: How can we best support and represent members of the profession in South London?
Being a successful lawyer, whatever context we work in, is hard these days, and if we can share information and make our voice heard, that has got to be good for everyone. Together, I am sure we can be stronger.