The national Law Society is a democratic and complex organisation. The President of The Law Society is elected by the ruling Council and supported by an elected Vice President and Deputy Vice President.
The Council comprises of sixty seats representing geographic areas of the country and thirty seats representing practice, such as conveyancing or litigation, and seats representing women solicitors, BME solicitors and other characteristics. Council members are elected to serve four year terms.
Reporting to the Council are the operational independent Solicitors Regulation Authority ( SRA ) Board and the Law Society Board whose membership includes the Chief Executive, Council members, non-Council solicitor members and lay people. The Board manages the affairs of the Society on behalf of the Council.
Reporting to the Board are two committees. One concerned with membership matters and communication. The other with policy and regulation to which 23 technical specialist committees concerned with law reform report.
There are also four committees of the Council concerned with its size and composition, Council and committee member conduct, scrutiny and performance review, and equality diversity and inclusion.
The 118 local law societies, ranging from large metropolitan societies to small rural ones, and the eleven regional associations of local law societies, are independent of the national Law Society.
Along with the Law Society of Scotland and the Law Society of Northern Ireland the Law Society of England and Wales form the UK delegation to the representative organisation for Bars and law societies in Europe. The Law Society is also an active member of the International Bar Association.