The next 200 years: solicitors share their hopes for the future of law
Access to justice
Thomas Thrower, immigration solicitor at Broudie Jackson Canter
”My hope for the future of law is to see significant investment in access to justice – specifically legal aid – to make it a vibrant profession again. Legal aid serves a really important role.”
Thomas’s experiences working as an immigration solicitor and solicitor advocate are central to this. “Legal aid and access to justice are so important because it's the fundamental part of our justice system,” he says.
“You're helping some of the most vulnerable people in society with some of the most fundamentally important things in our lives. It's essential that it's well funded and that we have good lawyers able to give that advice.”
Read more about justice and the rule of law.
Valuing human rights
Sikisa Bostwick-Barnes, comedian and immigration lawyer
Immigration lawyer Sikisa says the misinformation that exists in the media can make her job harder. This, along with her own experiences as the daughter of immigrant parents, has shaped her hopes for the future of law.
“I’d like to see our society be more appreciative of human rights. I think the way we deal with a lot of things these days has lost sight of that. It’s important to remember that we are all human beings.”
Boosting inclusion
Alex Wilson, senior director and head of strategy at CBRE
As the Law Society council member for disabled solicitors, Alex acknowledges that some progress has been made around inclusivity.
“Today, I think more people feel comfortable having conversations about disabilities than in the past. But there is still work to be done to remove any actual or perceived stigmas altogether,” she says.
“Everyone should be encouraged to bring up what they need and what would help them at work. I think companies who get diversity and inclusion right show a commitment to driving change and inclusivity, rather than just giving unsubstantiated soundbites.”
A more diverse profession
Claire Liddy, property litigation solicitor at MFG Solicitors
Eager to see more social mobility across the legal industry, Claire is on a mission to be the change she wants to see.
Having spent time in care growing up and leaving school without GCSEs, the property litigation solicitor has ambitions of joining the judiciary.
“I really believe there should be more people who come from backgrounds like mine, especially as judges,” she says. “We need people from all walks of life to enter law.”
Modern working patterns
Charlotte Murray, senior risk and compliance lawyer at Freeths
It took 12 years for Charlotte to qualify as a solicitor after struggling to obtain a training contract. When she had her daughter she moved into risk and compliance for more of a family friendly role.
“I think flexible working practices are crucial. Most people want to work and do a good job. Some people just need a bit of extra flexibility to do so,” she explains.
“Looking to the future, I hope the profession continues to allow people that haven't come from the ‘right’ background to access it. There have been big strides in the right direction, but I still think there's a way to go.”
Achieving gender equity
Dana Denis-Smith OBE, champion of women in law and deputy vice president of the Law Society of England and Wales
As a proud campaigner for women in the legal profession, our new deputy vice-president Dana was recognised with an OBE in 2025.
Her commitment to championing women’s rights is at the heart of her hopes for solicitors in the future.
“I’d like to see the profession be more inclusive of women and more understanding of some of the priorities and life stages they might face. I hope women will rise to leadership positions, they will achieve parity and they will create a profession fit for the future.”
Access to opportunities
Jonathan Wheeler, managing partner at Bolt Burdon Kemp
As the council member for LGBT+ solicitors and founder of the Law Society’s LGBTQ+ Solicitors Network, Jonathan is a champion of diversity in the profession.
“My wish is that the profession will provide a route to qualification for everyone, completely embracing people from diverse backgrounds, whose lived experience will be seen as enriching our offering to clients and colleagues alike. No characteristics will need to be protected as such, because everyone will have exactly the same opportunities, without prejudice or the need to differentiate.”
Read more about diversity and inclusion.
Improving legal education
Mark Evans, president of the Law Society of England and Wales
As an aspiring lawyer, Mark worried his background, education and lack of contacts might stop him from becoming a solicitor.
After a successful career at a high street law firm in North Wales he now works in academia and will be taking on the role of Law Society president in October 2025.
He tells us, “I'd love law to be taught at an early stage in primary and secondary schools. Coming from my background, I’m eager to encourage more people to think about a career in law. I'd love to see how we could make law a career of choice for everyone.”
Embracing leadership roles
Abraham Ghebre-Ghiorghis, retired corporate director and monitoring officer at Brighton and Hove City Council
Having worked his way up through the ranks at Brighton and Hove City Council’s legal team, Abraham – now retired – firmly believes that law is a strong foundation for leadership.
“I would like to see more lawyers expand their horizons beyond the technical law and embrace wider leadership roles,” he says.
“Nowadays, we tend to see fewer people from legal backgrounds in local authority executive positions unlike the past when they dominated Chief Executive or "town clerk" (as it was called) positions. In my view, lawyers make the best leaders in business, politics (Mahatma Ghandi, Mandela, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt etc) and public service. It would be great to see more of them coming forward."
A profession fit for the digital age
Brett Dixon, vice president of the Law Society of England and Wales
Brett is a self-confessed “geek”. He’s passionate about ensuring solicitors remain central to the justice system as it undergoes digital transformation. As the Law Society’s deputy vice president, his hopes for the future are focussed on technological advancement.
“We're moving into an era where the digitisation of court systems is becoming the norm. We need to work hard as an organisation to make sure solicitors are at the heart of delivering access to justice within that system,” he says.
“The Law Society needs to get the profession in a fit state for digitisation to maintain our pre-eminent position as part of the justice system. We need to make sure we influence how it is built and our role as solicitors is recognised in it.”
A human approach
Charlotte Bradbeer, legal counsel at the Institution of Engineering and Technology
As an in-house lawyer, Charlotte has been paying close attention to advances in legal AI. She is interested in how legal counsel will co-exist alongside artificial intelligence.
“I believe in-house solicitors will continue to exist no matter how good artificial intelligence (AI) gets. In-house lawyering is very rarely straightforward,” she shares.
“It requires empathy, imagination, two-way communication, trust and the ability to make creative connections. While AI could have the capacity to be ethical, I’m not convinced that legal AI will ever be as creative as a human mind.”
Staying smart
Nathan Marks, retired solicitor
Having held his practising certificate for 70 years, Nathan has witnessed huge changes throughout his career. He’s always taken pride in keeping up to date with technology trends.
“I would hope that lawyers continue to be practical in their approach to things,” he says. “They need to keep using their own brains.”
“Also, we are a privileged body and hopefully when we retire, we should be able to say: ‘I did help people’.”
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