Presidents’ and Secretaries’ conference There are more than 90 local law societies across England and Wales. Three of these – Birmingham, Bristol and Kent – predate the national Law Society, which was founded in 1825. Birmingham Law Society now has more than 5,000 members, while the Association of South Western Law Societies, comprising Monmouthshire, Bristol, Devon & Somerset, Plymouth, Gloucestershire & Wiltshire, and Cornwall law societies, has a combined membership of more than 10,000. Jonathan Rayner Some of the larger local law societies are based in conurbations with vibrant business communities offering ample scope for law firms to prosper; Manchester Law Society, for example, has 3,600 members. Others, such as Scarborough or Harrogate law societies, have smaller catchment areas. Despite this disparity, all local law societies face broadly similar challenges, including delivering value to members and championing diversity and inclusion. The online Presidents’ and Secretaries’ Conference 2021 set out to address these and other issues.