Profile of a President

Halfway through his reign as president of the Law Society, we talk to Andrew Holroyd OBE about where he's come from, what it's like to be the big cheese, and the issues that he sees as being of importance to the solicitors of the future.Andrew Holroyd OBE is president of the Law Society and a partner at Jackson & Canter, a seven-partner legal aid practice with two offices in Liverpool. He is now the longest serving partner at the firm. He received his OBE in 2003 for services to publicly funded legal work in Liverpool and became president in July 2007.

But where did it all begin? As he tells it, as an idealistic youth following in the parental footsteps (although not too closely). He says: "I suppose I got the idea of being a lawyer from my father… I did some work experience at his office, and thought it was interesting and something I might like to do as a career. However, I was also quite bolshy and determined not to go into his practice or ride on his coattails."

Andrew went on to do a BA/Law degree at the University of Nottingham, followed by his solicitors' finals. Qualifying in 1974, but still not absolutely sure that law was the path for him, he worked for Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) in Indonesia for two years. It was this experience that helped solidify his determination to become a lawyer: "VSO definitely helped me decide. I wanted to try and help change the world in the best way I could, and thought that I could do it better at home than as a stranger in another country."

Andrew came back to the United Kingdom and got a training contract with Alsop Stevens Batesons, then the largest commercial firm in Liverpool. He explains how things were for him as a trainee: "My training was very, very good. I was involved with shipping law and commercial litigation matters." But the call to be the champion of the underdog was loud, and in 1975 Andrew decided to join a small firm in inner-city Liverpool - Jackson & Canter - and has been there ever since. He says: "I only moved offices in 2001 when we had to shift to larger premises. Although in 1981 the office was burnt down during the Toxteth Riots - how's that for an exciting legal career!"

The firm focuses on a range of legal aid work, as Andrew explains: "We deal with issues such as housing, police behaviour, human rights, immigration, welfare benefits and children who have been taken into care. Broadly, these are the problems of inner city deprivation, especially evident during the hard times of the 1970s and 1980s. The firm has changed a lot of people's lives for the better. It has also contributed to a broader change in attitude, for example in relation to police behaviour. The Merseyside Police was being sued a lot for illegal arrests and ill treatment, and it eventually got the message that things might be better if its officers behaved better. I think we genuinely contributed to a policy change, as well as protecting individuals' rights. So I can claim that firms like ours have a social policy function." In terms of personal fulfilment, Andrew still gets a kick out of "dealing with people and their problems - that's essentially why I changed from commercial litigation. I like to feel I'm using the law as a tool to make a difference to people's lives".

Andrew is impressed by the young lawyers that he sees joining the firm: "I'm very proud of them. They are of a very high standard and extremely committed to the work that we do. The standard of entry to the firm as trainees has been fantastic - among the last 12 or so that we've taken on, many have first class honours. We get some very bright candidates, with the same sort of motivation that I had." Changing the world never seems to go out of fashion, it seems.

It would be absurd to describe any of Andrew's days as 'typical', especially when you consider the multi-faceted role of the president and the attendant responsibilities. Andrew explains: "There is a leadership role to play, where I must lead the profession in its relationship with external stakeholders, such as senior judges and ministers, and make sure that the voice of solicitors is heard. I also have to communicate to the profession what’s going on and what's coming up. I travel to each part of England and Wales, visiting a cross-section of firms, to see what's happening in the profession and to ensure the message is getting through. I'm also the chairman and leader of the Law Society Council, which means making sure that we have the right leadership. I am proud to play an ambassadorial role, both at home and abroad." This ambassadorial function was exercised recently at a conference in Paris: "I was talking about the Legal Services Act and other regulatory changes, and was amazed to see how well regarded the UK solicitors' profession is. We're now 140,000 solicitors, working in 77 countries around the world, and becoming an international force as part of world-beating law firms."

However, it's not all glowing pride and congratulations. As a partner of many years in a legal aid firm, it's no surprise that Andrew has strong views on the way the legal aid system is run - in fact, he cites it as the thing he likes least about his job as a solicitor. He elaborates: "I dislike the bureaucracy that has grown up around the legal aid system because of the public funding aspect. It's become more difficult to sustain because of the lack of proper remuneration for those who do the work. While I have some sympathy with the government's need to control expenditure, if you accept that the work we do has a social policy function, the government ought to see that it's important to pay for individual rights to be pursued. For example, if a person is disabled and has been threatened with eviction, it is likely to cost the state less if proper legal advice is provided early on, rather than if the state has to pick up the pieces later."

More broadly, where does the profession find itself in 2008? Andrew comments that the very competitive legal market is leading to a transformation: "Firms are becoming ever larger, more corporate structures with professional leadership, support and management teams. Those practices that have those services in place and a clear strategy about where they're going, and look at their clients and whether their needs are being satisfied, are the firms that are succeeding, growing in size and taking a larger share of the market. I think that having an IT strategy is an important part of that growth, but it also gives flexibility and allows firms to buck the trend - ie, you can be small and maybe be virtual."

However, the reality is that the model that's working best, says Andrew, is reflected in the figures: "Forty percent of solicitors work in the City, with another 40% in large regional firms. Only a small number are in sole practice or three to five partner firms. Small firms will struggle unless they go niche or are in a particular geographical location that demands they stay small, or if they have very clear ideas and strategies on how to keep clients. In fact, all firms have to have a strategy concentrating on what they're good at to give them a competitive advantage."

Andrew sees the newly enacted Legal Services Act as both a threat and an opportunity, depending on where you find yourself on the professional spectrum: "Although it's still three or four years away, the prospect of the big players entering the market is making firms adjust themselves very rapidly. Already though, a quarter of the profession is employed in house and that’s likely to increase. So if you just want to be a lawyer, not a manager, and do a legal job, the opportunities may increase."

The opportunities don't stop there, says Andrew. On the hot topic of diversity within the profession, his sense is that while things aren't perfect, there's room for optimism. He says: "It's still difficult to say that the best get to the top regardless of ethnicity or gender or background, but we just need to keep up the pressure and not take our eyes off the ball. Last night I was at an Association of Women Solicitors event, looking back to the pervasive attitudes of just 10 years ago. At the time, there was real opposition to the creation of a women's seat on the Law Society Council, whereas now it would be ludicrous to oppose such a thing. So there has been a bit of a revolution. I would also say that there has been a sea change in terms of indirect discrimination - ie, only taking trainees from Oxbridge or Russell Group universities. We're also seeing pressure from clients, who when they procure legal services are asking that the firms disclose diversity data. We now have 18% BME and 58% female entrants to the profession. My perception is that there's still a long way to go, but I'm optimistic that the landscape will change greatly over the next 10 years and that there will be opportunities for the very best, whatever background, to reach the top in increasing numbers."

Finally, Andrew has some sage advice to offer anyone contemplating or pursuing a career in the law - he says, enthusiastically, "go for it!". He expands: "It's a great career and very varied. There's something for everyone. The legal profession is so diverse that everyone can find their niche and have a long and fulfilling career. The other exciting thing is the privilege of becoming involved in confidential issues as a trusted adviser, which is a great feeling. I'd recommend it as a career to anyone." And a recommendation from someone in his exalted position, with over 30 years of experience at the frontline of legal services, carries weight. Listen to your president, faithful subjects!