Law Society agrees to trial regional admission ceremonies

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Following a campaign by in-house lawyer and blogger Emma Lilley, the Law Society has agreed to trial regional admission ceremonies in a bid to improve access.

Lilley, who qualified in 2018 and works in Manchester, launched the campaign last spring after she was unable to attend her own admission ceremony due to “expensive train fares and accommodation, plus the £95 per person ticket fee”.

The “mission admission” campaign has since resulted in the Law Society live streaming all London ceremonies and agreeing to trial a ceremony outside of the capital this year. Further details have not yet been released. However, Lilley took to Instagram earlier this week, writing: “We are working closely with the Law Society to determine where this [regional trial] will be, while continuing to fight for multiple regional ceremonies across England and Wales in future.”

The in-house lawyer says she recognises “how big a first step this is”, but one regional ceremony “is absolutely not enough for us”.

A spokesperson for the Law Society said: “Qualifying as a solicitor is a huge achievement and the Law Society is looking for viable ways for more people to attend admission ceremonies and celebrate this milestone with friends and family.”

They added: “We must do this in a way that is accessible, meets demand and is financially viable.”