The Law Society has raised concerns regarding the Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) legislation, part of the Private Members’ Bill, which focuses on using litigation to prevent publication of information about wrongdoing. Law Society president, Nick Emmerson, has welcomed the Bill and its aim of legislating for SLAPPs cases which are not covered by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, but said that there are 'areas which require significant modification if the bill is going to achieve its aim'. The Law Society has recommended the use of caution against measures that may increase costs, ambiguity and 'satellite legislation'; the inclusion of an objective test to define what a SLAPP case is; the re-drafting of the definition of 'public interest' and that the UK government, the judiciary and defendant and claimant practitioners work together to ensure effective implementation of measures.

The Law Society has recommended that minimum salaries should increase to £24,916 outside London and £28,090 in London for those employed for a period of recognised training (a training contract) and Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) candidates employed for the purpose of qualifying work experience. The recommended minimum salary is reviewed in June each year as a matter of voluntary good practice before the revised figure comes into effect in September. The current recommended minimum salary for trainees is £24,320 outside of London and £27,418 in London.

The Law Society has recommended that the salary for aspiring solicitors should be increased to £24,320 outside of London and £27,418 within London for qualifying work experience (QWE) for the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) or during a training contract. The recommended minimum salary is reviewed in June each year as a matter of voluntary good practice before the revised figure comes into effect in September. The current recommended minimum salary for trainees is £23,122 outside of London and £26,068 within London.

The Law Society of England and Wales has released a new TA6 Property Information Form that supports the National Trading Standards material information guidance. The updated form includes information that should be disclosed on property listings, according to the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team. This guidance is designed to help estate agents to comply with the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, SI 2008/1277, by putting key information about a property in marketing materials and asking supplementary questions. The aim of the update is to assist buyers to make better informed decisions, reducing both the time that the process takes and the number of sales that fall through. Conveyancing Quality Scheme firms are required to use the new forms by 25 June 2024.

The Law Society of England and Wales has published its International Data Insights report, which states that UK legal services exports have increased by more than 60% over five years to £10.97 billion. The report says the EU and US account for nearly two-thirds of UK legal services export revenue. The report also highlights the international use of English law, stating that it governs £250 trillion in derivatives transactions, half of international seaborne trade and around 40% of international business and financial transactions. It also identifies London as a leading international legal centre.

The Law Society of England and Wales has published its International Data Insights Report 2025, revealing that English law governs 40% of global business transactions. The London Commercial Court (LCC) delivered 196 written judgments in 2023-24, with 61.7% of litigants from outside the UK. London has reaffirmed its status as the global hub for maritime arbitration, with the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA) handling 1,733 new cases in 2024. English law remains the dominant choice in international arbitration, governing the majority of cases at the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) and International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Court of Arbitration, and ranking second at Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC), Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) and Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC). UK legal services exports reached £9.02bn in 2024, up from £6.27bn in 2020, while the number of practicing solicitors grew to 167,603. The report demonstrates London's continued position as the preferred global centre for international commercial dispute resolution, featuring as the chosen seat in 13.4% of ICC cases, and with 34% of respondents in Queen Mary University’s 2025 survey choosing it as their preferred arbitration seat.

The Law Society of England and Wales has reported that case backlog continues to increase in the magistrates’ court. It has said that, by the end of 2023, the court had a backlog of 379,380 open cases, with 13,420 added in the last quarter. The backlog shows a 10.4% increase compared to 2022, whereas in the Crown Court, the backlog of open cases increased by a lower 7% in 2023. President of the Law Society, Nick Emmerson, has urged for 'investment into all parts of criminal justice...including criminal legal aid'.

The Law Society of England and Wales has reported that the new Labour government presents a new opportunity to revitalise the British justice system. The president of the Law Society, Nick Emmerson, congratulated the new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, and Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, on their appointment. Emmerson, on behalf of the Law Society, has expressed that he looks forward to working with the new government as it presents ‘a unique opportunity to bring much-needed change’ to the justice system which has been subject to ‘longstanding neglect and underinvestment’.

The Law Society has reported the causes of the Crown Court backlog following a National Audit Office (NAO) report. The report highlights that the backlog has grown due to a number of reasons including, the government’s lack of funding of the criminal justice system, the decline in lawyers working the criminal defence profession and an overall lack of action to reduce the backlog.

The Law Society of England and Wales has reported on concerns over further Ministry of Justice (MoJ) budget cuts ahead of the of the autumn budget. President of the Law Society, Richard Atkinson, has expressed concern that the budget cuts will make it impossible for the Prime Minister to achieve his mission on crime. Ahead of the budget, the Law Society is requesting MoJ to receive funding in order to address court backlogs, civil and criminal legal aid crisis, for Skills England to map where skills gaps exist in legal service, to keep the present incentives for businesses to hire legal apprentices and, lastly, to expand the Cyber Essentials Programme.

The Law Society has reported on HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) decision to extend its timeline for court reform to March 2025. HMCTS is extending its timeline to consider organisational capacity, pressures on operations, feedback from staff and partners, long-lasting impacts of the pandemic, outstanding cases and the rising cost of living. The extension aims to increase efficiency and functionality of existing technology and provide a more consistent service. The Law Society noted that it had previously warned of the importance of rushing development and said that extension of plans may result in a longer development process but that costly errors and reworking will be avoided. HMCTS will be revising the Common Platform and is focused on enhancing the existing system and improving stability. Regarding the civil, family and tribunal programme, HMCTS will continue to deliver its key 2024 priorities. HMCTS will continue to improve the resilience, reliability, accessibility, comfort and environmental impact of court and tribunal buildings.

The Law Society has reported that the new government has failed to tackle the crisis in the criminal justice system. The Law Society has reported that the new Labour government has neglected the previous government's decision to not raise defence solicitors' legal aid rates by the requisite 15% as advised, despite a judicial review directing that this be done. The Law Society has also said that the new government has failed to publish its response to a consultation on police station and youth court fees and has chosen to ask firms to bid for ten year criminal legal aid contracts within a short deadline. The Law Society has further reported that requests on response to judicial review and criminal aid increases have been met with delays.