The Law Society of England and Wales are inviting legal aid solicitors to participate in one of a series of focus groups being held in August and early September; the focus groups will explore impacts of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) on solicitors’ firms, their working lives, clients, and the broader justice system.

The focus group research will provide evidence for the Law Society to submit to a post-implementation review of LASPO conducted by the Ministry of Justice; the Ministry are collecting evidence until the end of September.

The groups will be led by the Society's Head of Justice, Richard Miller, and will run throughout the country. The intention is to run two, one-hour, groups at each location relating to family and other civil work, and criminal work, respectively.

The table below shows all the proposed venues with dates and timings of the family/civil and criminal groups. The Society are seeking solicitors to participate in either a family/civil group or a criminal group, reflecting the area they work in most often.

If you are able to attend one of the groups, and have your voice added to the Society's submission to the Ministry of Justice, please contact the Society by 3 August 2018 at LASPOReviewFocusGroup@LawSociety.org.uk, specifying your chosen venue and specialism (family/civil or criminal).

Please note that places are limited, and that the aim is to achieve a representative mix of solicitors at each group to maximise the utility of insights collected.