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Come Join Us!

Come Join Us!

Membership of Tees Valley Law Society offers opportunities whether you are a qualified solicitor or other legal professional, or you are in the early stages of training.

Members are offered discounted rates for all of our training events, which are held locally and at the end of the working day to ensure the least disruption to you, your firm and your clients. We hold regular networking and social events where members can come together informally to discuss issues within the profession, but more importantly to share ideas.

Membership of TVLS is about offering support whether formally through involvement of the Council or more informally by sharing ideas about best practice with other firms. By becoming a member of TVLS there are opportunities to become involved in the running of the Society, whether through membership of Council or Committees or in a more informal role.

The application process is quick and simple and membership is great value. Join us today.

Reduction In Duty Solicitor Numbers

Reduction In Duty Solicitor Numbers

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has announced the number of crime contracts that have been awarded, together with the duty solicitor lists.

There has been a considerable reduction in the number of duty solicitors, to 5,500, a drop of around 1,000 from the previous published list. The precise reasons for the drop are not clear but it may be that it is due, at least in part, to efforts that have been made to remove 'ghost' duty solicitors from the rotas.

The presence of 'ghosts' on the duty rotas takes work away from genuine duty solicitors and firms who abide by the requirements to be on the duty scheme. The Law Society, along with the Criminal Law Solicitors Association (CLSA) and the London Criminal Courts Solicitors' Association (LCCSA) have been lobbying the LAA for some time on the matter of 'ghosts', and it is encouraging that these efforts appear to have been successful.

The Law Society and the practitioner groups will continue to work with the LAA to develop duty scheme requirements that enable access to the scheme to those firms who strive to deliver a high quality of service to clients.