Access to justice is a fundamental bedrock of our democratic society, and the legal sector is of great public importance. People often require legal services during important and stressful moments, such as buying a home, resolving disputes, following injury, dealing with relationship issues, being arrested, or facing deportation.
A diverse range of professionals and businesses provide legal services. Among them, solicitors and barristers are used most. Other types of lawyers include licensed conveyancers, chartered legal executives, CILEx Practitioners, costs lawyers, notaries, patent attorneys, trademark attorneys, and probate practitioners. Legal businesses vary in size and type, ranging from large corporate law firms to high street practices, barristers’ chambers, and sole traders. Effective regulation is crucial to maintain public trust and confidence.
The Legal Services Board is the oversight regulator for legal services in England and Wales. We oversee nine approved regulators, collectively responsible for regulating over 192,000 of the different types of lawyers named above.
As an independent body, we are separate from the legal profession and the government. We operate within a statutory framework in the Legal Services Act 2007, which describes our functions and powers. There are nine regulatory objectives that we and the regulators have a legal duty to promote and support. They include protecting and promoting the interests of consumers, protecting and promoting the public interest and supporting the constitutional principle of the rule of law.
We monitor regulators’ performance and ensure that regulation is carried out in the public interest. We also collect evidence on legal needs and the operation of the market.
We also oversee the Office for Legal Complaints, the Board of the Legal Ombudsman, and we have specific functions concerning the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
As set out in our ten-year strategy, our mission is to reshape legal services to better meet society’s needs. To ensure regulation plays the fullest role possible in connecting people needing legal services with the right help and advice. Our business plan includes activities to achieve this. For example, technology and innovation project will widen access to justice and ensure regulatory frameworks are open to technology and innovation that benefits consumers.
Our work on equality, diversity and inclusion will ensure that the legal services profession better reflects the society it serves and that everyone pursuing a legal career has the same chance of success. Our programme on professional ethics and the rule of law focuses on how regulation can support lawyers to better meet their professional ethical obligations.
Our summary annual report gives a flavour of our work over the last year.
Why the LSB is supporting Boardroom Apprentice
The Board of the LSB is fully committed to diversity and inclusion in all its forms and recognises the importance of schemes such as this to breaking down barriers to achieve diverse Boards and build a pipeline of talented individuals. Our Chair has previous experience in supporting a Board apprentice as part of this scheme in a different organisation (in the past two years at the Architects Registration Board) as well as in the past year at the LSB. We are committed to giving our Board Apprentice access to everything Board members do. We are excited to be able to offer this opportunity, and are eager to continue.
The LSB Board takes an evidence-based approach to regulation and policy making and is always keen to hear from new perspectives/voices to help shape decision-making. Members are a mixture of lay (not legally qualified), and non-lay (legally qualified, e.g. solicitor, barrister, etc.), and we would welcome a Board Apprentice from either a lay or a non-lay background.
The LSB maintains the highest standards of corporate governance, looking to apply best practice sensibly and proportionately. This not only helps provide assurance to our stakeholders but ensures that the Board discharges its duties smoothly and efficiently. Details of our recent external board evaluation and our Corporate Governance Manual are available on our website.
The LSB has set a clear strategy for the sector and is ambitious in setting expectations to achieving this via formal policy powers and its softer convening powers. Workstreams the Board Apprentice will have an opportunity to contribute to include the rule of law and professional ethics, access to justice and technology and innovation.
As well as formal Board and committee meetings, there are opportunities to get involved in the LSB’s annual conference, regional engagement events, Board to Board meetings with the bodies that the LSB regulates and Board speaker sessions on topical subjects.
Location of Board and Committee Meetings
London/virtual alternating with one board meeting out of London a year. Committee meetings are virtual
Frequency and timing of board/committee meetings
Ten Board meetings a year so roughly every 4-6 weeks. Meetings are 10:30-14:30.
Date of Board Meetings (January – December 2025)
Committee of the Boards and meeting dates (January – December 2025)
Not yet set
Security checks
No
Payment of travel expenses
Yes
