Why Face to Face Trumps Virtual
The start of the Autumn Conference season and The Solicitors’ Charity team engages with many people in the legal sector - up close and personal!
And it chooses to do it face to face rather than the less onerous, cheaper screen-based alternatives. Why?
Seven live events in four weeks
By the time October ends, we will have been at three big Law Society sector conferences covering Anti-Money Laundering, Property Law and a Junior Lawyers Summit.
We’ll also have had a presence at four others hosted by the City of London, Leicestershire, Cambridgeshire Junior and Norfolk & Norwich law societies – planned and organised largely by volunteer officers and committee members around England.
Something wonderful to celebrate there about the legal profession giving its time freely to help the wider sector network, improve its professional development, wellbeing and social connections.
Seeing the whites of their eyes to explain benevolence
In our world, namely the provision of wellbeing support, it’s all about trust, relationships and spreading awareness to more people in the sector.
A conversation had with someone where you see the colour of their eyes and they can see yours, is worth a hundred on-screen encounters.
You meet people who have never heard of us, heard something about us or know a lot already about us and what we do as a vital safety net for solicitors.
I quickly realise that for people born post-1980, the concept of benevolence and having an organisation looking after an occupation’s wellbeing is an alien concept. And it’s not taught on law degrees (yet!).
I explain patiently that every occupation (almost) has a benevolent association or occupation support group – e.g. the clergy, accountants, surveyors, medics, nurses, architects et al.
Although they may not need us right this minute, we may be helpful to know at some point in a solicitor’s life or career.
The importance of local law societies in establishing communities of legal support
We spend a lot of time and resources in helping local law societies with their events and supporting them visibly with attendance and publicity via social media. We like to support junior law societies as well and help the next generation of lawyers with their important networks and establishing of relationships.
Junior lawyers are always very keen to volunteer or to want to help and know how to operate their mobile phones expertly.
They point their lens at my LinkedIn QR code (on my business card-come-fold up leaflet) and quickly connect with me on social media within a nanosecond.
The more connections and the more followers we get – all the better to spread the word!
The Solicitors’ Charity - Sending the elevator back down
It was Jack Lemmon (American screen actor that appeared in Some like it Hot and The Odd Couple) that coined the phrase: “send the elevator back down”.
His philosophy was that if you're lucky enough to do well in life (in his case be an Oscar winning actor), it's your responsibility to send the elevator back down and help others with their careers.
The Solicitors’ Charity invited a second-year law student, George, to be a guest at the Norfolk & Norwich Law Society’s Annual Awards recently. It gave him a chance to see if it was a club he wanted to be a member of and to make some career-enhancing contacts.
It so happened that we had someone responsible for graduate recruitment on our table for a big multi-county law firm that could talk to him about his options. How fabulous was that!
This face-to-face opportunity, networking with movers and shakers in the county, helped the law student enormously in cementing his next moves and giving him a picture of what the legal community could be like on its best behaviour, and all dressed up.
Face to face certainly trumped virtual for law student George!
A personal request gets an impromptu mention of the Charity in a keynote
Rewinding back to the Property Law Conference at The Law Society and, early in the day, the Chair of the Division comes up to me (a solicitor and probably my age – draw your own conclusions as to quantum).
She stares at our magnificent slide show behind me on a screen and says she has never heard of the Charity and asks me to give her the low down on what we do. I oblige and mention the fact that we are funded largely by unclaimed client balances and interest from historic investments.
I ask very politely whether she would mind mentioning that in her opening address. And she did!
In person beats virtual for getting our name across and awareness raised to a couple of hundred people that day; I rest my case.
Do you qualify for help from us?
It’s worth noting that even if solicitors fall outside of our financial eligibility criteria in terms of salary and savings, we usually can provide valuable non-financial help in the form of referrals to funded therapy, career coaching and physical help like occupational therapy.
We are a dedicated source of help and support if an individual is currently or has been a solicitor on the roll in England and Wales.
About The Solicitors’ Charity
For 168 years, The Solicitors’ Charity has been here. It was set up for solicitors, retired solicitors, and their dependants in England and Wales. It offers broad and personalised confidential wellbeing support throughout life’s ups and downs. From therapy to career coaching, physical help through illness and financial payments – it’s a vital safety net for solicitors.
Financial pressure, mental health concerns, and career uncertainty all have a direct impact on individuals, firms, and the whole profession. Understanding these challenges is essential to building a more sustainable and supportive legal profession.
Greater awareness of the importance of wellbeing and knowing about The Solicitors’ Charity leads to earlier intervention, stronger outcomes, and better support for those who need it.
What you can do to help
- Promote The Solicitors’ Charity on your employee intranet, amongst colleagues through word of mouth, during wellbeing sessions or information via email.
- Register your interest and get regular updates from the Charity.
- Follow and react to their posts on LinkedIn.
- Donate any monies you can through voluntary donations or compliance transfers (like RCBs or unclaimed client balances).
SOURCES
The Solicitors’ Charity website The Solicitors' Charity - Supporting the wellbeing of solicitors.
The Big Report The Big Report 25/26 | Solicitor Wellbeing Insights – The Solicitors' Charity
How you or others can get help How we help - The Solicitors' Charity
How you can Play your Part Play Your Part - The Solicitors' Charity
Joining the Register The Solicitors' Charity Register
Follow on LinkedIn The Solicitors' Charity: Overview | LinkedIn