The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has launched a series of professional ethics listening events to better understand the experiences of solicitors in meeting their ethical duties. An in-person event for practising solicitors of all seniorities will be hosted in Cardiff on the 16 June 2026 and the SRA would like to extend an open invitation to the profession to attend.

Professional ethics sit at the heart of public trust in legal services. While most solicitors strive to act with integrity, modern legal practice can present challenges, including commercial pressures, workplace culture, emerging technologies and increasingly complex roles.

The SRA would like to understand what more it can do to support regulated individuals and law firms in applying ethical principles in their day-to-day work.

Listening exercises in June 2026

The SRA wants to hear your insights on:

• How are professional ethical duties understood and applied day to day?
• What challenges and risks do regulated individuals encounter when making ethical decisions?
• What can cause, or drive, unethical decision-making or behaviour?
• How is the existing SRA guidance, our standards, and support – for instance its Professional Ethics helpline – used in practice? How can the SRA improve what it offers?

The listening exercise will involve a series of facilitated focus groups. Each one will bring together participants in comparable roles or circumstances to support open and meaningful discussions.

This is about learning from the profession.

The SRA is looking for honest conversations that explore the real-world factors shaping ethical choices. By taking part, you will help inform the regulator’s work to further support ethical practice, strengthen workplace cultures and prevent harm to consumers and the reputation of the profession.

The focus groups are an exploratory exercise. It is not consulting on specific proposals, and the SRA will not be testing predetermined solutions.

Who can take part

These sessions are open to solicitors and others working in the legal services sector, including those at an early stage of their career and those in non-authorised roles (for example, paralegals and legal assistants).

How your views will be used

Insights gathered through the focus groups will inform the SRA’s ongoing work on professional ethical duties. It will also consider how this evidence can help the regulator to better support its regulated communities and stronger workplace cultures.

By listening and working collaboratively with the sector, the SRA aims to strengthen ethical practice across legal services.

Book now

To book your place at the Cardiff in-person event, click here.

To view and book the whole series of focus groups, including those online, click here.

The SRA will contact participants with further details closer to the time.

Useful information

Read more from the SRA about upholding professional ethics.