As part of its professional ethics programme, the Law Society of England and Wales has launched the first iteration of its ethical practice framework for in-house solicitors.
The framework offers free tools, resources and templates to help the in-house community navigate ethical challenges in the workplace and has been produced in partnership with the Inter-Disciplinary Ethics Applied Centre (IDEA) at the University of Leeds.
The framework has been commissioned by the Law Society from academic partners and informed by in-house practitioners.
The initial scoping phase mapped out key ethical challenges for the in-house community and potential solutions. For example, solicitors are increasingly having to deal with environmental, social and governance (ESG) concerns. These issues continue to evolve as public attitudes shift in accordance with world events, politics and social movements. Ethical dilemmas can arise when employers ask in-house solicitors to facilitate activities that, although lawful, may be considered contrary to the public interest. The development phase refined the contents of the framework through focus groups and one-to-one expert interviews.
Law Society president Richard Atkinson said:
“In-house solicitors are in a unique position as both legal and business advisers to their employer. Naturally, this gives rise to competing pressures and ethical dilemmas.
“Our members have called for more support maintaining professional independence and reinforcing ethical practice.
“The framework responds to a real need for us as a professional body to enable the in-house community to better understand ethical challenges, practise ethical judgement and meet their regulatory obligations.
The framework complements the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) guidance for in-house solicitors that launched in 2024, equipping them with a range of tools to meet their regulatory requirements and ethical responsibilities.
While the SRA’s guidance covers specific issues such as identifying the client, internal investigations and legal privilege; the Law Society’s new framework seeks to place solicitors in a position where they’re better able to meet their regulatory requirements and ethical responsibilities, as well as positively influence their organisation’s ethical culture. Where there is overlap with the SRA’s guidance, the framework is intended to be consistent and reinforce the SRA’s messages.
Atkinson added:
“We’ve made the first iteration of the framework available for consultation so that we can review and improve it based on user experience.
“It is essential we stand together as a profession to advocate for and support in-house solicitors navigating ethics.”
More resources will become available in the coming months.
Access the Framework
Solicitors can view the Law Society’s new framework here
To access the Law Society’s ethics hub (professional ethics programme), click here.
