Stephen Friday

There are quite a few 'minority lawyer' organisations. How different is the Black Solicitors Network (BSN)?

At the time the BSN was started, I was a member of the African Caribbean and Asian Lawyers Group ( ACALG), which was very much concerned with helping aspiring students and trainees to qualify as solicitors. The BSN's focus at the time was to provide a forum for black solicitors to network, thereby sharing best practice and experience. These included obtaining a franchise for legal aid work, providing mutual support, and generally encouraging debate about issues affecting black lawyers. Since then it has expanded its reach to young black lawyers and offers help starting a career in the law. The other minority lawyers groups cater for their own ethnic communities; where there are common issues affecting ethnic minorities, the groups come together.

What kind of support did you provide?

When we started ACALG, our aim was to help young minority law students who had already decided on a career in the law to actually achieve their goal, get training contracts and become fully qualified. There was a feeling that minority students did not get offered training contracts at City firms. We acted as a broker for the City firms and encouraged students to apply to them through us.

Have your efforts borne fruit?

We weren't concerned about quantifying the effect of our effort, we just wanted to provide practical support and help these students realise their objective, but anecdotal evidence would suggest that we have been successful, although there's still a lot of work to do. The fact that the BSN is now officially recognised by the Law Society is probably a good indicator that we are doing something useful and an encouragement to continue our work.

Do you see yourself as a network serving a specific section of the black and minority-ethnic community?

The BSN is primarily about black lawyers supporting each other. BSN lawyers serve the wider community like any other solicitors. Race is not a business factor. But there are times where race is relevant, when clients feel they are more at ease dealing with a lawyer who understands their cultural background, as in cases of racial discrimination, racial attack, or abuse cases.

So, as a high street practice, how do you go about keeping clients, remaining competitive and getting new clients?

Like most high street firms, we are very much rooted in the community. The children of clients ten years ago will come to us because we were the family's solicitors when they bought a house at the time, but instead of instructing us straight away they will look around, including on the internet, to compare rates. The web has made it much easier to compare services and prices. As you build a rapport with a client you begin to understand their personal or business circumstances and provide advice which is really tailored to them. What you create is a relationship of trust, and this is why they will come back to you. I may advise them on their will and they may come back for an employment problem.

Talking about wills, are you concerned about cheap wills and conveyancing packages?

Wills or lease packages may be technically reliable, but what solicitors offer is the broader perspective, an understanding of whether a particular legal solution is suitable to an individual client's circumstances. Conveyancing is the bread-and-butter of a lot of high street practices and we are no different. For us, it is just one of the many services we provide to our clients. But it is true that it is very competitive and we are always trying to reduce the cost or time. We are in the process of taking on new case management software, which allows anyone in the firm to find out straight away where a transaction is and the timeline to completion, so even if the lead solicitor is away, clients can be kept informed.

The Legal Services Bill has just been introduced in Parliament. Do you see it as a further threat to high street practices?

The Legal Services Bill could offer good investment opportunities for smaller firms who may wish to formalise existing relationships with other associated businesses such as estate agents or accountants. There will need to be measures in place to ensure that the amalgamated firm comes under the supervision of the Solicitors' Regulation Authority to ensure that the client's best interests are protected at all times. Supermarkets or high street banks launching legal services under their own brand could also be a boost. They don't have the legal capability to run the services themselves so they will outsource. If their aim is to provide an additional range of services to the local community, it would make sense to outsource the work to a panel of local solicitors rather than to a centralised legal centre.

Stephen Friday CV

Who Partner in Percy Short & Cuthbert, a high street firm in North London, which was set up in 1892

Background Born in Grenada, moved to Britain at 12, read law at De Montfort University, qualified with West End firm Beckman & Beckman, before joining Percy, Short & Cuthbert in 1996 as a partner.

Other involvement De Montfort University Law Advisory Panel, College of Law Advisory Panel, formerly on the Law Society Legal Practice Course Board; member of the Joint Academic Studies Board.

In his spare time Enjoys travel, reading and spending time with his wife and four children.

Copyright & permissions