Former President of the Law Society of Bristol Robert Bourns has been named as the 172nd President of the Law Society of England and Wales.
Currently a representative of the City of London on the Law Society Council, he succeeds outgoing president Jonathan Smithers.
Bourns was previously a senior partner and managing partner specialising in employment law at TLT. He qualified in 1980 after graduating from Cardiff University (then University College, Cardiff) in 1976.
As well as his position at the Law Society of Bristol, he was also secretary of the Association of South Western Law Societies and member of the Law Society’s Equality & Diversity committee.
Robert said: “It is a tremendous privilege to take up the presidency of the Law Society.
“This is a time full of both opportunities and challenges for the solicitor profession and indeed for the country, and I’m focused on what we can contribute over the coming year.
“We should be proud of our contributions to the communities we live in, in our professionalism and expertise, and our role in upholding the rule of law. A diverse profession that gives line of sight to people of all backgrounds – so they can see the possibility of a career as a solicitor if they want one even if their start in life is challenging.
Also taking office today are Joe Egan of Joe Egan solicitors, currently deputy vice president of the Law Society who takes office as vice president, and Christina Blacklaws of Cripps LLP, who was elected in June as deputy vice president of the Law Society.
