My top five tips for running a law society

Running a law society is a challenge at times. It is more than you could ever expect when being elected to the position of president but the rewards you gain make the entire experience worth it! In this article, I’m going to outline some advice I would give my past self before starting out as president, or anyone else who is about to embark on the fantastic journey of being a law society president.

Choosing your committee

My first, and most crucial tip I believe, is to choose your committee wisely. At the University of Lincoln Law Society, the executive roles (which are the only electable roles) are president, vice president, and treasurer. Therefore, when summer comes around it’s time for us to choose our committee for the next academic year via applications from our members.

The process includes a written application and an interview, allowing you to get a real sense of the applicants and their suitability for the role. It goes without saying, don’t just pick your friends! You should select the people who you feel:

• will be dedicated and committed to the role; and
• show a real commitment and passion for the society, which in turn will mean you have to do less to assist them!

I would also encourage you to try to pick from a range of year groups. If the committee is all third-year students, some first years may feel slightly excluded or nervous to come to events. I tried to combat this by introducing a first-year representative position on the committee – this role essentially aims to bridge the gap between first years and the rest of the committee, making sure everyone feels welcome!

It’s never too early to start planning…

My second tip would be to start planning early! When my role officially began in July 2021, I started to reach out to firms for sponsorships and began to fill in the calendar for the year, which we then put out to members each month.

By doing this, it allowed us to pencil in dates for our big events, such as the Annual Networking Dinner and Law Ball, which we also started planning as soon as the academic year began. By organising the yearly calendar early, it allows you to see what availability there is each month, which is useful for when your committee approaches you with event ideas –  it means you can give them some options straight away, and it just keeps the ball continuously rolling.

Who? What? Where? When? Why?

My third useful tip is to make sure you know what is happening at all times! While your committee members are there to do the bulk of their assigned position, your role is to oversee absolutely everything that goes on within the society. For example, our events officers have done a fabulous job of planning our Law Ball, but it has been my job, as president, to oversee all aspects, including dietary requirements and seating plans to ensure everything runs smoothly.  Plus, if there are any hiccups, there are then a range of people available to help resolve any issues!

It is essential that you know everything that is happening within the society, which can be difficult when you have competitions running alongside careers talks and event organisation (all on top of your degree). However, when it all comes together, it is extremely rewarding, and your executive team are always there to support you.

How can you leave the society better than when you arrived?

I believe it is important to try to expand the society each year. In previous years, Lincoln has been very closed off and seemed quite a small society. This year my main aim was to open the society to everyone. We did this by:

• creating an all-members group chat;
• introducing a first-year representative; and
• hosting more events for non-law students or students that are not interested in a legal career.

It is important to try to cater to everyone’s needs. This is a long-term process and cannot be solely achieved in one year, however over my time as treasurer last year and president this year, we have set some strong foundations for change within the society, and I look forward to watching it continue to develop even further in the future!

It’s easy to be kind

Finally, this might sound simple, but just be friendly! I have tried to speak to everyone at every event we have held this year. It has been hard at events like the Networking Dinner where over 180 people were in attendance, however just a simple ‘hello’ and introduction of who you are to your members makes every event seem more personal and will, in turn, make them want to attend again!

Following on from my experience with the society in my first year, as president I definitely wanted to make it more of a community, and not so secluded from first-year students. As such, it was important to have all of your committee at the face of the society, talking to everyone. This makes for a  more relaxed environment, and helps to eliminate the very formal stigma that people often associate with student law societies – we like to have fun too, and just communicating with your members, portrays that impression better than anything else!

Good luck!

I hope this has been an insightful read into my experience as a student law society president. It has been a fabulous journey and I cannot wait to watch Lincoln Law Society continue to grow and hopefully win some more incredible awards!

Lucy Antcliff, president of the University of Lincoln Law Society, won the Best law society president award at LawCareers.Net’s Student Law Society Awards 2022. For a full list of winners, read this News story.