TO BE PUBLISHED May 2026
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Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
This conference will examine next steps for legal professional ethics in the UK.
It will bring key stakeholders and policymakers together to discuss priorities for strengthening ethical practice and workplace culture across the profession, including responsibilities for firms, chambers, in-house teams and individual practitioners, and what good practice and effective oversight should look like in different settings.
Regulatory developments, priorities & next steps
The conference takes place as the Legal Services Board considers responses to its consultation on the draft policy statement Upholding Professional Ethical Duties, and as regulators and professional bodies assess options for how guidance, supervision and enforcement should respond to persistent concerns around misconduct, litigation conduct and the use of tools such as non-disclosure agreements.
Delegates will consider practical implications of proposals and guidance affecting in-house counsel and external advisers, including approaches to managing conflicts, maintaining independence and professional judgement, and handling ethical pressures in client relationships and organisational decision-making.
Further discussion is expected on the way forward for enforcement and complaints processes at the Bar, including options for aligning the Bar Standards Board’s Enforcement Regulations, and how recommendations from the Independent review of bullying, harassment and sexual harassment at the Bar can translate into credible, workable arrangements for reporting, investigations, sanctions and support for those bringing complaints.
The agenda will also consider next steps for professional responses to Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, including how existing and potential legislative measures interact with conduct obligations in practice, and the balance practitioners may need to strike between client interests, duties to the court and wider professional responsibilities.
Innovation, artificial intelligence & ethical considerations
Sessions will look at current concerns around the use of AI in legal practice, considering strategic and practical approaches for firms in improving transparency and accountability, alongside how recent Law Society guidance on AI use may inform future regulatory expectations and supervision.
The role of regulation in upholding public trust and reducing the misuse of technology will be examined. Delegates will consider approaches to supporting ethical AI use while maintaining professional judgement, alongside priorities for protecting client confidentiality and addressing bias - with the Law Society calling for clearer guidance for lawyers on AI use, following government plans to introduce an AI Growth Lab.
Professional standards, organisational culture & education
Sessions will consider what effective practice for developing and sustaining ethical culture within the legal profession looks like as regulatory guidance develops. With evolving Standards of Service requirements reflecting provisions in the Victims and Courts Bill - currently progressing through Parliament - and changing approaches to NDAs, attendees will consider priorities for maintaining professional standards, legal ethics education and cross-sector collaboration, including links with wider business-focused regulatory frameworks.
Delegates will examine responses to recent regulatory interventions on workplace culture, considering effective leadership and the integration of ethics into organisational strategy, incentives and day-to-day management. Discussion will also consider priorities for developing a diverse legal profession, including what may be needed to mitigate risks arising from unethical behaviours and practice for the sustainability of the sector and workforce.
Considering implications of the independent review of bullying, harassment and sexual harassment at the Bar, sessions will assess measures such as mandatory anti-bullying and anti-harassment standards, policies and training, alongside updated guidelines on relationships at work and proposals for a new Commissioner for Conduct. Attendees will also consider how strengthened expectations from regulators and professional bodies intersect with organisational responsibilities, and what is required for cultural reform to be credible and enduring.
Ethical culture & professional learning
Sessions will also consider what may be needed to embed meaningful cultural change, including collaborative approaches across regulators, employers and professional bodies. We expect discussion on the operation of misconduct reporting and disciplinary processes, transparency and information-sharing arrangements, and whistleblowing protections, alongside options for addressing underlying drivers of misconduct.
Priorities for legal ethics education will also be discussed, including support for practitioners and smaller firms in adjusting to new expectations for continuous ethics training, considering ways of integrating individual and collective ethical conduct into professional life, and addressing conflicts faced by lawyers at all levels - including in-house and junior practitioners.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Ministry of Justice; Ofcom; Health and Safety Executive; HM Revenue and Customs; Home Office; National Crime Agency; and The Scottish Government.
