Geldards has announced further representation on the Cardiff & District Law Society Council in a bid to strengthen diversity and inclusion in the legal sector.
Cardiff & District Law Society represents the interests of legal professionals in the region and is made up of a diverse body of members who help champion access to justice for all. The Law Society provides a range of training and networking opportunities to members to support their professional development as well as networking forums and well-being support.
Award winning Senior Associate Aysha Chouhdary from Geldards Family team was elected Council member a year ago, the first British-Pakistani, Muslim appointment to the Council in the Law Society’s 137 year history. Aysha has a particular specialism in religious, cultural and international matters, specifically Shariah Law/Islamic Rulings. At the recent Annual General Meeting Aysha was newly appointed to the role of Chair of the Ethnicity Network for the forthcoming year.
Aysha is a long-standing advocate for Cardiff & District Law Society, having previously acted as Mentoring Co-ordinator for the reverse mentoring scheme. In her latest role as Chair of the Ethnicity Network she hopes to expand the Society’s membership to a wider, even more diverse body of legal professionals, and students.
Aysha is joined this year by Jon James, an experienced Solicitor in Geldards Injury Dispute Resolution team, who advises on a range of employer, public liability, medical negligence and sport related claims. Jon has been newly elected to the Council and is appointed Chair of Social Mobility Committee. Both are passionate about furthering diversity and inclusion in the legal sector, and they plan to work collaboratively as Chairs to organise events to promote their campaigns. Geldards will host the first CDLS Council meeting with the newly formed Council at their Cardiff offices this week.
As the Chair of the Social Mobility Committee, Jon will work to promote socio-economic diversity in the legal profession. At a time when the traditional routes into law are ever-changing and evolving, Jon will provide guidance and support to Law Society members on topics such as the SQE and the campaign to bring Level 7 legal apprenticeships to Wales.
Whilst Jon will seek to support those already in the profession, he is also passionate to help the next generation of individuals striving to pursue a career in law. Along with members of Jon’s Social Mobility Committee, Jon will provide tailored work experience placements in law firms for A Level students from lower socio-economic backgrounds providing opportunities for individuals to work with lawyers and gain invaluable experience.
Aysha comments:
“Having been appointed council member for the Cardiff Law Society a year ago, I am delighted to be appointed the Chair of the Ethnicity Network and look forward to working closely with Jon who is the new Chair of the Social Mobility Committee. Jon and I are extremely passionate about diversity and inclusion, as are Geldards, and we both look forward to working together, with our respective committees to drive initiatives forward in these key areas.”
Jon adds:
“I am honoured to be elected to the Council at such an important time for our profession. I look forward to promoting socio-economic diversity across our Law Society and helping both individuals and law firms navigate the new legal landscape. I also look forward to working closely with Aysha in her role as Chair of the Ethnicity network, to help mentor and inspire the next generation of lawyers in our Law Society.”
