Cardiff and District Law Society (CDLS) has elected its new Council for 2024/2025, including the appointment of Trish D’Souza as President of the largest regional law society in Wales, succeeding Immediate Past President, Clare Good.
Trish, a Legal Director and Education lawyer at Browne Jacobson, outlined her three core foci for the year ahead: to champion diversity, equity and inclusion – continuing significant work in this field by the Society to support and inspire law firms in Wales with their DEI journey and view this on an intersectional basis; to ensure that all law firms have a Pro Bono champion, and to share and help drive pro bono opportunities across the membership.
Trish will also launch a new Advocacy Network for employed advocates in the local area, after being informed by the judiciary that there is ‘currently a lack of networking and support vehicles for advocates employed by regulated (CILEX, SRA and BSB) organisations’.
The new Vice-President, Emma Waddingham (Legal News Wales) and Junior Vice President, Julia Reynolds (Leigh Day) were also elected to support the President and the society’s officers and sub-committees.
In her address to CDLS members and guests at AGM held at the Law Society Wales office in Cardiff last week, Trish highlighted the DEI journey that the Society has been on over the last decade, from the Ethnicity Network she established over six years ago (to highlight how to stop racism, report hate crime and upskill members on why there are disparities across our local sector), to the leadership team and focus of the diversity and inclusion subcommittees. Trish noted the Society was ‘pleased to welcome Rhian Hooton back from maternity leave to re-join Council and lead the Disability Subcommittee for CDLS – an area of inclusion that needs more profile and focus to support lawyers with disabilities, invisible or otherwise, in law firms across England and Wales’.
‘Succession journey is working’
Succession planning has been a core focus for the Society for some time, with the aim to build a consistent three-year leadership team with activities started long before the presidential year. Trish will become the third female in a row to become President of CDLS – but is only the 8th female president in the Society’s 139-year-old history. With another two female leaders lined up behind Trish, including the first non-lawyer to become Vice President of CDLS, ‘the succession journey is working’, Trish noted, and added:
“As you can see here from the top table, we’ve got a brilliant line up of women who have very willingly and graciously taken on the role and I’m very proud to be the third in line of what will be five years of an all-female presidential line-up. I doubt there are many regional law societies within England and Wales that can say they’ve had so many women follow each other.”
While undertaking the role of CDLS President, many of the most recent female leaders have taken new partner roles, moved firms, had children (while President), cared for extended family members and undertaken other voluntary leadership roles in the South Wales business community. In addition, Clare Good was the youngest ever president to undertake the role, and Jenine Abdo was the first president from a global majority group – Trish is the second. Emma Waddingham (Vice President) will become the first non-lawyer president of a regional law society in Wales next year, having become the first non-lawyer council member in 2012.
After the AGM, Trish said she believes the ‘transparent, collaborative, and proactive culture at CDLS, its hybrid meeting structures and administrative support’ meant that ‘anyone can join council and contribute, and certainly become president to support and champion our local legal communities’.
This year’s CDLS charity of the year was also announced. Trish has chosen Diabetes UK, to ‘raise awareness of the health condition and symptoms as well as fundraise.’ Trish was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at the age of 23. Her father shares this health condition and Trish’s twin brother has recently been diagnosed.
Trish said:
“I want to understand more about my own health and wellbeing as part of this collaboration with Diabetes UK and highlight the symptoms and profile the support employers can offer individuals with Diabetes. I was diagnosed by sheer chance after a blood test. I know there will be many others out there who aren’t aware of the symptoms and may never know they have it until later life.”
It was also announced that Richard Jones – former Engagement Manager at the Law Society Wales office – has been awarded the role of ‘CDLS Ambassador’, joining Michael Walters (former CDLS administrator) who received the title in 2019.
The new CDLS Council members for 2024-2025 are:
- President: Trish D’Souza (Browne Jacobson)
- Vice President: Emma Waddingham (Legal News Wales)
- Junior Vice President: Julia Reynolds (Leigh Day)
- Immediate Past President & Hon Assistant Secretary, Wellbeing: Clare Good (Capital Law)
- Treasurer: Stephen Averill (Phoenix Legal Services)
- Honorary Secretary: Rachelle Sellek (Acuity Law)
- Hon. Asst. Secretary, Professional Development Officer: Hannah Newberry (Hugh James)
- Hon. Asst. Secretary, Membership: Steve Roberts (Richard Nelson LLP)
- Hon. Asst. Secretaries, Diversity & Inclusion: Jenine Abdo
- Hon. Asst. Secretary, Legal Tech, and Law Society Council Member for South Wales: Clive Thomas (Watkins & Gunn)
- Hon. Asst. Secretary, Regulatory: Jonathan Marsh (Cardiff University)
- Hon. Asst. Secretary, Social: Gweni Reeves (HCR Law)
- Hon. Asst. Secretary Marketing and Website: Emma Waddingham
- Pro Bono Officer: Angharad Phillips (HCR Law)
- Disability Sub-Committee Chair & Council Member: Rhian Hooton (NWSSP Legal & Risk)
- Ethnicity Sub-Committee Chair & Council Member: Aysha Chouhdary (Geldards)
- LGBTQA+ Sub-Committee Chair & Council Member: Daniel Taylor (Blake Morgan)
- Social Mobility Sub-Committee Chair & Council Member: Jon James (Geldards)
- Council Member: Nick O’Neill (JCP Solicitors)
- Council Member: Roy Morgan (BARBRI Altior)
- Council Member: Sarah Newport, CJCH Solicitors
For further information on Cardiff & District Law Society, its events, corporate and individual membership, and how to get involved in its work and initiatives, please visit cardifflaw.org or contact the team via admin@cardifflaw.org.
