Five reasons why the government's new economic plan is big news for solicitors and firms

Legal services and regional growth prioritised

The industrial strategy announcement is very positive for legal services.

The strategy recognises the value of our sector and looks to address barriers to growth.

Regional hubs in cities including Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, and Cardiff will benefit from £500 million through the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund.

The government has also committed to working in partnership with devolved governments in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland to strengthen economic clusters across the UK.

We’ve continued to highlight the impact and importance of legal services to government, particularly outside of London. It’s positive to see this reflected in the strategy.

Learn more about legal services and plans for economic growth.

New technologies for law firms

Government investment will help firms adopt new technology to improve their services and operations.

The government has committed to supporting Lawtech UK for a further year. This is something we pushed for.

Lawtech UK will focus on helping small- and medium-sized law firms to adopt lawtech in their practice.

5,500 more small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will also be supported to adopt new technology through the Made Smarter programme.

We’re pleased to see a focus on supporting SMEs. This was one of the asks in our response to the industrial strategy consultation.

Other technology commitments in the industrial strategy include:

• support with staff training and reskilling in digital skills and cybersecurity
• exploring next steps for civil justice digitisation
• continued support for digital tools to support early and online dispute resolution

Browse our AI and lawtech resources.

Continued funding for apprenticeships and skills

Level 7 apprenticeship funding will continue for those starting an apprenticeship aged 16 to 21.

This is good news for legal services. Level 7 apprenticeships are currently the only route to qualify as a solicitor outside of university. They are an important tool for removing barriers and diversifying our sector.

We’re pleased the government listened to our request to maintain funding. We will continue to push for level 7 apprenticeship funding to continue for people starting an apprenticeship aged 21 or over.

Learn more about level 7 apprenticeship funding.

Read our guide on hiring an apprentice.

Other skills commitments include:

• visa and migration reforms and a new Global Talent Taskforce to attract global talent
• monitoring skills gaps and shortages across the legal services sector

Updates to legislation and regulation

The success of our legal services relies on English and Welsh law remaining the industry standard across many sectors.

The industrial strategy firmly commits to upholding the rule of law within the UK. The strategy identifies this as central to maintaining our position as a trusted and attractive destination for international investment.

The government will maintain the strength of English and Welsh law by updating and modernising legislation.

This includes clearer and more proportionate money laundering regulations by the end of 2025. 

We made a firm pitch to government on the strengths of English law.

It’s good to see this acknowledged in the strategy.

International trade barriers addressed

The government has committed to opening new markets and tackling overseas barriers. This is good news for firms and organisations looking to grow their business overseas.

This includes support to access the EU. The UK and EU will host ongoing talks on short-term business mobility and recognising professional qualifications.

There will be marketing campaigns in key growth markets to promote UK strengths. This includes campaigns focused on English and Welsh law and lawtech, such as the GREAT Campaign.

The government will share detailed plans in its upcoming trade strategy.

We’ve engaged closely with the trade strategy and will share updates once it’s published.

How the strategy will be delivered

To deliver the strategy, the government will:

• create an independent Industrial Strategy Council
• work closely with the Professional and Business Services Council. The Law Society is a member of this council. A permanent secretariat is being considered
• appoint a Professional and Business Services champion to cover trade and AI
• develop a proposal for a new Office for Professional and Business Services (OPBS)