Professionalism under the Legal Services Act 2007

The Legal Services Act 2007 represents an ambitious attempt to reconcile consumerism and professionalism. The Act created a Legal Services Board to oversee the regulation of the legal services market in England and Wales. The Board was also placed under a duty to promote consumer interests and to encourage an independent, strong, diverse and effective legal profession and to promote professional principles. The article examines the actual and prospective impacts of the Act on the legal professions, professional work, the regulatory system, regulatory method, professional ethics and legal education. It identifies threats posed to traditional conceptions of legal professionalism by the new regime and suggests ways that they might be mitigated.