A new opportunity for PAs and business support professionals working across the legal sector to connect, collaborate and shape the future of the profession is being launched in collaboration with Birmingham Law Society.
We are delighted to be celebrating an exciting new development for legal business support professionals across Birmingham and beyond with the Business Support Division.
Daniel Skermer has been working on creating this exciting new initiative to bring a much-needed focus to the contribution of PAs, executive assistants, legal secretaries and wider business support professionals within the legal profession. Thanks to fantastic contributions from within the sector, the Division has been created to specifically serve our members in the legal profession. Special thanks goes to:
- Darla Parsons, Personal Assistant, Hill Dickinson
- Charlotte Hollinshead, Practice Support Manager, Browne Jacobson
- Juliette Cooper, Executive Assistant, St. Phillips Chambers
- Wyn Charles, Lead Legal Departmental Support, Freeths
- Becky Duggan, Practice Operations Manager, Gowling
All of their hard work has now led to the creation of the Birmingham Law Society – Business Support Division – designed to bring the legal business support community together and create opportunities for networking, collaboration, learning and professional development.
Bringing the legal PA community together
Business support professionals play a hugely important role within law firms and legal organisations. From PAs and executive assistants to business support managers, legal secretaries, office managers and other support specialists, these professionals are often at the heart of how the company operates. Now, the new Birmingham Law Society – Business Support Division provides an opportunity to take that collaboration even further.
A chance to network, share ideas and learn from each other
The launch event will take place in September, providing an opportunity for the legal business support community to come together, meet colleagues from other firms and have a say in what future events and activities should look like.
For PAs working within legal firms, this could be a fantastic opportunity to step outside of their individual organisations and connect with people who understand the unique challenges and opportunities of working in the legal environment.
Whether you’re an experienced legal PA, an executive assistant supporting senior partners, a legal secretary, a business support manager or someone relatively new to the profession, there is enormous value in sharing experiences with people doing similar roles elsewhere.
It’s an opportunity to ask:
What are other firms doing?
How are other PAs tackling the challenges we face?
What can we learn from each other?
How can we make the role of business support even more valuable to the organisations we work for?
and much more.
Collaboration across the legal sector
The initiative also represents an important opportunity to strengthen connections between legal organisations across Birmingham. The legal profession is continually changing, with technology, AI, new ways of working and evolving client expectations all having an impact on how legal organisations operate. Sharing ideas and experiences across firms can help professionals understand how others are adapting, identify new approaches and learn from successful initiatives. It can also create relationships that go beyond a single networking event.
Join the conversation
Talking to some of our contributors, we’re excited about what the group can bring. Charlotte Hollinshead of Browne Jacobson talked about the prospect of the group starting:
“It’s something I’m really passionate about. Having attended some Birmingham Law Society events in previous years, there is of course a huge focus on the lawyers, but as every good lawyer will know, they simply can’t do their jobs without the support teams around them. Support can sometimes be overlooked so it’s really important we shine the light on them as much as possible and ensure they feel just as valued.
The most important thing for me is ensuring those I work with are sufficiently supported, valued and fulfilled in their roles. I’m really looking forward to being part of this initiative and would love to see and connect with as many people as possible. If you’re someone who works in legal support and maybe feels a little lonely, come and join us for some interaction (and fun!) with like-minded individuals.“
Another of the founder contributors, Becky Duggan of Gowling also said:
“We are delighted to announce the launch of the new Business Support Division, and we warmly invite you to be part of it. Whether you are a seasoned professional or just starting out in your career, our events are designed to be inclusive and welcoming, bringing together the wider business support community in a friendly and supportive setting. It is a fantastic opportunity to share best practice, exchange knowledge, and build a valuable network across the industry — so please do come along and join us!
I am very excited to be bringing together the legal business support community in Birmingham and beyond, it is a brilliant initiative and one that is long overdue. I can’t wait to be a part of it and to see what comes from it. There are a couple of areas that are most important to me, the first being the development of AI within our industry — understanding how it can enhance the way we work and deliver a better service to clients. The other is wellbeing in the workplace remains a priority; ensuring we have the right support structures in place so that everyone in our teams can thrive and be the best they can be.“
The September launch event will be the beginning of what we hope will become a regular programme of events throughout 2027.
Most importantly, the first event will provide an opportunity for the community itself to help shape what comes next. If you’re planning on coming along, think about things like:
What would you like to see at future events?
What topics would benefit you?
What features would make a difference to your career?
What would help you connect with other legal business support professionals?
This is an opportunity for PAs and business support professionals to have their say and help build something that genuinely reflects the needs of the profession.
We are is incredibly proud to be involved along with Birmingham Law Society and excited about the opportunities this new initiative could create.
For legal PAs and business support professionals across Birmingham and beyond, this is your community, your profession and your opportunity to get involved.
Interested in joining the launch event?
If you work in a business support role within the legal profession and would like to find out more about the new Business Support Division and its September launch event and to book your place get in touch with Dan at [email protected] and you can also find out more here.