President, Council & Committees
Salma Maqsood was elected as President of Bristol Law Society at the 155th AGM held on Tuesday 18th November 2025.
The members of Bristol Law Society elect a President and a Vice President annually at the AGM in November. The President’s role is to represent the Society and the Bristol legal sector and to manage Council and Executive in implementing the policies of Bristol Law Society during the year.
Joining Salma who is a Real Estate lawyer, in the role of Vice President, is Sabeena Pirooz, Associate and Senior Medical Negligence Lawyer at Thompsons.
You can read Salma's speech in full here but in summary "As we look ahead, I see a year full of opportunities to elevate our profession, inspire the next generation, and ensure that our Society remains inclusive, innovative, and supportive of all our members"
And so her key focus will be:
- Inspiring the Next Generation of Lawyers
- Ensuring Accessibility and Inclusion
- Strengthening Community, Collaboration, and Responsible Innovation
- Celebrating Local Talent
Pictured below the Officers of Bristol Law Society 2025/26.
You can find our full list of Council members and Representatives here
L-R, Ben Hanham, Hon Sec; Rachel Fisher, Treasurer; Sabeena Pirooz, Vice President; Salma Maqsood, President; Coralie McKeivor, Immediate Past President
BLS also runs a number of special interest committees which we encourage Members to join. See below the current list and email us at membership@Bristollawsociety.com if you would like to hear more and get involved:
Bristol Law Society Committees, Networks and Working Groups
| BBLT (Bristol+ Bath Legal Tech) | BBLT is a network and is a collaboration of law firms, legal tech companies and educationalists with a mutual interest in legal technology and innovation. |
| Community Engagement (CE) Group
[Quarterly Meetings] |
The purpose of the group is to have an overview and promote CE activity in the Bristol region in general and within the legal profession, to promote best practise, to function as a forum for support and to bring this varying activity together to maximise the positive impact of the legal profession on the Bristol region.
This group also engages with other local networks/groups such as the West of England Pro Bono Committee and Bristol Trustee Group. |
| Climate and Sustainability Group
Green Badge Initiative |
The purpose of the group is to support the work of our members with events and information with practical hints and tips and resources to assist members on the road to NetZero, ESG compliance and general sustainability issues.
This committee/group also leads on our Green Badge Initiative and Sustainability Training Programme. |
| Training Committee (including webinars conferences & seminars)
(Split into Practice Areas as needed to drive training programme forward)
|
This committee overseas the main training programme along with Helen and Clair. There will be working groups as and when required to develop training programmes and support for different practice area and provide guidance/feedback to the BLS Council on practice area matters.
We also welcome members from additional practice areas to expand offering and support our webinar programme |
| ED&I Committee and Networks
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Split into:
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The EDI Committee oversees the main EDI work carried out by Bristol and is split into sub-groups and working groups as and when the need arises.
Through the ED&I committee, Bristol Law Society hosts a programme of ED&I focussed events for members and works with local firms and other organisations on initiatives to support women lawyers, LGBT+ lawyers, disabled lawyers and ethnic minority lawyers as well as supporting initiatives relating to social mobility, our menopause forums and mental health & wellbeing in the workplace. The EDI Committee engages and collaborates with other local networks as listed including Women Lawyers Bristol, Ethnic Solicitors South West Network and Disabled Solicitors South West Network. |
| Mental Health and Wellbeing | The Committee aims to improve recognition and understanding of the negative impact of poor mental health on individuals and the knock-on effect on the businesses they work within and work with; raise awareness of the importance and benefits to employer firms and other organisations within the industry of supporting individuals’ wellbeing and good mental health and of making changes within the culture of the legal sector as a whole; and offer support to businesses and individuals working within the industry by signposting wellbeing resources, and arranging events and training etc. |
| Mentoring | This Committee offers support to businesses and individuals working within the industry by signposting mentoring resources and arranging events and training etc and working with other local organisations. |
Early Talent & Education (Future Skills)
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A Committee group for those working in education, in firm HR/recruitment and early talent teams and those interested in access to the profession generally.
Focus on skills programme, apprenticeships, access to the profession, SQE, work experience etc. There will be working groups as and when required to work on specific initiatives. The BLS Scholarship is aimed at helping people from disadvantaged backgrounds living in Bristol and the surrounding area to pursue a career in law. |
| Junior Lawyers (to liaise and work to support Bristol JLD)
incorporating BLS Legal Apprentice Network |
A committee to work with JLD and help encourage junior lawyers and apprentices to engage with BLS and to assist with our junior lawyers/apprentices training programme and other initiatives where relevant for junior lawyers and apprentices. |
| Cross Professional and Business Community Engagement | A committee oversees our cross-professional networking events programme and seeks to increase engagement with the business community and re-establish cross professional networking opportunities with other business organisations and take advantage of other Bristol opportunities and initiatives to increase the “Bristol Brand”. |
| Sports and Social Committee | This committee overseas the main social programme with support from Helen and Clair. |