LLG is a vibrant member organisation for local government lawyers and governance officers at all levels.
Joining LLG introduces you to a community of like minded local authority lawyers and governance officers across England and Wales. We offer you access to knowledge, training and development opportunities specifically focussed on your needs, within the context of law in local government. As part of the LLG family, you’ll never be alone - either professionally or socially!
Benefits include
The invaluable and comprehensive weekly digest summarising everything from the press, media, and social media. With topics concerning law, politics and policy, cases of interest, decisions of note, and announcements from local authorities and stakeholder organisations
Catch up with the weekly news headlines and topics in a compact review. The Grapevine podcast gives you a six minute summary of the weekly bulletin, or head to the Vlog for a 4 minute video of the current news headlines.
Lively one hour updates on emerging issues, whether it be legal debate, practice suggestions, process changes, government policy and consultations, LLG campaigns, or soft skills & wellbeing
Web chat with the wider community - post your questions, queries and sticky issues to see if other members can help, or offer your experience and advice to support those that need it.
Meetings allow you to talk and learn with other lawyers online within your specific legal discipline, to grow your skills and your network
Facilitate networking, social and training events for lawyers across a particular region, both online and face to face, to build links with nearby local authorities.
Access to the Membership pages of the Website including Counsel’s Opinion & Guidance Documents.
Our members have lots of opportunities to take part in national policy making and debate on key professional issues affecting them and their authorities.
Join with us to change the sector for the better, shaping national policy and legislation, and working on innovative approaches such as the Golden Triangle Campaign, Work Experience week and National Graduate Recruitment.
Discounted fees offered on selected training events throughout the year.
Every year we celebrate the best in the profession and recognise the huge contribution made by lawyers in effecting change in their local communities. As a member you can nominate yourself or team members for recognition, or just enjoy the spectacle and be inspired by the stories of others.
LLG Stakeholder Collaboration
LLG has excellent connections with a variety of stakeholders including Central Government, the Local Government Association, The Law Society, The Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and other national bodies and groups. We work in partnership with other membership groups such as the Association of Democratic Services Officers, Society for Local Council Clerks, and National Association of Local Councils, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants (CIPFA), the Society for Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) and the Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA) - to bring collective weight on important issues and enjoy strong ties with the Press to publicise our campaigns and key messages.
Personal Development
Whether you are a junior lawyer or a Head of Legal, LLG gives you access to the tools to boost your career prospects. Grow your legal skills through attending our range of discounted training conferences. Expand your soft skills with development opportunities such as LLG Inspire; apply for our Mentoring Scheme, and apply for training and academic bursaries. Gain leadership experience through standing for office as a Director of LLG or a National Lead.
For Monitoring Officers
Access to the Monitoring Officer Handbook (e-book). Should you need support, LLG Membership provides access to the Monitoring Officer Defence Scheme providing up to 3 hours of confidential advice and discounted representational rates.
Membership is open to any local government legal or governance officer working within a Local Authority (whether directly employed by the Local Authority or engaged through an agency or other similar arrangement), including but not limited to Monitoring Officers and their deputies, solicitors, barristers, legal executives and licensed conveyancers, and any trainee of any of them, but EXCLUDING any solicitor in private practice unless they are self employed and undertake work solely on behalf of Local Authority clients.
There are different types of membership available either for a group of colleagues in a local authority or as an individual.
Being an LLG member provides access to a network of lawyers throughout England and Wales, the opportunity to join free, regular webinars and meetings, the chance to be part of the national campaigns, a weekly newsletter of membership notices and a weekly bulletin of legislative changes and notices.
In 2023 the opportunity for all group members to attend 6 online one day conferences can be included in the annual membership. For details see the Membership Plus section.
Group membership or individual memberships are available and details of group numbers, categories of joining and fees for 2024 are listed in the Membership Fees 2024/25 section. The membership year is from the 1 April.
From April 2023, LLG introduced Membership Plus. In addition to having access to all of the membership benefits, the Membership Plus option offers local authorities the ability to buy a membership inclusive of free attendance for any or all of the people within the LLG Membership Group at 6 remote one-day conferences throughout the year, typically including elections, leadership, planning law, commercial law, the Monitoring Officer Conference and other topical conferences such as housing or climate change law.
This can be a far more cost-effective way of purchasing access to remote conferences for the legal team.
Please note this does not include the two residential conferences (Spring Conference and Governance Conference), or LLG’s one day training courses.
Open to other persons who, in the Boards absolute discretion are thought likely to make a significant contribution to the work of LLG. Associate membership of LLG provides the same entitlements as full membership, excepting that eligibility to stand for office with the Company is subject to the prior written consent of the Board in its absolute discretion
Fees from the 1st April 2024
Only available on approval and invitation from the Board
The membership fees for 2024/2025 are for a number of people in a legal team or as an individual member
| Groups of Membership | Membership | Membership Plus |
| 1-5 Members | £345 | £720 |
| 6-10 Members | £670 | £1,800 |
| 11-20 Members | £1,020 | £2,400 |
| 21-30 Members | £1,350 | £3,000 |
| 31+ Members | £1,620 | £3,600 |
| Individual Memberships | Membership | Membership Plus |
| Monitoring Officer or Head of Legal | £345 | £600 |
| Principal Solicitor or Locum | £140 | £300 |
| Assistant Solicitor or Retired or on a Career Break | £65 | £180 |
| Retired | £60 | £180 |
| Trainee or Apprentice | £0 | n/a |
