Welcome to my sixth newsletter as President of The Newcastle and North of England Law Society during our very special Bicentenary Year.

After some well-earned breathing space, my fellow officers, the Society team and I were back to business in September.

A few personal highlights stand out.

One memorable evening was our event with Lady Hale, hosted by our friends at Trinity Chambers, Barristers. Lady Hale shared the story of her remarkable career and the historic firsts that shaped her journey, from being the first woman appointed to the Law Commission to becoming President of the Supreme Court.

I was delighted to welcome guests and join a panel discussion alongside Lady Hale and HHJ Gillian Matthews KC, exploring the experiences of lawyers at different stages of their careers, the barriers they faced, and the resilience required to succeed in the profession. Rather fittingly, all the panellists wore a statement brooch, taking inspiration from Lady Hale herself.

I was also honoured to represent our Society at the Opening of the Legal Year in London, following an invitation from Mark Evans, President of The Law Society. From the wonderful black-tie dinner in the Great Hall at The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn to the service at Westminster Abbey, it was a remarkable reminder of the traditions, importance and reach of our profession with approximately 600 guests attending both events.

Of course, the standout moment of the last two months was undoubtedly our Bicentenary Annual Dinner. Bringing together more than 400 colleagues and friends from across the legal community to celebrate 200 years of our Society was something I will never forget. Seeing 70 newly qualified solicitors recognised, 12 university award winners celebrated, and our shared history showcased so effectively perfectly captured our theme of Honouring the Past, Preparing for the Future.

Looking ahead, I was delighted to see the return of our Legal Tech programme. Standing Committee Member David Dewar, Associate Director at Winn Solicitors Ltd kindly stepped up to become the Society's lead on Legal Tech. He assembled a fabulous line up of speakers and masterminded this event to resurrect this very important initiative in the current climate.

We explored the practical realities of Legal Technology and AI and what they mean for practitioners today. We looked beyond the hype to consider how AI can be used effectively, responsibly and safely within legal practice.

As we move towards the end of the year, we still have an exciting programme ahead, including our Annual Lecture exploring the fascinating and rapidly evolving world of Space Law on Thursday 26th November, together with our first Christmas Carol Service at Newcastle Cathedral on Tuesday 8th December kindly sponsored by Iain Nicholson & Co.

Clearly there is still so much going on and we remain busier than ever.

I look forward to welcoming members, colleagues and friends to our forthcoming events.