I. Stephanie Boyce Keynote Speaker

177th President of the Law Society for England and Wales (2021-2022)
The first black, first person of colour to become president of the Law Society
Award-winning lawyer and tireless campaigner for equality of opportunity

I. Stephanie Boyce's Biography

Stephanie Boyce is widely regarded as a trailblazer in the UK legal profession, earning respect for her leadership, resilience, and commitment to social mobility, diversity and inclusion and access to justice.

In March 2021, she made history as the 177th President of the Law Society of England and Wales, becoming the first person of colour and the sixth woman to hold the position. Her presidency coincided with significant events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit, and the war in Ukraine. She is credited with providing steady leadership during these turbulent times.

Her tenure is celebrated for advancing equity and inclusion within the legal sector. She emphasised the importance of creating a profession that reflects the diversity of the communities it serves, advocating for greater representation of underrepresented groups at all levels.

Stephanie’s journey from a working-class background to leading the Law Society is seen as a testament to her determination and resilience. She has openly discussed the challenges she faced, including being told that a career in law was unattainable for someone of her low socio-economic status.

Beyond her professional achievements, Stephanie is active in community engagement, regularly going into schools including returning to her former school in Aylesbury to inspire students and advocate for the teaching of basic law in schools, and emphasising the importance of legal literacy for all.

Stephanie’s contributions have been widely recognised. She was named in the Power List of the 100 Most Influential Black People in the UK for three consecutive years and received the Burberry British Diversity Awards’ Inspirational Role Model of the Year in 2022 and King’s College London Distinguished Alumni Award 2022. Additionally, she has been awarded honorary doctorates from several universities for her work on equality, diversity, and inclusion and services to the law to name a few.

Today, she continues to influence the legal profession and beyond through her roles as a consultant, keynote speaker, and advocate for inclusive leadership.

The Inequality Gap

The trend of the rising inequality gap and how we can bridge the divide leading to a more just and equitable society.

Climate Justice

The important of climate equity at the heart of taking action.

Artificial intelligence

With the use of AI on the march, the public must be assured that its increased use poses little threat to the existence of humankind, and where it does, that there are appropriate guardrails in place to prevent serious harm and eradicate any underlying biases and unfairness that may exist.

Access to Justice

Legal rights means absolutely nothing if you do not know what your rights are and you do not even know when those rights are being taken away." The law impinges upon every part of our lives, from the air we breathe to the clothes we wear the law touches it all, but the public awareness of their rights is low.

Future proofing a Positive Mindset

"There is so much wastage amongst leaders and now more than ever there is an economic case for creating environments for leaders to flourish physically and mentally.”