Law Society Of Kenya Strategic Plan 2023-2027

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) is Kenya’s premier bar association, with membership of all practicing advocates, currently numbering over twenty-three thousand. It has the mandate to advise and assist members of the legal profession, the government and the larger public in all matters relating to the administration of justice in Kenya, regulate the legal profession in Kenya among other key objectives. The Society was established by an Act of Parliament – The Law Society of Kenya Act (Chapter 18 of the Laws of Kenya). The Law Society in its present form was formed in 1948 by section 3 of the Law Society of Kenya Ordinance, 1949. That Act was later repealed by the current Law Society of Kenya Act, which came into
force on 30th October, 1992, which was consequently repealed by the Law Society of Kenya Act, No. 21 of 2014 Laws of Kenya.

 

 

It has the mandate to advise and assist members of the legal profession, the government and the larger public in all matters relating to the administration of justice in Kenya. The Law Society of Kenya membership consists of all practicing advocates in Kenya, currently numbering in excess of twenty-three thousand. By law, one must be a member of the Law Society of Kenya in order to practice as an advocateof the High Court of Kenya. The Law Society of Kenya also has special and honorary membership that can be considered and conferred by the Council upon meeting the requisite qualifications.

The LSK 2023-2027 Strategic Plan, has been developed in line with the LSK Act, 2014, Advocates Act, Cap16 Laws of Kenya, LSK (General) Regulations, 2020, Kenya’s Vision 2030, the Constitution of Kenya 2010, and Sustainable Development Goals — SDGs 5, 8, 10, and 16. The implementation of this strategic plan
is based on stakeholder participation, good governance, and a professional approach to institutional management, through linkages and collaborations, to achieve the set strategic objectives. This new strategy aspires to support the Society’s Members better in a respected legal profession and a wellregulated sector, while influencing and impacting society through better access to justice, public protection, and the independence of the Kenyan legal system.
The historical, legal, and institutional framework presents the rationale and methodology of this strategy, presenting an agenda for tackling our organisational challenges in the dynamic environment that operate in. The situational analysis stipulates our previous achievements, challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. It also interrogates the operational environmental and how it affects the LSK, using the SWOT and PESTEL tools, where stakeholders were identified, interviewed and requirements acknowledged.

 

During this Strategic Plan’s period, our strategy will focus on five (5) Strategic Priorities:
• Transformative Member Services
• Legislation & Public Interest
• Financial Sustainability & Risk Management
• Council and Secretariat Operations & Capacity Building
• Brand Awareness & Equity

The Society has the mandate to advise and assist members of the legal profession, the government and the larger public in all matters relating to the administration of justice in Kenya. According to Section 4 of the LSK Act 2014, the objects for which the Society was established are:

1. To assist the Government and the courts in matters relating to legislation, the administration of justice and practice of law in Kenya;
2. To uphold the Constitution of Kenya and advance the rule of law and the administration of justice;
3. To ensure that all persons who practice law in Kenya or provide legal services in Kenya meet the standards competence and professional conduct that are appropriate for legal services they provide;
4. To project and assist the members of public in Kenya in matters relating to or ancillary or incidental to the laws;
5. To set, maintain and continuously improve the standards of learning, professional competence and professional conduct for the provision of legal services in Kenya;
6. To determine, maintain and enhance the standards of professional practice and ethical conduct and learning for the legal profession in Kenya;
7. To facilitate the acquisition of legal knowledge by members of the Society and ancillary service provider, including paralegal through promotion of high standards of legal education and training;
8. To represent, protect and assist members of legal profession in Kenya in matters relating to the conditions of practice and welfare;
9. To formulate policies that promote the restructuring of legal profession in Kenya to embrace the spirit, principles, values and objects of the Constitution of Kenya;
10. To facilitate the realization of a transformed legal profession that is cohesive accountable, effective & independent;
11. To establish mechanisms necessary for the provision of equal opportunities for all legal practitioners in Kenya;
12. To protect and promote the interest of consumers of legal service and the public interest generally by providing a fair, effective, efficient and transparency procedures for the resolution of complaints against legal practitioners;
13. To develop and facilitate adequate training programmes for legal practitioners; and
14. To do all such other things as are incidental or to the foregoing functions.

1. Transformative Member Services
   Provide sufficient and timely support for our Members to thrive in delivering the highest quality legal
   services in Kenya and overseas, advocating for their welfare, health, and well-being and promoting a
   vibrant and respected legal profession.
2. Legislation & Public Interest
   Promote and protect the public interest, grow public trust, and drive legislative reforms to enhance our
   justice system for the benefit of the public.
3. Financial Sustainability & Risk Management
   Adopt a resilience-based approach to ensure a financially sound organization that can fund its operations
   and aspirations.
4. Council and Secretariat Operations & Capacity Building
   Streamline operations in line with corporate global best practices, build a capable workforce by reskilling
   and upskilling them for the future, and enable effortless workflows for effective and efficient service
   delivery.
5. Brand Awareness & Equity
   Participate in communities to earn engagement and loyalty, make the LSK brand top-of-mind, a thought
   leader, memorable, and talkable while focusing on opportunities with high visibility to fuel important
   conversations across channels.