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The Legal Pause: Episode 9 – Breaking Down Barriers and Building a More Supportive Legal Profession
In Episode 9 of The Legal Pause, Nick Gallagher, CEO of The Solicitors’ Charity, is joined by Brett Dixon, incoming President of the Law Society of England and Wales.
From personal injury and access to justice to disability, consultancy, technology and wellbeing, the conversation explores Brett’s career and some of the issues he believes the profession needs to address during his Law Society presidency, running from October 2026 for a year.
Making the legal system more accessible
Brett’s commitment to supporting vulnerable people has been a recurring theme throughout his career. During six years serving on the Civil Procedure Rule Committee, he was involved in work to make the civil court system more inclusive and ensure that vulnerability was properly considered to enable people to participate fully in proceedings.
The conversation also becomes personal as Brett reflects on his experience as the parent of a disabled daughter born with a limb difference. Despite having worked professionally with people with serious disabilities, Brett explains how his own experience gave him a different perspective on the everyday barriers people face.
For Brett, an important part of supporting someone is listening to them, understanding what works for them and making conversations about disability and adaptations feel normal.
Making disability a normal conversation
That philosophy extends into one of Brett’s priorities for his presidential year – improving the experience of disabled solicitors. During the episode, Nick highlights a significant disparity: while 23% of working-age adults nationally disclose a disability, only 8% of solicitors in private practice do.
Brett argues that the answer is not simply providing solutions on someone’s behalf. Instead, employers should start by having a conversation and asking people what they need. As he points out, a disabled solicitor has already qualified and successfully navigated the recruitment process. They are therefore likely to have valuable experience of what works for them.
The goal, he suggests, should be to reach a point where discussing disability and reasonable support and adjustments within legal workplaces simply becomes normal and routine.
Different routes through a legal career
The conversation also explores Brett’s move into consultancy and the different career routes available to solicitors. For those considering consultancy, the discussion considers both the flexibility it can offer and the reality of working independently, including the importance of maintaining professional connections.
It reflects a wider theme of The Legal Pause – that a career in law does not necessarily have to follow one fixed path and that professional wellbeing can include finding a way of working in the law that suits the individual.
Technology, AI & the future of law
Away from law, Brett describes himself as something of a technology enthusiast or “geek”, with interests ranging from coding to 3D printing. That naturally leads to a conversation about AI and the role technology could play in the future of legal practice.
He considers the risks of AI (hallucinations, over-generalisations and volumes produced by AI) and the discussion considers the opportunities it creates for lawyers and the ways technology may change how legal services and legal careers develop.
Working together on solicitor wellbeing
The final part of the episode turns to wellbeing and the support available to many professions and roles working in the legal space. Nick and Brett discuss the different roles played by The Law Society, The Solicitors’ Charity, LawCare, the Mindful Business Charter, the Solicitors Assistance Scheme and other organisations. He mentions the Law Society’s Pastoral Helpline and Practice Advice Service in particular.
The message is one of collaboration rather than competition. The Solicitors’ Charity provides whole-person support across emotional, physical, professional and financial wellbeing, while other organisations offer their own specialist expertise and services.
By working together, sharing information and raising awareness, the sector can make it easier for solicitors to understand where support is available and find the right help when they need it.
Starting the conversation
The episode closes with a simple reminder – reach out. That can mean reaching out personally when support is needed, but it can also mean checking in with a colleague. Creating a more supportive profession does not always require a complicated intervention. Sometimes it begins by making difficult conversations feel normal and ensuring people know they do not have to navigate challenges alone.
Listen now: The Legal Pause – Episode 9
Available on all major streaming platforms.
