What does a typical panellist on PCAP look like?

First, a refresher in what PCAP, the Professional Conduct Advisory Panel, actually is.

It is a panel of solicitors who can help any of us who are subject to some sort of regulatory concern. It might, for instance, be a disclosure, a complaint made to the Office of the Legal Services Commissioner (OLSC) or a trust accounting issue. The panellists provide free supportive guidance. Some can also provide legal advice if we want, but that is separate to PCAP.

The Panel recently came together for its Annual General Meeting last month. I surveyed the scene of the diverse group that they are, drawn from across the length and breadth of our profession. However, they certainly share some common characteristics:

Kindness

The panellists are there to help us when we need it most. They genuinely care about us when we call, about our mental wellbeing and how it can be sustained through what is a stressful process. They are the shoulder to cry on and lean on – they will make us feel better.

Service

They are all volunteers. This is their own precious time which they are giving up. They see it as their way of helping the individual solicitor and the whole profession.

Knowledge

The panellists know what legal practice is about. And then they also know how the regulators fit within the profession. They are not simply kindly outsiders.

And as for those actual shoulders – all shapes and sizes, all supportive. You can read more about how PCAP can support the legal profession, and solcitors in need of assistance, in this article from Ethics & Standards Quarterly here.