Membership Guidance
The Society has a variety of membership classes open to prospective applicants.
Ordinary Membership (£60 annual subscription fee)
Ordinary membership is open to those who teach law (whether on a full- or part-time basis) at degree level in the United Kingdom or Ireland or who teach law or are associated with the teaching of law at institutions where law is studied to or beyond degree level (including CPE, LPC and BVC). The Society also welcomes applications from those in academic-related posts ancillary to the teaching of law, such as law librarians.
Salaried research staff and postgraduate students who are registered for a research degree in law are also eligible to become Ordinary members.
Ordinary membership is also available to any other person who is involved in legal scholarship (for example, to legal practitioners who are involved in legal scholarship).
Associate Overseas Membership (£50 annual subscription fee)
Associate overseas membership is open to law teachers and researchers working outside of the United Kingdom and Ireland. The Society welcomes applications for such membership from colleagues working in other jurisdictions and values the contribution such members make to its activities. The annual subscription is £50.
Associate Membership (£40 annual subscription fee)
Associate membership is available to Ordinary members and overseas members who have retired from or given up the post in connection with which they held their membership. The annual subscription is £40 (UK, Ireland and overseas members).
Early Career and other concessions (£20 annual subscription fee)
For members (UK, Ireland and overseas) joining after June 2018, a two-thirds reduction in membership fee will be applied in the following circumstances:
- Members who join while studying for a doctorate will receive six years’ discounted membership from the date of application.
- Members who join within their first six years of starting a full-time academic position will receive up to six years’ discounted membership from the date they first started their full-time role, i.e., if you join four years after starting in your first full-time post you will receive two years’ discounted membership.
- Members who are employed part-time in a teaching posting in a qualifying institution will be eligible for six years’ discounted membership from the date of application.
For existing members who joined before June 2018, the concessions remain as they were at the time of joining: the two-thirds reduction in fee applies for early-career academics while studying for a doctorate or within the first four years of starting their first full-time academic position, or those who are employed part-time in a teaching post in a qualifying institution.
Convenor Discount
Members who become convenors will receive a 50% discount in their subscription while acting as convenor or co-convenor. The discount does not apply to deputy convenors.
Discount for Institutional Payment of Subscription Fees
We would like to draw the attention of Heads of Law Schools and Departments to Council’s decision to grant rebates where departments pay for their staff to be members. The rebates vary depending on how many members are included.
The rebates are:
1+ members = 10% discount
80+ members = 15% discount
120+ members = 20% discount
If you would like to pursue this possibility, please contact the Honorary Treasurer at treasurer@legalscholars.ac.uk
Membership Subscription Payments
Payments are due annually on the anniversary of the month in which you joined, unless you notify the Society in advance that you wish to cancel your membership. For example, if you joined in October 2019, your next subscription payment will be due in October 2020 and annually thereafter. The easiest way to pay is by standing order which you can set up direct with your bank or building society. With some banks and building societies, standing orders can be set up online and on mobile apps. If you would prefer to pay by credit/debit card, Paypal or via a bank transfer please visit https://www.legalscholars.ac.uk/subscription-payments/.
Resignation
Pending a successful application for membership we look forward to your association with the Society for many years to come, throughout your career and into retirement, should you so chose. However should you wish to resign at any point, this should be done in writing to treasurer@legalscholars.ac.uk whereupon you will receive confirmation of cancellation of your membership. Members are liable for subscriptions until such notice of resignation is received.
Suspension of Membership
Members who wish to suspend their membership for a short period (e.g. maternity leave, career break) should request this in advance by writing to treasurer@legalscholars.ac.uk. Members continue to be liable for subscriptions unless a suspension request is received. The maximum period for any one suspension request is one year.
Taxation
Subscription payments and arrears payments both receive relief from taxation within the United Kingdom. The Society is listed as an approved learned society for tax relief here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/professional-bodies-approved-for-tax-relief-list-3 under the heading ‘Legal Scholars in the UK and Ireland Society of’.