The Law Society is the solicitors' professional association, and its governing body, the Council, is composed of prosperous members from local branches, almost half of whom are from London. While the Council presents a public image of altruism, its best efforts tend toward maintenance of solicitors' markets and regulating entry into the profession. The Society's concern with preventing lay or State control over the profession was evidenced in its Special Committee on the Future of the Profession created in 1966. Conveyancing, solicitors' largest source of revenue, came under increasing public attack for unfair charges between 1963 and 1967. The Prices and Incomes Board recommended that the remuneration for county work should be raised, but that conveyancing remuneration should be cut. The Council, however, viewed this decision as a precursor of politically motivated State regulation over the profession. Other controversial issues over the years included proposals to use legal executives rather than solicitors for routine legal work, abolishment of the scale fee, the Society's initial opposition to the establishment of several law centers whose lawyers were responsible to local management committees on policy matters, and Society officials proposed continuing education programs for members and strenuous opposition to the creation of a National Legal Service. The article contains 17 footnotes and a bibliography of 31 references.