Suzy Harvey, High Sheriff of Hertfordshire 2018/19 invited Mr James Palmer, Chair and Senior Partner of the international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills, to deliver this year's High Sheriff Lecture on 'The Social Role of Law and Lawyers: What law should be, how lawyers can help and why these goals are often forgotten'

"Law is a key underpinning of social fairness and stability in a democracy, but the law and its application can often seem disconnected from practical issues. Whatever their roles or careers, lawyers and law students can have a positive impact in helping to ensure that the human context of law, the innate characteristics of societies and the completing rights and responsibilities of communities are not taken for granted."

The talk took place in the Weston Auditorium, de Havilland Campus, on Wednesday 27 February 2019.