The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has invited qualified advocates to apply for the prestigious rank of Senior Counsel, with the application window now open until October 3, 2025.
In a notice issued on Tuesday, the Committee on Senior Counsel called on advocates who meet the stringent criteria to submit their applications both online and in hard copy.
“Applicants are required to submit their applications together with supporting information or evidence to demonstrate that they meet the criteria set out under Rule 7 of the Rules,” the notice read in part.
Who qualifies for Senior Counsel?
According to Section 17(2) of the Advocates Act and Rule 7 of the Senior Counsel Conferment Rules, applicants must:
Be active legal practitioners with a valid practicing certificate or otherwise entitled to act as advocates.
Have no record of professional misconduct.
Possess sound legal knowledge, integrity, and irreproachable professional conduct.
Have argued substantive matters before superior, regional, or international courts.
Contributed to the development of the profession through training, scholarship, or community service.
Demonstrated active service to LSK or other regional/international bar associations.
How to apply
Applications must be submitted through the official Google form link: https://forms.gle/AE6ujcYDegPHy9Pq9, alongside sealed hard-copy submissions marked ‘Senior Counsel Conferment’. These should be addressed to the Secretary/CEO, Law Society of Kenya, at the LSK offices in Lavington, Gitanga Road, Nairobi.
The deadline for submissions is Friday, October 3, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.
Pushback on proposed legal changes
The announcement comes just days after LSK opposed the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which proposes to give the President powers to directly confer the rank of Senior Counsel.
LSK President Faith Odhiambo strongly rejected the move, warning it would politicize a process long safeguarded by professional merit and peer review.
“The proposed amendments risk undermining decades of hard-won standards by shifting authority to confer this prestigious rank to political officeholders. This process must remain merit-based, peer-reviewed, and independent of political influence,” Odhiambo said in a statement.
The contested bill, sponsored by Tharaka MP George Murugara, seeks to grant automatic eligibility for Senior Counsel status to top state officials, including the Chief Justice, Attorney-General, Solicitor-General, Director of Public Prosecutions, and Speakers of Parliament.
LSK has insisted that only advocates who meet the highest professional standards should be elevated to Senior Counsel—a rank widely regarded as the pinnacle of legal distinction in Kenya.
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