Value and benefits of membership
Association:
Joining BILA brings members into direct personal contact with a diverse mix of:
insurers, brokers and other intermediaries, academic lawyers and students, in-house counsel, solicitors and barristers, regulators, judges and arbitrators, from both the UK and beyond
all sharing an interest in the successful operation and development of insurance law in practice.
Events/activities:
BILA organises a very full and informative lecture programme throughout the year, as well as occasional other events, sometimes held in conjunction with other associated bodies.
Members have prioritised booking and enjoy significant discounts for these events.
BILA Journal/accumulated know-how:
Access to the BILA Journal is another major benefit of membership. Members have access to:
- the articles featuring in the latest issue of the BILA Journal, which are published online before the issue goes to print at the end of each calendar year (accessible through the members-only area of the BILA website);
- access to the online BILA Journal archive which is fully searchable and contains all past BILA Journal materials dating back to 1964.
Throughout the year, via the members-only area of the BILA website, members can also gain access to recordings and other supporting materials of latest BILA-hosted webinars and events (also dating back to 2006) and of others to which BILA gains permission to provide for members.
Knowledge-sharing/contribution to reform:
Through these channels BILA has created a forum in which members:
- don’t just explore, develop and enrich their own personal understanding of all the latest critical challenges and responses as they arise; but also
- through responses to consultation papers, questionnaires and research projects of various kinds, help BILA to:
- inform and influence the work of the Law Commission in the development of insurance law reform;
- contribute to debate about the institution of schemes such as those of the Insurance Ombudsman, Pool Re and Flood Re, as well as the market and legal responses to Covid-19.
AIDA and an international perspective
(see AIDA Noticeboard)
Through AIDA BILA members can further directly:
- participate in all the regular events and activities, which include webinars/meetings of AIDA’s 13 active Working Parties, AIDA’s World Congresses, Calls for Papers and other initiatives.
- engage in the activities of AIDA Europe: Conferences, Calls for Papers, webinars and special activities directed at in-house counsel, young professionals and academics.
- network and collaborate with and learn from contact with industry and legal professionals at all levels across several thousand members within AIDA’s composite membership.
- benefit from close connections with neighbouring European AIDA National Chapters, and counterparts in English-speaking common law jurisdictions, especially Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong, each with their own evolving Young Professionals sub-groups.
Discounts/other benefits:
BILA members also enjoy discounts on orders for various publications when negotiated with publishers. Other member benefits, including reciprocal rights with other AIDA National Chapters and other associations, are currently being explored and will be announced from time to time.
Subscription
The subscription shall be such sum as shall be fixed from time to time by the Association in General Meeting. All subscriptions shall become due on joining and thereafter on the first day of March in every year. The present rates of subscription for membership are as follows:
- Individual Members : £100
- Student members : £45
- Corporate Members : £420 up to five nominees and see the Join BILA page for other rates; for additional nominees please contact the Secretariat by email office@bila.org.uk or telephone 01787 221295
- Academic Institutions: please contact the Secretariat as above
Anyone making application to join BILA between 1 January and 1 March will at the discretion of the Committee not be expected to tender any subscription for the two months of the expiring subscription year.
Eligibility
- The following shall be eligible for membership:
- any person with academic or professional legal qualifications, or engaged in teaching or research in insurance law, who in the opinion of the Committee is sufficiently connected with, or interested in, insurance;
- any person who is a diploma-holder of the Chartered Insurance Institute, the Institute of Actuaries, the Faculty of Actuaries, the British Insurance and Investment Brokers Association or any other such body as the Committee may think fit;
- Insurers, Insurance Associations, Firms of Insurance Brokers, Adjusters, Solicitors and any other corporate body, organisation or partnership which, in the opinion of the Committee, has sufficient connection with or interest in insurance (hereinafter referred to as a ‘Corporate Member’);
- any academic institution and designated current members or affiliates thereof (hereinafter referred to as an ‘Academic Institution’).
- The Committee may also at its discretion admit to membership other persons engaged in insurance of any kind.
- Applications for membership shall be completed online and shall be subject to approval by the Committee. In the case of a Corporate Member, the application shall be in the name of the corporate body, organisation or partnership. In the case of an Academic Institution, the application shall be in the name of the Academic Institution.