The Legal Services Operational Privacy Certification Scheme (‘LOCS:23’) is the first sector-specific UK GDPR certification standard – and it has been gaining significant traction.
In just over a year, LOCS:23 has evolved from a new standard into a recognised benchmark for secure data protection across the legal sector. With official approval from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), its first high-profile certifications and a final UKAS approval for its certifying body, the scheme is now fully operational.
LOCS:23 is the first UK GDPR certification specifically designed for law firms, chambers in-house legal teams and their solution partners.
It has been developed to assist law firms and barristers’ chambers in meeting their GDPR obligations and to give clients confidence that their data is fully protected.
With recent high profile data breaches in the legal sector, demand for stronger data security and regulatory compliance continues to rise. Many legal organisations are now recognising that LOCS:23 certification is not only a protective measure — but also provides a competitive advantage.
Although the idea for LOCS:23 was born nearly three years ago, 2024 marked a major turning point. In February 2024, the ICO officially approved the standard, confirming its legitimacy and establishing it as a benchmark for GDPR compliance within the legal sector.
These milestones signalled that the standard was not just theoretical, but achievable.
With the ICO and UKAS approvals complete, LOCS:23 is now a fully supported certification scheme. The focus now turns to scaling adoption. Legal organisations that want to remain competitive — and compliant — are recognising that now is the time to begin their LOCS:23 journey.
To support this, we offer a readiness assessment that helps firms and chambers assess their current position, identify compliance gaps, and build a realistic roadmap — even if full certification isn’t immediately on the horizon.
Our in-house barristers are LOCS:23 specialists, with extensive experience helping clients prepare for and pass the certification.
As a team of LOCS:23 specialists, we have a proven track record of success, assisting 36 Group and guiding other clients like 30 Park Place and Muckle LLP to a successful LOCS:23 certification.
To date, we’ve assisted over 80% of certified firms pass independent audit.
We have also undertaken the certification ourselves, successfully achieving LOCS:23 certification as a legal services supplier. This firsthand experience gives us unmatched insight into the requirements, challenges, and best practices needed for success.