On the write lines for reforming the law
The hunt is on the find a law student with a way with words and
will to change Scots law.
The annual Law Society of Scotland and Scottish Parliament essay
competition is open to students in final and penultimate years of
LLB courses in Scotland.
The prize is a three week paid placement courtesy of the
Scottish Parliament, and £500 courtesy of the Law Society of
Scotland.
The question students are asked to answer is:
An MSP would like to bring forward a Member's Bill in the
Scottish Parliament. She would like it to be topical and to make a
useful change to Scots law. What would you suggest?
Michael Clancy, director of Law Reform at the Law Society, said:
"We are delighted to be able to run the competition again this
year.
"We hope that this question will fire imaginations and encourage
law students to really think about Scots law and its impact on
people. Spending three weeks with the Scottish Parliament is a
tremendous opportunity for someone interested in a career in the
law."
The Scottish Parliament's solicitor Lynda Towers, added: "This
is a rare chance to see MSPs and the Parliament at work up close
and gain a real sense of how law is made."
The winner of the essay competition in its first year Clare
McKinlay is currently a first year trainee at the Government Legal
Service for Scotland. She said winning the competition gave her a
unique insight into work in the area of law she was interested in
working in.
"This was a fantastic opportunity to gain three weeks of really
interesting work experience, and I feel my studies and
employability both benefitted. Parliament was incredibly
interesting and I learnt a lot about the relationship between law
and politics in Scotland."
Entries for this year's competition should be no more than 2,000
words and sent to
newlawyers@lawscot.org.uk by 5pm on Friday, 24 February
2012.
Any queries about the competition can be emailed to
newlawyers@lawscot.org.uk.
The winning essay will be published in the Journal of the Law
Society and/or on Journal Online.
Note to editors: the following universities run LLB courses in
Scotland:
University of Edinburgh; University of Glasgow; University of
Strathclyde; University of Aberdeen; Napier University; University
of Abertay; University of Dundee; Glasgow Caledonian University;
Robert Gordon University; University of Stirling.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Please contact Suzy
Powell on 0131 476 8115 or email suzypowell@lawscot.org.uk
14 December 2011