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  1. Home
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  5. March 2019
  6. Keep the dual role

Keep the dual role

The Society’s dual role should remain; it is an effective regulator; and its member services are valued. These are among the findings of the latest member survey carried out for the Society
18th March 2019 | Nicola Johnstone

Representation and regulation are key functions for the Society, according to the results of a recent survey of 512 Scottish solicitors and trainee solicitors.

In the annual members’ survey carried out at the end of 2018, 93% of respondents agreed that the Society should continue to be responsible for representation, support and regulation of solicitors in Scotland; and 91% agreed that the Society is an effective regulator of the solicitor profession.

These results are particularly pertinent in the context of the Scottish Government’s independent review of the regulation of legal services.

The annual telephone survey, which was carried out by Mark Diffley Consultancy and Research and Survation on behalf of the Society, allows our members the opportunity to provide their views on the Society’s priorities and wider policy issues, and tracks year-on-year trends. It also provides important cross-sector insight on topical issues.

The allocation of resources to legal aid remains a priority according to 85% of respondents. Access to justice continues to be a key focus for our policy team.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Brexit featured in the responses to our survey: 24% of respondents said that Brexit had featured in advice given to clients, and it was identified as the single biggest issue facing our members (17%).

But what do our members think of the services they receive from the Society?

In recognition of the high professional status of accredited paralegals, almost nine in 10 respondents (89%) believe that our Accredited Paralegal scheme provides a professional qualification and identifiable quality standard for paralegals across the profession.

The results also revealed that a majority of respondents are aware of our Professional Practice team, in particular high street practitioners (83%). This is a valuable resource for our members who would like guidance or to raise any issues they may have.

Finally, an amazing result that we would like to shout about – 95% of respondents said that they are proud to be part of the Scottish legal profession.

If you’d like to read more about the results of the survey, please visit the research pages of our website. Click here to see key statistics from the survey.

The Author

Nicola Johnstone, solicitor, is a research executive at the Law Society of Scotland
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In this issue

  • How will Brexit affect my mother-in-law?
  • Settling the debate on sequestration
  • Taking wellbeing seriously
  • How will personal data continue to flow after Brexit?
  • Buildmark, and a little extra help for NHBC
  • Reading for pleasure
  • Opinion: Laurie Anderson
  • Book reviews
  • Profile: Lord Mackay of Clashfern
  • President's column
  • People on the move
  • Is your legal software ready to remain compliant in 2019?
  • What's the deal?
  • Ready to leave?
  • A tapering opportunity
  • Brexit: no dealbreaker either
  • The business of divorce
  • Trailblazing 12
  • Cohabitants: rebalancing the law
  • Litigation: an evolving scene
  • Chain transactions
  • When delay is not fatal
  • Data protection – deal or no-deal?
  • Two cases and an order
  • Reshaping trade mark law
  • When the wheels come off
  • Parentage or privacy?
  • Access right, right of access or right of way?
  • Team of one
  • Public policy highlights
  • OPG update
  • Housing specialism added to accreditation list
  • At the boundary's edge
  • Keep the dual role
  • Executry and trust accounting: new guidance
  • Moving nightmares
  • Accredited paralegal update
  • Sign up for conference
  • Accredited Paralegal Committee profile
  • Ask Ash

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