Blogs & opinions
The Call of Duty: Are you ready to step up and serve on a committee?
Gillian Harkness-McKinlay, member of the Charity Law Sub-Committee at the Society and Director in the Public and Third Sector Team at Anderson Strathern.
Shaping Employment Law | My Committee Experience
Katie Russell – a member of the Employment Law Committee at the Law Society of Scotland and Partner at Burges Salmon LLP – offers some insight into the Employment Law Committee and why she decided to join.
What you need to know about law fairs in 2022
Olivia Moore, Careers & Wellbeing Manager at the Law Society, talks about how students can prepare for a law fair, covers a few things to avoid and gives you all the key dates for your calendar.
Journal editorial September 2022: Tribute to HM The Queen
A tribute to Her late Majesty the Queen, and to "the incomparable power of her example"
Have you thought about your future, should you lose capacity to make your own decisions?
How much thought have you given to your future and what might happen if at some point you lose capacity to make decisions for yourself? Jennifer Paton reflects on the three main pieces of mental health and capacity legislation, their short comings and our comments and contributions in the context of the Mental Health Law Review.
Journal editorial August 2022: Crisis beyond cost?
The scale of the looming cost of living crisis due to energy price rises and other pressures could overwhelm the societal fabric on which many of our rights depend, without radical action
Mindfulness for busy professionals
Ashleigh Halpin – a HR and Mindfulness consultant who recently hosted a session for Lawscot Wellbeing during Mental Health Awareness Week – offers some further insight into mindfulness and how it can help with stress.
Insider tips for traineeship success – in-house and beyond
Arlene Gibbs, a Vice Convener of the In-house Lawyers Committee and solicitor at Aberdeenshire Council, asked a group of public sector NQ and trainee solicitors what they wish they’d known before starting their in-house traineeships.
Register of Overseas Entities opens
The Society's Property Law Committee Convener John Sinclair provides some guidance on the new Register of Overseas Entities which opened on Monday, 1 August.
Cyber and data security – five legal obligations not to ignore
A short reminder of the measures firms must take to remain compliant and protect their clients.
From diploma to trainee – career break not brake
The road from Diploma to traineeship isn’t always short or straight but, as TC Young solicitor and Scotland hockey play Sarah Jamieson explains in her blog, using the gap between to pursue other interests can have major benefits, both personally and professionally.
Have a proper break this summer
In this blog Elizabeth Rimmer, Chief Executive of LawCare, reminds us to take a proper break this summer to benefit our mental health, which means trying to switch off completely from work.
Hiring trainees? Make sure you’re featured on our traineeship information hub
Our Careers and Wellbeing Manager Olivia Moore encourages employers to feature their traineeship opportunities on our new traineeship information hub and explains how this can be a useful way to attract applications from law students and graduates.
Journal editorial July 2022: Rights at stake
Whatever changes happen in the UK Government, the Bill of Rights Bill is likely to continue; and lawyers should oppose its dangerous effects
AML and geographical risk
Our AML risk manager Jenni Rodgers looks at geography when considering anti-money laundering risk and the potential need for enhanced due diligence. In her blog she sets out some of the questions to ask when considering risks that may be associated with a jurisdiction.
The Register of Overseas Entities
John Sinclair, Convener of the Society’s Property Law Committee and Ann Stewart, a member of the Property Law Committee take a look at the Register of Overseas Entities and explain how this will affect solicitors and their clients
Returning to study – it's worth taking the plunge
Matt McPherson will soon be commencing his traineeship with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. He's shared his thoughts about the challenges and benefits of pursuing law as a mature-age student.
Some extra guidance for training managers
We recently launched two surveys aimed at better understanding the training process and where things could possibly be improved. This blog is a nod in the direction of travel.
The student summer switch-off
Olivia Moore, Careers & Wellbeing Manager at the Law Society of Scotland, reflects on how focusing on wellbeing during the summer break can be an essential career-development strategy for law students.
Chinese underground banking – Money laundering risks, and potential exploitation of legal services by organised crime
We recently published an updated Scottish sectoral AML risk assessment, which included information on clients and business matters with links to higher risk jurisdictions, which currently include China.
Journal editorial June 2022: The big freeze
The announced freeze on spending in the justice sector will worsen the existing crisis, and something will have to give
My experience of an in-house traineeship
Anastasia Morris is a trainee solicitor at the University of Glasgow. In her blog, she shares her experience of undertaking an in-house traineeship.
International trade deals post-Brexit: What opportunities do they present for the profession?
Our Head of International, Adam Marks, provides an update on international trade deals following the UK's exit from the EU and the opportunities these may present for the profession.
Alex Ruck Keene Congress, Capacity and QR codes
Alex Ruck Keene QC (Hon) shares his thoughts (and a QR code) in advance of his presentation at the World Congress on Adult Capacity in Edinburgh on Tuesday 7-Thursday 9 June 2022.