Skip to content
Law Society of Scotland
Search
Find a Solicitor
Contact us
About us
Sign in
Search
Find a Solicitor
Contact us
About us
Sign in
  • For members

    • For members

    • CPD & Training

    • Membership and fees

    • Rules and guidance

    • Regulation and compliance

    • Journal

    • Business support

    • Career growth

    • Member benefits

    • Professional support

    • Lawscot Wellbeing

    • Lawscot Sustainability

  • News and events

    • News and events

    • Law Society news

    • Blogs & opinions

    • CPD & Training

    • Events

  • Qualifying and education

    • Qualifying and education

    • Qualifying as a Scottish solicitor

    • Career support and advice

    • Our work with schools

    • Lawscot Foundation

    • Funding your education

    • Social mobility

  • Research and policy

    • Research and policy

    • Research

    • Influencing the law and policy

    • Equality and diversity

    • Our international work

    • Legal Services Review

    • Meet the Policy team

  • For the public

    • For the public

    • What solicitors can do for you

    • Making a complaint

    • Client protection

    • Find a Solicitor

    • Frequently asked questions

    • Your Scottish solicitor

  • About us

    • About us

    • Contact us

    • Who we are

    • Our strategy, reports and plans

    • Help and advice

    • Our standards

    • Work with us

    • Our logo and branding

    • Equality and diversity

  1. Home
  2. News and events
  3. Blogs & opinions
  4. Bridging the gap from law student to solicitor

Bridging the gap from law student to solicitor

16th October 2023 | Law Society news , New lawyers
The Scottish Young Lawyer's Association (SYLA) is encouraging law students to take advantage of its free membership. Here, Amanjit Uppal and Patricia Taylor from the SYLA's committee explain why the association exists and what it offers to university students studying Scots law.

The SYLA is a membership organisation for junior lawyers, run by junior lawyers. It boasts over 4,000 members, from students to lawyers up to 10 years qualified. Membership of the SYLA is therefore open to those at the beginning of their legal journey, including LLB and Diploma students. The SYLA is not-for-profit, and free of charge to join.

The SYLA’s objectives are to represent, educate and entertain. In this blog, we explore how the SYLA meets these objectives for its student-members, and why you should sign up today! 

The SYLA Committee is comprised of 11 junior lawyers, each of whom have lived through the challenges of law school, and know how much can be gained from joining the SYLA at student-level. We know that the future can seem daunting and at times, inaccessible. There are a lot of big choices to be made, which only adds to the existing pressures of deadlines and classwork. The SYLA aims to support students and offer clarity and calmness during what can be an overwhelming time.

Joining the SYLA gives students the opportunity to attend numerous events throughout the year that focus on different practice areas of law. Our in-person events also afford students the opportunity to network with legal professionals; allowing you to learn about the legal profession from those who are already operating within it!

As we know, being a student or a practising solicitor are two very different things. The SYLA helps to bridge the gap between these two stages. Our events help students, who may be unsure about life post-graduation, to make more informed decisions about their future in law. 

Expanding your network at an early stage in your legal journey is important. Alongside learning more about the legal profession, the SYLA provides students with the opportunity to meet other law students - allowing them to share experiences and learn from each other. The Scottish legal sector is small, and the SYLA seeks to contribute to the sense of community which exists within our tightknit jurisdiction.  

The SYLA also represents students in the legal sector. We appreciate the profile of our profession, which is rich in diversity and experience. Through our representation work, we seek to assist in creating a profession that is reflective of the diverse society in which we live, and a place where our members can bring their ‘whole selves’ to work. We strive for not just equality, but for equity, and are proud to contribute to these important conversations on behalf of our members.

The SYLA also strives to entertain! We know how hard students work and are mindful of personal wellbeing. To entertain our members, the SYLA runs a variety of social events throughout the year including launch parties, sporting events, Christmas socials, and our annual Spring Ball.

Although the SYLA is an independent, non-affiliated organisation, we are grateful to work closely with the Law Society of Scotland and other legal stakeholders. As above, the Scottish legal fraternity is small. The SYLA encourages organisations to work together, for the benefit of our current legal community and our emerging practitioners. Our law students of today are our lawyers of tomorrow and as such are the future of our profession. We must support them as best we can.

Join the SYLA today!

Add To Favorites

Additional

Categories

  • Equality and diversity
  • opinion
  • practice management
  • law society of scotland
  • executries
  • tax
  • mental health-adult incapacity
  • trusts-asset management
  • employment
  • europe
  • civil litigation
  • professional regulation
  • family-child law
  • criminal law
  • information technology
  • careers
  • reparation
  • human rights
  • property (non-commercial)
  • consumer
  • licensing
  • commercial property
  • planning/environment
  • insolvency
  • immigration
  • government-administration
  • welfare/benefits
  • client relations
  • education-training
  • interview
  • dispute resolution
  • corporate
  • agriculture-crofting
  • reviews
  • banking-financial services
  • intellectual property
  • New lawyers
  • Business support
  • Law Society news
  • Non-regulatory committees
  • Regulatory Committee
  • Career growth
  • International
  • Schools
  • Wellbeing
  • Member benefits
  • Professional support
  • Research and policy
  • In-house lawyers
  • Regulation
  • For the public
  • Legal aid
  • obituary
  • Public Policy Committee
  • Sustainability
  • Professional support
  • Wellbeing

News Archive

  • 2025
  • 2024
  • 2023
  • 2022
  • 2021
  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
  • 2013
  • 2012
  • 2011
  • 2010
  • 2009
  • 2008

Related articles

  • Politics and the 2025 Programme for Government
  • Stay curious - and stand for the Law Society Council
  • Kicking off Street Law: Preparing to train the next generation of lawyers
  • Law Society launches WIDEN network
Law Society of Scotland
Atria One, 144 Morrison Street
Edinburgh
EH3 8EX
If you’re looking for a solicitor, visit FindaSolicitor.scot
T: +44(0) 131 226 7411
E: lawscot@lawscot.org.uk
About us
  • Contact us
  • Who we are
  • Strategy reports plans
  • Help and advice
  • Our standards
  • Work with us
Useful links
  • Find a Solicitor
  • Sign in
  • CPD & Training
  • Rules and guidance
  • Website terms and conditions
Law Society of Scotland | © 2025
Made by Gecko Agency Limited