Blogs & opinions
Nuremburg Trials Remembered
In a year which has seen many anniversaries, Friday, 20 November 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the start of the Nuremburg War Trials that commenced in 1945. Our Policy Executive Gillian Mawdsley writes about the trial which has been arguably described as the greatest trial of the 20th century.
International Men's Day 2020: Parental leave for dads should be part of our new normal
Tim Mouncer, Public Affairs Manager at the Law Society of Scotland, tells us about his experience of taking shared parental leave and his hopes that it becomes an expected norm for fathers.
International Men's Day 2020: A letter to my son
Tim Taylor, an Associate Solicitor at Hastings Legal and member of our Property and Land Law Reform Law Sub-Committee, writes a letter to his 16-month-old son Ben reflecting on men's wellbeing and what it means to be a "good man".
International Men's Day 2020: Je ne regrette rien…
Gregory Stachura, a Knowledge & Development lawyer in Banking Practice at Burness Paull, discusses how the experience of his father's efforts to be a fully involved dad has impacted his own approach to fatherhood, even when flexible and part-time working for dads was less-than fashionable.
Journal editorial November 2020
As legal aid lawyers hang on for a Government decision on funding, New Generation Lawyers deserves support in campaigning for their future
Bias and allyship
How can we challenge our own biases and become an anti-racist ally? Jamila Archibald, a solicitor in the commercial disputes and regulation team at Shepherd and Wedderburn explores the different types of bias in her Black History Month blog.
Law, Sustainability and Technology: Welcoming COP to Scotland
Professor Abbe Brown from Aberdeen University looks at the themes of making practices more environmentally sustainable, advising clients on environmental sustainability and climate justice, and the potential clashes with other values and laws following the Society’s Law and Technology Conference.
Demystifying contextualised recruitment for students
Olivia Moore, Careers & Wellbeing Manager at the Law Society of Scotland, explains contextualised recruitment for students, as these systems designed to enable fair access are becoming more common in graduate recruitment.
Maintaining compliance through unusual times
Recent announcements from the UK and Scottish Governments mean a return to traditional office work is still on hold for most of us. This article, which is the first in a series of collaborative content from ScotlandIS Cyber and Data Clusters, FinTech Scotland and LawscotTech, considers how working from home can impact on employees’ attitudes towards diligence and how companies can encourage a compliance-driven culture in a remote setting.
We all have a role to play
The fight for justice and inclusion, regardless of colour or creed, is a shared history that we must all strive to build upon to ensure a society and profession where everyone can thrive, says Tsepiso Forrest, a DPLP student at Robert Gordon University (RGU) and volunteer at the Citizen Advice Bureaux in Nairn and RGU Law Clinic.
Journal editorial October 2020
Sadly, it is necessary to speak out loudly and clearly for the profession and the rule of law and against a Government that poses a threat to both
Amanda Millar Passes the Badge on World Mental Health Day 2020
The Society's President, Amanda Millar, tells us why she is supporting our campaign to Pass the Badge on World Mental Health Day this year, as part of our work on tackling mental health stigma and discrimination.
Elaine Motion on Passing the Badge for World Mental Health Day
Elaine Motion, Chairman of Balfour+Manson shares her thoughts about mental health as part of the Society's Pass the Badge campaign launch to mark World Mental Health Day 2020.
Iain Reid Passes the Badge to mark World Mental Health Day
Iain Reid, Chief Executive of the Faculty of Advocates, explains how the Faculty helps supports its members' mental health and what he does to switch off from the pressures of work as part of our Pass the Badge campaign to mark World Mental Health Day this year.
WTO reflections - trade in the time of coronavirus
Our Policy Executive Carolyn Thurston Smith considers how three key themes from discussions at the World Trade Organisation Public Forum in October 2019, on the influence of Millennials and Generation Z on commerce, have played out during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Scotland's history is Black history
Tatora Mukushi, a Dual-Qualified Human Rights Solicitor currently leading Shelter Scotland’s Migrant Destitution Project, discusses the tightly interwoven history of Scotland and Black people, arguing that education on the topic is crucial to creating meaningful change and that lawyers have a vital role to play.
The legal tech internship: a priceless experience
Legal technology is increasingly important to the future of law, making a legal tech internship an invaluable experience for any law student, explains Sam Moore, Innovation Manager at Burness Paull and an Accredited Legal Technologist.
Challenge, passion and development - being a lay member of the Society's Council
Liam McCabe, Executive Director of Finance at Stirling University, was a lay member of our governing Council from January 2013 until November 2019. Liam also served as the convener to our Audit Committee during that time.
Bisexual: The B in LGBTQ+ needs celebrated too
For Bi Visibility Day, Deborah Allan, solicitor at Shepherd & Wedderburn, discusses the challenges still facing bi people today and the progress being made towards ensuring the "B" in LGBTQ+ is respected and celebrated.
LawCare: How we can help
LawCare is the charity dedicated to supporting people working in the law. Most of us have probably heard of it, but do you know how LawCare can help, why people call and who would be at the other end of the phone? Find out more here.
Our flexible working future
Flexible working has gone from a trendy buzzword to the new normal during lockdown. As we publish our flexible working guidance, Elaine MacGlone, Equality & Diversity Manager at the Law Society of Scotland, reflects on her personal experience of flexible working, how things have changed and what the future might hold.
The Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah offers all a time for reflection
As we approach the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah, Philip Rodney, columnist, consultant, non-exec and Fellow of the Law Society of Scotland, discusses what it means to be Jewish and how the legal profession can learn from this time of reflection.
No summer placement? Don’t stress!
Hannah Leslie, Group Lawyer at Springfield Properties Plc, talks about why students who don't have legal summer placements don't need to panic about how this might impact their job prospects.
Journal editorial September 2020
The legal profession has increasingly to defend itself, and its neediest clients, from authorities who have little appreciation of its role