Law Society news
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RBS Platinum donation boosts charity birthday celebrations
Academically gifted law students from disadvantaged backgrounds in Scotland will benefit from a recent cash injection to the Lawscot Foundation - a charity set up by the Law Society to remove financial barriers between aspiring law students and their goal of becoming Scottish solicitors.
Letting agent code of practice update
With the Scottish Government’s Letting Agent Registration (Scotland) Regulations 2016 coming into effect next year, the Society has been actively involved in ongoing discussions to make sure that our members’ interests are represented.
Hate crime legislation review survey
Solicitors and members of the public are being encouraged to submit their views on hate crime legislation in Scotland.
In the spotlight: the UK Supreme Court
The recent decision of the UK Supreme Court on the Brexit process brought the court into the public spotlight like never before.
Increase in trainee recommended rate
Trainee solicitors across Scotland could benefit from a pay boost following an increase to the Law Society of Scotland recommended pay rate.
Trainee helpline: So, who are you gonna call?
Katie Wood, Head of Admissions, explains how she supports trainee solicitors on our confidential helpline – starting with nagging!
Law Society ‘frustrated and disappointed’ at final SLCC budget
The Law Society of Scotland has said it is frustrated and disappointed after the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) laid its final budget before the Scottish Parliament.
CPD for in-house lawyers - gender pay gap reporting
At this month’s ‘CPD for In-house Lawyers’ seminar, Amanda Jones – Head of the Employment, Pensions & Immigration team at Maclay Murray& Spens LLP – spoke to us about gender pay gap reporting. Here, Amanda reflects further on what this means for organisations and those involved with collating the data.
Legal services review announced
The Law Society of Scotland has welcomed the Scottish Government’s announcement today, Tuesday, 25 April, of an independent review of legal services, saying that current legislation governing the legal sector is no longer fit for purpose.
Local solicitors wanted for Law Society Council
Solicitors hoping to represent their local constituencies as Council members on the Law Society of Scotland’s decision making body have just two days left to submit their nominations.
Society calls for delay on SLAB code of practice
The Law Society of Scotland has called for the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) to postpone the introduction of a proposed new code of practice until new legal aid fee levels for providing police station advice are agreed.
Coding and decoding
Rob Marrs, Head of Education at the Society, reflects on the complementary rather than interchangeable relationship between technology and ‘people’.
New charity set to help legal dreams come true for Scottish students
Academically gifted students from less advantaged backgrounds can now apply for potentially life-changing funding to pursue their dreams of a legal career.
National risk assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing consultation
The UK Government has recently launched a consultation on a refreshed national risk assessment (NRA) of money laundering and terrorist financing.
Online renewal for non-practising members and roll retention
Non-practising members and individuals who wish to be retained on the roll will have to renew their membership or fees online for the first time this year.
April 2017 Lawscot News
Our newsletter, Lawscot News, is full of the latest news and views from the Scottish legal profession.
Lorna Jack wins prestigious leadership award
Lorna Jack, Chief Executive of the Law Society of Scotland, has won the UK Association Excellence Award for Leadership in a prized addition to the trophy cabinet at the Society’s Edinburgh offices.
SLP review will need to ensure legitimate Scottish partnerships can thrive while tackling criminal activity
The Law Society of Scotland has said that increased scrutiny of Scottish limited partnerships’ anti-money laundering processes could help deter criminal activity.
Survey of Scottish solicitors highlights Brexit and legal aid as key concerns
The impact of Brexit on the law and legal practice is a key issue for Scottish solicitors, according to the findings of a recent survey.
HM Treasury consults on proposals for new anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures
Scottish solicitors are being encouraged to respond to two HM Treasury consultations on proposals to strengthen the UK’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist finance (AML/CTF) regime.
Law Society calls for urgent reform of SLCC after levy increase
The Law Society of Scotland has called for the Scottish Government to prioritise reform of the regulation of legal services after a decision from the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission to press ahead with a 12.5% rise in its levy on solicitors.
Society launches financial benchmarking survey of law firms
The Law Society of Scotland has today, Thursday, 30 March 2017, launched a new, online survey to help solicitors assess their firm’s financial health and how they are performing in the legal market.
Law Society of Scotland highlights priorities for legal profession and EU nationals as Article 50 is triggered
Commenting on the triggering of Article 50 by the UK Prime Minister today, Wednesday, 29 March, Lorna Jack, Chief Executive of the Law Society of Scotland, said: “Leaving the European Union is arguably the biggest constitutional change for the UK since 1945, with today’s triggering of Article 50 marking the start of serious negotiations on the terms of our withdrawal."
Update on personal injury discount
Scottish Ministers have made an order setting the discount rate for personal injury awards at minus 0.75% which comes into effect today, 28 March.