Law Society news
Leanne is a rising star
Glasgow-based solicitor Leanne Hammell has been named as the Law Society of Scotland’s In-house Rising Star 2017.
Former Ross Harper partners struck off
The Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal (SSDT) has struck former Ross Harper partners Alan Susskind and Cameron Fyfe from the Roll of Solicitors following an investigation by the Law Society of Scotland.
Approach to abusive behaviour becoming increasingly "fragmented"
The Law Society of Scotland has emphasised its support for continuing improvements to the way the criminal justice system responds to abusive behaviour, including domestic abuse, but has concerns the law in this area is becoming increasingly fragmented.
Voting open for Law Society of Scotland Council elections
Voting is now open for the Law Society of Scotland Council elections in which 17 solicitors are competing for a total of 7 seats across two constituencies.
Voting open for Law Society of Scotland Council elections
Four solicitor advocates are competing to become the first ever Council representative for Scottish solicitor advocates and five Scottish solicitors who work outside of Great Britain are vying to become the Society’s first international Council member.
Law Society Rising Star shortlist announced
The finalists for the Law Society of Scotland’s 2017 In-house Rising Star Award have been announced.
May 2017 Lawscot News
Our newsletter, Lawscot News, is full of the latest news and views from the Scottish legal profession.
Lifetime membership honour for incapacity and mental health law “pioneer”
The solicitor credited with pioneering much of Scotland’s modern law on incapacity and mental disabilities is to be awarded honorary life membership of the Law Society.
Solicitors to vote on PC freeze at AGM
The Law Society of Scotland’s governing Council is proposing to freeze solicitors’ practising certificate fee for the eighth consecutive year.
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.
Law reform round up May 2017
The Society’s committees have been working on a number of Scottish Parliament and UK Parliamentary Bills and consultations including the Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill, the SLAB consultation on changes to the Code of Practice.
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.
Being an international law student
Love Kathe Herén is a first-year LLB student at Aberdeen University, qualifying in a degree of law with English law. As an international student, she shares some of her thoughts about how to thrive in a new environment far away from one’s previous home.
My final journey through law school
Sarah Beattie is a Diploma student at the University of Dundee, having previously completed her accelerated LLB in Scots law at the University of Dundee. Sarah will be graduating in June 2017.
Trainee blog - Christopher Knudsen
Christopher Knudsen is a trainee solicitor at North Lanarkshire Council, Legal and Democratic Solutions. He is coming to the end of his first seat in Asset and Information and will shortly be moving to a seat in Licensing and Litigation.
NQ blog - May 2017: Secret NQ blog - tips for transitioning from trainee to NQ solicitor
Our anonymous blogger from Pinsent Masons completed their traineeship with the firm, splitting their time between Scotland and London before qualifying into Pinsent Masons’ Construction Advisory and Disputes team. They now work on a range of disputes within the infrastructure and energy sectors.
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!
A great leap into the unknown
Kundai Phute, Governance Solicitor at Aberdeen City Council, reflects on her first few months as an in-house solicitor and some of the things she loves about her move over from private practice.
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.