Who we are
We have a governing Council, which sits as the principal decision-making body of the organisation. It is made up of solicitor members, the vast majority of whom are elected by solicitors in constituencies covering each part of Scotland. We also have co-opted members representing particular parts of the profession along with non-solicitor members, who help ensure we meet our important responsibilities towards the public interest.
We have a smaller Board, which is made up of Council members and takes decisions on operational matters. We are supported by a range of different committees, including the Regulatory Committee which operates independently of Council and is responsible for all of the Law Society's regulatory work. The Regulatory Committee, which has equal numbers of solicitors and non-solicitors and is chaired by a non-solicitor member, also has a number of regulatory sub-committees.
We also have representative committees, including our legal aid teams, Public Policy Committee, Criminal Law Committee and In-house Lawyers Committee, which cover particular areas of work or consider the specific interests of different parts of the profession.
We have a President and a Vice President, both of whom are both elected by Council and hold office for one year. The other office bearers are the treasurer and immediate Past President. Our Chief Executive is responsible for day-to-day operations and leads a staff of approximately 120 who work from our offices at Atria One in Edinburgh.
We have a senior leadership team, made up of the Chief Executive and five executive directors.
Our Council
The Council is our decision-making body. It's made up of elected members from geographical constituencies, co-opted and non-solicitor members.
Our Board
Our Board is a committee of the Council and supports the office bearers and the Council in taking decisions on operational matters.
Regulatory Committee
Find out more about what our Regulatory Committee does and who they are
Our committees
Our committees carry out valuable work looking at a range of issues to do with improving the law and legal practice.
Office bearers and chief executive
Our President, Vice President, immediate Past President and Chief Executive.
Senior leadership team
Meet our senior leadership team, including our Chief Executive and the executive directors of our various departments.
Past presidents
A list of the individuals who have served as president of the Society since 1949.
Honorary Members
Individuals who have been awarded Honorary Membership of the Law Society of Scotland.