Our Board

Convener (lay/solicitor/either): Solicitor only as it is effectively the President
Convener service requirement: Member of LSS Council
Convener term: One year
Convener selection method: Office Bearer election process through Council. President takes on role during period of office.
Number of members: 10
Composition of members: Four members ex officio – President, Vice President, Past President and Treasurer. Five members elected from Council. One member Co-opted (Solicitor with <10 years PQE) (Vice President elect and Convener of Regulatory Committee attend as observers).
Term for members: Three years for elected members (with staggered terms to ensure continuity).
Selection method for members: Elected by Council members except for Co-opted member who is recommended to Council for appointment following a recruitment process.
Quorum: Three
Frequency of meetings: 11 meetings per year
Procedures (other than set out in Standing Orders) -
The Board reports to: Council
The Board has the following subcommittees/ panels/working parties Senior Staff committee comprising (President; Vice President and Past President) which performance manages the CEO. Finance sub-committee

The aims and functions of the Board are to:

• Oversee and report on the effectiveness of the Regulatory committee 
• Ensure that there is a plan of work created for the Council and its committees
• Ensure that there is cohesion between committees and in policy creation

In order to fulfil this role it is necessary that the Board has the power to:

1. Provide guidance to the executive on initial drafts of strategy; annual corporate plan including resource plans before submission to Council for approval.
2. Provide direction to both executive and committees on any strategic level initiative or project before submission to Council for approval.
3. Monitor the quarterly performance of the Society against its targets contained in its annual corporate plan and report any major variance to Council.
4. Regularly monitor the Society's financial performance against budget.
5. Ensure that all risks identified in the Society’s risk register are managed, and escalate to Council those which the Board consider to have the potential to have a high impact on the work of the Society, and with a medium to high likelihood of occurring.
6. Approve fees to be charged or delegate to the executive team the approval of fees for any service other than those reserved to Council.
7. Approve any expenditure not anticipated in the annual budget which is above the Chief Executive's delegated authority and which is not considered to be novel, contentious or having significant future cost implications.
8. Approve the raising of any court action or litigation in the name of the Law Society of Scotland and to regularly review such actions.
9. Oversee the work of the Chief Executive and the executive team including the performance management of the Chief Executive and ensure (s) he performance manages the wider staff team.
10. Approve significant organisational or staff restructuring brought by the Chief Executive and contained within the Corporate Plan.
11. Oversee the effectiveness of the Regulatory Committee and report on progress against their work plan to Council.
12. Ensure that a plan of work is created for the Council and its committees based on the corporate plan which is itself approved by Council.
13. Ensure cohesive working between committees and cohesion in policy creation. This will include raising issues with individual committees where it can be seen that a policy created by one committee may impact on the policies or work of another.
14. Consider and advise on any matter relating to the Society that has been referred to it by Council, the executive team, any committee or any of its members.
15. Submit all minutes of its meetings to Council on a timely basis.

The Board has been formally delegated authority to deal with the following matters:

In order to fulfil its role the Board has the above powers 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 13 formally delegated by Council.

Board roles

• All Board members should have: An understanding of the Solicitors (Scotland) Act 1980, the Society’s strategy and its current annual plan.
• In addition the Board requires some members willing and able to: Participate in working groups/working parties/sub committees.
• The Convener of the Board will need the above, as well as:  Hold the post of President.
• Inward/outward facing and Board output: The Board is predominantly inward facing as it approves Budgets, Annual Plans; organisation restructures, risk register and considers Fees, Remuneration for Trainees, Rules in advance of formal approval by Council. However, the Board is also outward facing when approving appointments to external bodies and in agreeing the raising of Court Actions or litigation in the name of the Society and when on occasion asked to substitute for an Office Bearer.