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Lawyers for Children Certification Course

Lawyers for Children Certification Course

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  5. Lawyers for Children Certification Course
Location & Date
Location:
From: 17th September 2025
To: 22nd October 2025
Time: 10:00 - 15:30
Training Details
Live Online
Live Online:

Join this CPD training online at the specified time

Spaces: 20
CPD Hours: 15 hours over 4 seminars, plus 5 hours private study
Register & Details
Book now Tell A Friend Contact Us View prices
15 hours verifiable CPD 

Please note the first session is in-person at the Law Society of Scotland's office in Edinburgh

Children and young people need lawyers who do things differently - who use their legal skills not just to represent them, but to ensure their voices are heard and their interests are central in every decision that affects them.

This course is designed for all solicitors interested in developing a child-centred approach to legal practice, regardless of their area of specialisation or level of experience. It offers an opportunity to reflect deeply on your own practice and consider how to place children and young people at the heart of every decision made about them.

Developed by Clan Childlaw - who have been leading the way in child-centred legal practice since 2008 - this course draws on their experience and insights to support the wider legal community in working more effectively with children and young people.

You will be receive practical guidance on trauma-informed practice and effective communication with children, helping you to build trust and engage meaningfully with young clients in a way that recognises their experiences and supports their participation.

You will also have the chance to explore and discuss the current policy landscape in Scotland, particularly in relation to the incorporation of the UNCRC, and reflect on how these developments are likely to impact and shape your own legal practice going forward.

By taking this course, you’ll gain practical tools and strategies to reflect on your current practice and consider how to align it more closely with a rights-based, child-centred approach. Upon completion, you’ll also receive one year of free access to Clan Childlaw’s Lawyers for Children membership. This includes quarterly CPD sessions and a wide range of exclusive resources designed to build your confidence and skills in representing children and young people.

What will you gain from completing this course?

Completing this course will help you to:

  • Understand why children need lawyers and specialised legal representation
  • Gain knowledge of the framework of children’s rights in international and domestic law and how the UNCRC has impacted this in Scotland
  • Learn to recognise the impact of trauma and child development and how this influences your practice when representing children
  • Learn effective strategies for adapting your communication style when representing children
  • Learn how to develop your own child-centred practice

Certification process

1. Sign up for the certified course Lawyers for Children

2. Attend the seminars facilitated by Clan Childlaw (10 hours verifiable CPD)

3. Complete the assignment

4. Certification as a Lawyer for Children, with use of our marque alongside obtaining a certificate

Speakers

Alison Reid
Alison Reid
Principal Solicitor and Chief Executive
Clan Childlaw
Katy Nisbet
Katy Nisbet
Head of Legal Policy
Clan Childlaw
Kirsty Giles
Kirsty Giles
Psychotherapist
Consultant in Trauma-Awareness
Rebecca Scott
Rebecca Scott
Interim Head of Legal Services
Clan Childlaw

Live Seminar Dates

Date

Location

Seminar 

Wednesday 17 September 2025 - 10am to 3.30pm

In-Person 

Lawyers for Children, Children's Rights and the UNCRC and Practical Tools for Child-Centred Practice

Wednesday 24 September 2025 - 10am to 12noon 

Online

Trauma and Child Development 

Wednesday 1 October 2025 - 10am to 12noon 

Online

Communicating with Children

Wednesday 22 October - 10am to 12noon

Online

Further Practical Tools for Child-Centred Practice

Course components

Seminar 1: Lawyers for Children, Children's Rights and the UNCRC and Practical Tools for Child-Centred Practice

Session one: Led by Alison Reid, Katy Nisbet and Rebecca Scott

  • Background of the lawyers for children movement
  • Why children need lawyers
  • Balancing a child’s voice with their best interest
  • Development of children’s rights over time
  • The UNCRC framework and its implementation in Scotland
  • Core principles of children’s rights
  • Rights in the family
  • Extra protections for looked after children

Seminar 2: Trauma and Child Development

Led by Kirsty Giles

  • Understanding childhood trauma
  • How trauma impacts the developing brain
  • Attachment – the foundation of connection
  • Trauma informed – in practice

Seminar 3: Communicating with Children

Led by Kirsty Giles

  • Connecting and communicating with children
  • Repairing ruptures and empathetic boundaries
  • Practical strategies to help us communicate

Seminar 4: Further Practical Tools for Child-Centred Practice

Led by Rebecca Scott

  • Balancing professional obligations and child-centred practice
  • Capacity to instruct
  • Navigating legal aid for a child client
  • Child Protection

Course assignment

The assignment for this certification course is a personal reflective piece, designed to help you engage deeply with the material and apply it to your own experiences. Details of the assignment will be provided during the course. 

What participants have said about this certification course

An excellent course for any lawyer interested in working with children and trauma-informed practice. It has been great to learn from all the trainers and other participants.
Prices (prices exclude VAT)
Course:
Member
£750.00
:
Non Member
£862.50

Please note there are just 20 spaces on the course.

If you’re not a member, please contact our CPD team to book: CPD@lawscot.org.uk

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