From the President’s desk: The ghost of a Christmas Eve past

Law Society of Scotland President Patricia Thom reflects on a year gone by and remembers one Christmas which showed what life as a solicitor is really like.

‘Tis the season to be jolly. Although for some of us “jolly” is some way off from how we are feeling. My heart particularly goes out to the working parent over this festive season. Between the challenges of work and the need to finish things – be they proofs or settlements by the end of the year – there are school concerts, parties, buying presents, buying groceries, avoiding sickness and travel disruptions to contend with.

I remember one Christmas Eve when my children were young enough to be expecting Santa I had to run a proof in the local sheriff court. One of my main witnesses was a local GP who, along with 13 other people, was coming to my house that evening for dinner. Once he gave his evidence and was, unlike me, able to leave he asked if there was anything he could do. I told him I would be very grateful if he could peel the potatoes, which I am happy to say he did. The other challenge that evening was trying to stay awake long enough to ensure Santa arrived before any young child decided to make an appearance.

Life is easier for me these days but I rather suspect, despite more flexible working hours and online shopping for both presents and groceries, that this time of year is still a challenge for working parents.

In the meantime, things tick on at the Law Society. Ben Kemp and I recently hosted a lunch for the Fellows. Who, you might ask, are these “fellows”. They are former members who have at least 25 years of being on the roll but who have now retired from paid employment. They become fellows to enable them to stay involved with the Law Society and give something back whether by joining a committee, or by acting as a mentor or even volunteering to be a judge for the Donald Dewar debates.

Angus McLaughlin, the Society's Head of Marketing and Member Services, gave a presentation at the lunch on the research the Law Society has recently conducted into small firms around the country which elicited a lively debate around the “then and now” and inevitably the discussion turned to legal aid. There was cautious enthusiasm at the way things were going but there was sufficient experience amongst them to appreciate the need for caution.

At the other end of the career spectrum, we admitted 137 new solicitors at the beginning of December. Ian Moir, Convener of our Criminal Legal Aid Committee, was our guest speaker. Despite his very entertaining stories of life as a criminal solicitor, neither he nor our Vice President Serena nor I were able to inveigle these enthusiastic young newbies to consider abandoning their current roles in the various big city firms across the middle belt of Scotland to venture into private practice in the smaller firms. Maybe some day…

And on that note, I would like to wish you a Happy Festive Season and here’s to a really good New Year.