Meet Joshua King, the new editor of the Journal of the Law Society of Scotland

By Joshua King, editor, the Journal of the Law Society of Scotland

When I was at school, I spent a week at the Crown Office on Chambers Street in Edinburgh. A daunted kid on work experience, I was there to find an answer: what is it to be a lawyer and is it for me? The junior fiscals who looked after me, who showed me the courts, who hurried me along to a procedural hearing in the al-Megrahi case with great excitement, gave me advice which stuck with me: don’t do a law degree.

At least, not right away. Go and learn a bit about the world, they said. Travel. Study something you love. And come back to law when you’ve learned a bit about the world. It was what they had done. So that’s what I did.

I found my way into the media, waywardly, while studying history. As a reporter for The Student, the University of Edinburgh’s paper which counts Gordon Brown, Bill Turnbull and Helen Pidd amongst its alumni, I fell in love with the messy, murky world of news. The camaraderie of the newsroom, the thrill of a byline in ink, and, perhaps, a hint of my childhood love of Terry Pratchett’s The Truth stole my attention.

Since then, I’ve spent more than 15 years as a journalist, covering news, sport and business. I’ve interviewed political leaders, stood on a nuclear reactor and even ended up as the stadium announcer for a Scottish League Two football team. Writing for titles including The Times, The i, The Big Issue, Press & Journal, The Scotsman, and Scotland on Sunday, I’ve covered a lot, and yes—through it all—law.

Even as I worked in newsrooms, I never strayed far from the law. During the pandemic, while leading The Scotsman’s team of brilliant breaking news reporters from my dining room table, I moonlighted as a law student. Long nights with EU treaties and delict case law. That’s why it’s a privilege now to take up the mantle as your Editor of the Journal.

First of all, I want to thank the Journal’s outgoing editor Rebecca Morgan for all her hard work over the past year, and wish her the best as she explores some exciting new opportunities in 2025.

Looking Ahead

As we move into the second half of the decade, the Scottish legal profession finds itself at a crossroads. The crisis in legal aid is undeniable. Economic uncertainty, both at home and abroad, poses challenges for firms of all sizes. Technological innovation—from AI to automation—is reshaping how lawyers work. Meanwhile, as they leave the bench, Lord Carloway and Lady Dorrian have raised urgent concerns about the future of the profession, from recruiting new talent to ensuring access to justice.

Can the legal profession, across all specialisms, rise to these challenges? Can it nurture and promote the next generation of talent while preserving the integrity and traditions of Scots law?

A conversation for the profession

So I ask again: what is it to be a solicitor? I want to hear it from you. That’s what the Journal is: a platform for Scotland’s legal community to reflect, share, and engage. We celebrate what’s working, scrutinise what’s not and tell the stories that matter to solicitors across Scotland.

As Editor, I want the Journal to continue its proud tradition of informing, educating and inspiring legal practitioners, no matter your background or where you work. But this is a conversation. What is it to be a Scottish solicitor? Why does it matter? And what does the future hold for our profession?

We’ve all learned a bit about the world. Let’s talk.

Joshua King joshua.king@thinkpublishing.co.uk