New Year's resolutions from the President

As I write this it is not yet 2024, but it will be by the time you read it. So, unashamedly, a Happy New Year to every one of you – I hope 2024 brings you success and happiness in whatever you do.

The start of a new year is always, for me, a reflective time. I’m as terrible at keeping New Year’s resolutions as almost everyone else. I have huge admiration for those, like one of my daughters, who follow through with such challenges. Despite knowing how bad I am at keeping those kinds of resolutions, like taking proper exercise, eating less chocolate and generally taking better care of myself, I am thinking about what my resolutions should be for 2024.

I have less than six months of my Presidency left – and they already look busy. However, it will be important for me to carve out time to ‘look up and beyond’ (to pinch a phrase I like, coined by solicitor Naeema Sajid to describe the flagship project for her business Diversity+). I hope Naeema doesn’t mind me using it not just to describe the importance of understanding the barriers to, and finding solutions for, women’s progression in their careers (one of my priorities as I hope you know), but also more widely.

"Making time for thinking and planning for the future
of our profession is one resolution"

I mean taking the time to step back, and think about what we need to, can and should achieve to make the legal profession a better place for us all. I talked last month about wellbeing – that will continue to be a priority as will continuing our work on the nuts and bolts of our profession, including fighting for a properly funded legal aid system that truly provides access to justice, a criminal justice system that is fair to all, a legal system that continues to be respected across the world, and a regulatory system that serves all those who come into contact with it, to name just a few challenges. So, making time for thinking and planning for the future of our profession is one resolution.

Diane, our Chief Executive, has to keep reminding me that the time I have as President is limited and I will not be able to do everything I might want to do. While the list of resolutions I might make is endless, I have to be realistic.

"Resolution two: I will continue to work for a more diverse,
equal and inclusive profession"

Resolution two: I will continue to work for a more diverse, equal and inclusive profession. Our profession should reflect the society we serve – both the individuals and the businesses that make Scotland what it is. The inclusivity of our profession merits a further word. At a recent dinner for first year students setting out in this profession, I spoke about inclusivity. Some students came to speak to me at the end. Their words struck me. Making our profession accessible to all is so important. As we leave the festive season behind, perhaps the hugely welcome donations to the Lawscot Foundation that form the heart of our Baublefest campaign could continue. Could you commit to a monthly donation, of whatever size? Will you?

"My third resolution is to continue our work on the
Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill"

My third resolution may not be a surprise. I was pleased in the last weeks of 2023 to see the Minister for Victims and Community Safety, Siobhian Brown, confirm government intentions to bring forward amendments to the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill to address the concerns of the profession, and the judiciary, about the ministerial powers proposed in the current draft Bill. At the time of writing, we have yet to see the detail of proposed amendments, but it is heartening that our work on this is bearing fruit. It is an important part of working to ensure we have a legal system that continues to be respected across the world, one in which businesses, of all sizes, are encouraged to do business, and one in which individuals and businesses alike can have confidence that their solicitors may act freely and without government interference. My third resolution is to continue our work on the Bill, to address all the concerns we identified in our submission to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee in the summer.

Of course, my overriding resolution is to continue to work as hard as I can for the profession of which I am so proud to be a member.

By the time you read this, I’ll be returning from Burlington, Vermont, USA, where I will have left one of my twin daughters for a semester at university. I am apprehensive I admit – I’ll miss her dreadfully and I suspect her twin will miss her even more! Recent events in Burlington are, naturally, on my mind – I remain very thankful for the comparative safety of Scotland and the UK. I hope you’ll allow a little indulgence in my choices for my Presidential playlist this month. They may be a little New England and daughter influenced...

• Sweet Baby James, James Taylor – yes, we drove the ‘turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston’.
• Stick Season, Noah Kahan – he’s from Vermont, it’s about Vermont and he’s one of my daughter’s favourite artists.