Ethics & professional responsibility
Great Expectations — Five steps to managing legal client work in a realistic and achievable way
"We have all had those clients – the ones who are on the phone each day (or even several times a day) for an update, demanding you move mountains to achieve their goal"
Solicitors at Breaking Point — How the Scottish legal profession is responding to a mental health crisis
Nearly two in three people working in Scotland’s legal profession have experienced mental health challenges in recent years - Kanika Phillip investigates the response.
Increased trainee pay 'imperative' for future of legal sector - here are new recommended rates
The President of the Law Society of Scotland has warned it is "imperative" trainee pay rises in response to wage growth and inflation for the sake of the whole legal profession.
'Bigotry', the Supreme Court and what this week taught us about judicial independence
When an MSP branded the Supreme Court’s decision in For Women Scotland vs The Scottish Ministers "bigotry, prejudice and hatred”, the legal profession struck back. But what has this past week revealed about threats to judicial independence?
How a new toolkit could shape the way judges write to children at the centre of proceedings
New guidelines are encouraging judges to write to the children and young people at the centre of family court proceedings, to help them understand the decisions made about their welfare and future.
Scottish legal aid desert is growing — and failing Scots in 'traumatic' situations
Legal aid deserts continue to grow as solicitors working on civil matters abandon the system, the Law Society of Scotland has warned a parliamentary inquiry.
Meet Kevin Lang — new interim CEO of Law Society of Scotland
Law Society of Scotland executive director Kevin Lang has been appointed as interim chief executive at the professional body and regulator of Scottish solicitors.
What the Supreme Court's decision in For Women Scotland's appeal means
Front page news rarely does statutory interpretation make, writes Joshua King, but the case of For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers was different.
Why pastoral tutoring for young Scottish solicitors should matter to you
In a world where academic pressure is intensifying, the need for pastoral care has never been more urgent, says Dr Temitope Omotola Odusanya.
SSDT Decision: Lochrie
The Scottish Solictors' Disciplinary Tribunal has issued their latest decision, in relation to Stephen Richard Lochrie.
Social mobility: surviving or thriving
In a thought-provoking presentation on Day 1 of the 2024 Annual Conference, Lindsay Jack, Head of Diversity, Careers, and Outreach at the Society, and Ayanda Ngobeni, a diploma student at the University of Edinburgh and an incoming trainee at CMS, discussed crucial topics related to social mobility within the legal profession.
Service standards and risk management (part 2)
Better understand the importance of ensuring compliance with the Law Society’s Service Standard, in the final instalment of these articles.
Service standards and risk management
Understand the importance of ensuring compliance with the Law Society’s Service Standard, in the first of two articles with Lockton.
The latest SSDT decision
Take a look at the latest decision published by the Scottish Solicitor’s Disciplinary Tribunal.
Know it, see it, avoid it
The latest article from Lockton covers the important topic of spotting conflicts of interest and a reminder that ‘if it feels wrong, it probably is’.
Contempt of court cases continued
The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission was in court last month bringing proceedings against two solicitors who had failed to comply with statutory requests for information.
SSDT decisions: year in review
According to the latest Annual Report from the Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal, the Tribunal heard and made decisions in 47 cases in the year 2022-2023.
Scottish Solicitors' Discipline Tribunal Decisions - January 2024 Update
The Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal (SSDT) is an independent body which mainly deals with serious disciplinary issues that arise from time to time within the Scottish legal profession.
The SSDT provides The Journal, via The Law Society of Scotland with the recent decisions.