New lawyers for all

Close your eyes and think back to law school, or your days sitting the Society’s professional exams. Despite dodging a few lectures, bungling one or two exams, and partaking in the odd caffeine-fuelled “all nighter”, you made it through and you qualified into the profession. At which point the Law Society of Scotland was unveiled to you, to advise you of your CPD requirements, right? Well not now, because times are changing.

This month marks the end of a one-year gestation period, and the Society has delivered to the Scottish legal profession a fully researched, three-year strategy to engage “new lawyers” – a term that includes those thinking about studying law, LLB students, those sitting the Society’s exams, Diploma students, trainee solicitors, and solicitors with less than five years’ experience in the profession (and everyone in between). But why, in 2007, is the Society publicly stating that it must do more to support prospective solicitors by launching the “New Lawyers’ Engagement Strategy”?

New platform

The Scottish legal profession is evolving hugely, and although some of that change has come in response to outside events, increasingly the Society and profession are grasping opportunities to be proactive in addressing different aspects of what we do.

When it comes to relationships being nurtured throughout the profession, those with new entrants can be described as having been a bit hit and miss. A straw poll of your current cohort of trainees might reveal dissatisfaction with the sources of guidance and information during their earlier years of education, and an acute lack of awareness of current issues facing their profession. In some corners, there is frustration that the voice of “new lawyers” in the profession can often be drowned out by more powerful forces at play.

What we certainly do know about graduates, many of whom incur significant levels of debt in their pursuit of the profession, is that their career expectations are changing. For example, knowing as we do that by 2011 the average solicitor in Scotland will be female, under 30 and educated in a state school, one ever-lingering query is what impact this will have on the profession in the not-very-distant-at-all future? The engagement strategy will provide new lawyers with a platform to share their views and engage with their profession and prospective employers from the start of their careers.

The projects

To achieve our vision, we have set five objectives:

• to raise the profile of the Society and the Scottish Young Lawyers Association (SYLA);
• to provide quality advice on the route to qualification and careers;
• to achieve different kinds of participation, ranging from communication to involvement to representation;
• to assist in ensuring continuing competence and ongoing development by providing tailored learning opportunities to qualified new lawyers;
• to collaborate in this area of work with the entire profession and other key stakeholders.

So far, during the strategy development phase, the Society has devised diaries for every first year law student in association with SYLA; forged a partnership with the Scotsman; and collaborated on the first ever edition of Target Jobs Law Scotland, which aims to provide a central list of available traineeships – something Scotland’s law students have cried out for over the years.

Some examples of projects we will be developing in year 1 (until September 2008) are:

• improving guidance to trainee solicitors at the commencement of the training contract and beyond;
• tailored CPD for solicitors with less than five years’ PQE;
• developing the “new lawyers” section of the Society’s website and creating a new SYLA website so that the sites become the main portals for new lawyers;
• distributing an e-newsletter to new lawyers;
• running national careers events or focus groups;
• recording careers podcasts;
• coordinating blogs written by trainee solicitors.

Role for the profession

The Society will publish an annual review of the strategy, and the successes we report on will largely depend on you, the profession, buying into the New Lawyers’ Engagement Strategy and working with the Society in the delivery of projects.

One already successful collaboration is with the Scottish Young Lawyers Association (SYLA). Over the years SYLA has brought many issues facing those whom they call “young lawyers” to the forefront of the legal profession. The Society and SYLA have spent time this year negotiating how best to work together to benefit this group, while ensuring that each organisation retains a distinctive identity, and SYLA in particular remains independent to act as it sees fit on behalf of its members. The Society is confident that great things can be achieved for students, trainee solicitors and newly qualified solicitors as a result of our combined forces.

Of course collaboration cannot stop there. The Society is keen for individual members of the profession, and organisations, to assist in implementing the strategy projects.

For you, this could mean attending a careers event at a school or university; encouraging your trainees and NQs to get involved in associations such as SYLA, TANQ (Trainee And Newly Qualified society), or EYBA (European Young Bar Association); providing the Society with venues to run some of our focus groups or careers events; or sponsoring some of our work.

As we progress the rollout of the strategy, the Society will be looking to promote champions of our work to the remainder of the profession. Some organisations have already played a key role in the development phase, for which we are very grateful. Consider how your organisation could help roll out the projects, and register your interest on the Society’s website.

Talent wars

It is the pace of change which has created the opportunity to address the services we provide. The New Lawyers’ Engagement Strategy is just one example of the Society redefining its role for a modern profession. We are fighting the “war for talent” not only across jurisdictions, but also across professions. If we are to win and retain the talent the profession needs to thrive, we must create goodwill with new lawyers, starting from their formative years of education and training.

Ambitious plans have been conceived by the Society. As a profession we must open our eyes to the importance of supporting tomorrow’s solicitors – today.

Visit www.lawscot.org.uk/training/

newlawyers to read the full strategy document, and register your interest in taking part in the various projects.

The Scottish Young Lawyers Association’s website is www.syla.co.uk .

The strategy – the vision

In three years’ time:

1.    The Law Society of Scotland will demonstrate best practice in generating and maintaining engagement with new and future members. The Society will be a constant presence during a person’s route to qualification.

2.    A new breed of newly qualified Scottish solicitor will start to emerge. This group will have made an informed decision to enter the profession, having been assisted by the legal profession and the Society during their personal route to qualification.

These solicitors will be willing to take control of the profession to assist in meeting the needs of clients, the public, and their fellow members. Mechanisms will be in place for proper representation of new lawyers’ interests throughout the Society.

3. The profession will have a positive attitude towards working with the next generation of Scottish solicitors for the ongoing benefit of the profession, with individuals regularly assisting the Society in this work.

4. The reputation of the legal profession will be improved because of a genuine investment in its future.

The strategy: the new lawyers’ view

The SYLA is wholly supportive of the Society’s work to engage with new lawyers and we are pleased to work in collaboration with the Society’s New Lawyers’ Coordinator in ensuring the successful delivery of the joint projects outlined in the strategy. Collette Paterson is always welcome at all of our events and we see her role as a very important and positive one.

Our decision to work more closely with the Society was made in July this year, after taking the view that the profession’s future members would undoubtedly benefit from the resources of both the SYLA and the Society, working together.

We accepted the proposals as outlined and have committed to working jointly with the Society for the next year as part of the strategy. An assessment of the year’s activities and successes will be made thereafter.

The SYLA is committed to engaging the profession and working with the Society, while continuing to provide a distinct and independent voice for those entering the profession.

This is an excellent opportunity for those new to the profession to really get involved and help shape their future. The SYLA is delighted to be working with the Society to ensure it happens.

Maryam Labaki is President of the Scottish Young Lawyers Association