Training: SYLA will play its part

In September 2011, the Law Society of Scotland’s reforms of the training and education of solicitors in Scotland will come into place. A word you will need to get used to hearing is “PEAT”. No, we are not about talking about the heather-clad fuel from the highlands. Professional Education And Training (PEAT) comes in two phases. PEAT1 will replace the current Diploma in Legal Practice and PEAT2 refers to the two years of post-education work-based training, otherwise known as the traineeship.

One of the most welcome changes in this new system is the scrapping of the PCC, or Professional Competency Course, which all trainees required to complete between months six and 18 of their traineeships. The PCC, and additional electives, had a limited number of providers, took trainees from their employers for at least seven days of the year and cost over £1,500 per person. The substantial costs of the PCC borne by employers, and occasionally trainees themselves, were an unnecessary barrier to trainee recruitment.

From August 2011, trainees will no longer be required to complete the PCC and instead will carry out Trainee Continuing Professional Development or – brace yourself for another acronym – “TCPD”. The most important difference between the PCC and TCPD is that the Society has opened the market to new suppliers. Training firms and other organisations can join the existing PCC providers and obtain a licence to provide TCPD to trainees in Scotland. This is a very welcome change. Firms who already do a considerable amount of in-house training will no longer need to pay the additional cost of the PCC, and new providers can offer free or low cost TCPD to help trainees throughout Scotland to gain the required hours. Further, only 40 of the mandatory 60 hours need to be gained from licensed providers.

Free events

By removing the requirement that all professional education be paid for, and by implication authorised, by training firms, young lawyers in Scotland will have the opportunity to expand their knowledge of professional issues and subjects and make themselves more rounded candidates in the run-up to the search for qualified employment.

The SYLA has always been very proud to provide the majority of our educational events to members for free. The only educational events we charge for are conferences. In November 2010, the SYLA sent an open letter to its members regarding the launch of the Law Society’s Student Extra Scheme, reiterating that free professional education is available to young lawyers if they look for it. The SYLA hopes that the new PEAT 2 scheme will encourage other providers of free CPD to enter the market.

Career seminars

The SYLA committee has been working very hard in the past few months to bring together a calendar of educational and social events running until the summer. In 2010, we ran a very successful seminar series titled “So you want to be a lawyer?” These focus on a particular practice area and give an insight into the day-to-day life of a solicitor working in that field. In the coming months, we will be hosting the following seminars in this series:

• 22 February: “So you want to be an in-house lawyer?” with Colin Anderson, legal manager at Standard Life and vice chairman of the In-house Lawyers Group, and Chris Nicholson, Deputy Legal Secretary to the Lord President.
• 17 March: “So you want to be an oil and gas solicitor?” at McGrigors’ offices in Aberdeen, with speakers David McEwing, partner at McGrigors, and Hazel Vallance, legal counsel at Sparrows.

In May and June we will also host “So you want to be an advocate or solicitor advocate?” and “So you want to be a solicitor outside of Scotland?” Further details will be released in the coming weeks.

On 10 March 2011, the SYLA and First Title Insurance Scotland will host a Commercial Property Update seminar in Glasgow. This event will be chaired by Professor Stewart Brymer and will include sessions on current issues in practice led by Lionel Most of Burness LLP, Iain Doran of Dundas & Wilson CS LLP and Reema Mannah of First Title Insurance Scotland. This qualifies for two hours’ CPD.

On 1 April, Digby Brown solicitors will present the Scottish Young Lawyers’ Association Annual Lecture. We are very proud that in its first year, the lecture will be delivered by Lord Hope of Craighead, Deputy President of the UK Supreme Court. The lecture is taking place at the Playfair Library, Edinburgh and attendance is free for all members. Members are warmly invited to join us at a wine reception following Lord Hope’s address.

On 19 and 20 April, Professor Kenneth Norrie, Head of Strathclyde University School of Law, will deliver seminars in Glasgow and Edinburgh (respectively) on the changes and implications of the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011, along with a general family law update.

On 2 June we will host our annual summer BBQ at McPhabbs in Glasgow; and on 24 June we round up our calendar with our annual conference and AGM, which will also be held in Glasgow.

How to join

Full details and joining instructions for the above events can be obtained on our new website (www.syla.co.uk).

The above events are just a taste of those expected to be organised in the coming year and we are currently planning some very exciting projects. To receive updates about all our events and members’ benefits, simply join as a member today on our website. SYLA membership is FREE and open to all undergraduate and postgraduate law students, trainees and solicitors up to 10 years qualified in Scotland.

If you joined as a member of SYLA prior to October 2010 and wish to continue receiving members’ updates and benefits, please go to the website and join our new mailing list.