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I’m dreaming of a mindful Christmas...
Christmas is a special time of year for a lot of people but for a lot of us, it can also be a very stressful time. Ashleigh Halpin, offers an insight into mindfulness and how it can help with stress.
Why leading by example matters for wellbeing
Olivia Moore, Careers & Wellbeing Manager at the Law Society of Scotland, kicks off our blog series tackling some of the questions we received during our recent annual conference session on wellbeing, by discussing the importance of leading by example.
Register of Overseas Entities opens
The Society's Property Law Committee Convener John Sinclair provides some guidance on the new Register of Overseas Entities which opened on Monday, 1 August.
Cyber and data security – five legal obligations not to ignore
A short reminder of the measures firms must take to remain compliant and protect their clients.
Have a proper break this summer
In this blog Elizabeth Rimmer, Chief Executive of LawCare, reminds us to take a proper break this summer to benefit our mental health, which means trying to switch off completely from work.
The Register of Overseas Entities
John Sinclair, Convener of the Society’s Property Law Committee and Ann Stewart, a member of the Property Law Committee take a look at the Register of Overseas Entities and explain how this will affect solicitors and their clients
Some extra guidance for training managers
We recently launched two surveys aimed at better understanding the training process and where things could possibly be improved. This blog is a nod in the direction of travel.
The student summer switch-off
Olivia Moore, Careers & Wellbeing Manager at the Law Society of Scotland, reflects on how focusing on wellbeing during the summer break can be an essential career-development strategy for law students.
Giving effective feedback to trainees
Rob Marrs, our Head of Education, looks at the best way to give effective, constructive feedback to a trainee that not only helps them develop, but fosters a strong learning environment.
How to support a struggling trainee
Our Head of Education Rob Marrs offers his top tips and advice on how training supervisors can support a trainee who is struggling, prevent the situation from deteriorating (or even happening in the first place) and help them on their way to qualification.
Lockdown lawyer returning to the office
Melissa Laurie, newly qualified solicitor in the TMIC team at CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang, reflects on her experience of returning to the office.
Terminating training contracts: myth v reality
What happens in the rare occurrences when traineeships go wrong and employers or trainees seek to end the training contract early? Our Head of Education Rob Marrs explains what's involved in the process, why it might (and might not) happen and dispels some common myths.
Reflections on how to run a valuable virtual work experience programme
In order to gain insights into how firms and organisations might adapt to run a successful virtual or hybrid summer placement this year, Olivia Moore speaks to Burness Paull and CMS about the programmes they ran last year.
What can we learn from IBA research on mental wellbeing in the profession?
Our Careers and Wellbeing Manager Olivia Moore takes a look at the recent International Bar Association research into mental wellbeing and considers how the findings compare with Society’s own research in this area.
We need to keep showing support for working parents
COPFS' Andrew Laing discusses how employers can continue to offer support to parents who are juggling work and home-schooling during the pandemic.
New Year, New Plan: Make mentoring a resolution you can stick to!
Careers & Outreach Coordinator Lyndsey Thomson explains how mentoring can help you stick to those New Year resolutions and re-focus your career plans.
Five easy ways to get involved in Time to Talk Day
Here are five ways to take part in Time To Talk Day on Thursday 4 February, whatever your role, recommended by Lawscot Wellbeing.
Parents in the pandemic
With parents and carers once again forced to juggle homeschool and work, it's key that firms and organisations understand the issues faced by their employees and for those struggling to know they're not alone. Our Head of Careers & Outreach, Heather McKendrick, shares what we learned from the first lockdown.
Covid careers: navigating a path through a foggy future
Careers are rarely linear, yet that doesn't make the unexpected twists and turns any less daunting when they happen. Olivia Moore, our Careers & Wellbeing Manager, discusses the impact of coronavirus on careers and asks if you have a story to share of an unexpected career journey that could help others for our new careers blog series.
LawCare: How we can help
LawCare is the charity dedicated to supporting people working in the law. Most of us have probably heard of it, but do you know how LawCare can help, why people call and who would be at the other end of the phone? Find out more here.
Our flexible working future
Flexible working has gone from a trendy buzzword to the new normal during lockdown. As we publish our flexible working guidance, Elaine MacGlone, Equality & Diversity Manager at the Law Society of Scotland, reflects on her personal experience of flexible working, how things have changed and what the future might hold.
Reflections on working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic
John Morrison, Legal Counsel at Phoenix Group and In-house Lawyers Committee vice-convener, shares some thoughts on adapting to new working practices as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Levelling the playing field
The moderation of Scottish exams results has once again highlighted the challenges faced by pupils from lower-performing schools. Heather McKendrick, Head of Careers & Outreach, discusses how the Law Society is attempting to ensure fair access to the profession, what more needs to be done and how employers can help.
Surviving lockdown as a working parent
Having recently returned to work from maternity leave, Heather McKendrick, our Head of Careers & Outreach, offers her personal experience of juggling work and childcare during lockdown, and why speaking to other parents and carers is such a help.