Blogs & opinions
Chinese New Year: Eat For Hope
As Lunar New Year celebrations kick off across many Asian cultures on 12 February this year, Ling Deng, a solicitor at Thorntons Law LLP, reflects on what the Chinese New Year means to her, with its rituals, symbolism and message of hope for the coming year, after a tough 12 months.
How I began to ‘fill my basket’, the benefits of committee membership
Alannah McGinley was a member of the Law Society’s Insurance Committee from March 2017-December 2020. Alannah is now Law Clerk to the Inner House of the Court of Session.
Exploring alternative careers: Working in Educational Technology (EdTech)
Cinzia Pusceddu is an Academic Liaison Officer (Technology Manager) at the University of Edinburgh's School of Engineering. As part of our blog series exploring alternative careers, Cinzia discusses why law students might want to consider a career in Educational Technology.
New AML Guidance: Where to start
In the first of a series of blogs, Graham MacKenzie, Head of Anti-Money Laundering at the Society, helps to break down the recently released and extensively revised AML Guidance for the UK legal sector, highlighting key changes and what solicitors need to look out for.
Journal editorial February 2021
Something has gone very wrong in the prosecution service, given the settlement of the claims for malicious prosecution, and a full inquiry is needed to restore confidence
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.
LGBT+ History Month: Looking back, looking forward
Rob Marrs, Head of Education at the Law Society of Scotland, reflects on the progress made towards equality and inclusion in the legal profession, and the work still to be done.
How to ace that video interview
DPLP student and founder of See Through Law, Amelia Mah, shares her top tips on how to make the best impression in your video interview for an internship or training contract.
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.
Holocaust Memorial Day 2021
Gillian Mawdsley, Policy Executive at the Society reflects on the role that civil servants, lawyers and legislation played in facilitating the policies leading to the murder of millions of European Jews and other civilians as part of her talk recorded to mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2021.
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.
Marking mental health days is so much more than a tick-box exercise
Olivia Moore, Careers and Wellbeing Manager at the Law Society of Scotland, discusses how marking mental health days can be an important way for employers to engage staff, break down stigma and raise confidence to speak about mental health issues.
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.
Make stress management and resilience-building a priority for 2021
Fiona Chambers works part-time as an employment lawyer and also delivers workplace wellbeing training. In this piece, Fiona gives us twelve steps to take a proactive approach to managing stress and building resilience in the coming year.
Top 10 tips for law students and graduates who are looking for a training contract
Kirsty Lang is a solicitor at Lyons Davidson and a graduate of the 2008 recession. In this piece she offers her tips for students on seeking a traineeship in difficult times.
Journal editorial January 2021
Thoughts on pulling through a gloomy January; the legal aid package and talks; and the impact of the Brexit deal
Advent: Glimmers of light in the season of waiting
This year's Christmas may have been overtaken by the coronavirus pandemic, but there is still light to be found in the darkness of these difficult times, says, Mary Macleod, Solicitor of the Church of the Church of Scotland Law Department.
Christmas: A well-known story
With this year's Christmas celebrations taking on a rather different guise to normal, Michael P. Clancy, Director of Law Reform at the Law Society of Scotland, considers the story at the heart of this Christian festival and the enduring comfort and hope it brings.
The Christian message of Christmas: Make a wonderful life
To celebrate Christmas this year, Jamie Kerr, a Partner at Burness Paull, reflects on the message of hope and redemption that this festive time brings.
UK-EU FTA Negotiations: talks continue but progress is limited
Marcus Corry, EU Internal Market Adviser at the UK Law Societies' Brussels Office, provides an update on the Brexit negotiations in the run up to the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020.
Journal editorial December 2020
Employers should help people find their own best balance between home and office working; Government must recognise the urgency of the crisis in legal aid
2020: In-house Lawyers Committee
Sheekha Saha and Vlad Valiente, Co-conveners of the In-house Lawyers Committee round up the committee’s key priorities and achievements of 2020.
Wellbeing in the winter: how to support your teams
Emma Smith, HR Business Partner at Burness Paull LLP and member of the Lawscot Wellbeing steering group, shares some seasonal tips for employers on how to support staff wellbeing.
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.