Blogs & opinions
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.
Disability and the legal profession
For the United Nations' International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December, John Ballantine, a member of our Equalities Law Sub-Committee, a retired solicitor, a disabled person and a Member of the SSC Society, reflects on six ways that life has changed for disabled solicitors, since he qualified in 1981.
Nuremburg Trials Remembered
In a year which has seen many anniversaries, Friday, 20 November 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the start of the Nuremburg War Trials that commenced in 1945. Our Policy Executive Gillian Mawdsley writes about the trial which has been arguably described as the greatest trial of the 20th century.
International Men's Day 2020: Parental leave for dads should be part of our new normal
Tim Mouncer, Public Affairs Manager at the Law Society of Scotland, tells us about his experience of taking shared parental leave and his hopes that it becomes an expected norm for fathers.
International Men's Day 2020: A letter to my son
Tim Taylor, an Associate Solicitor at Hastings Legal and member of our Property and Land Law Reform Law Sub-Committee, writes a letter to his 16-month-old son Ben reflecting on men's wellbeing and what it means to be a "good man".
International Men's Day 2020: Je ne regrette rien…
Gregory Stachura, a Knowledge & Development lawyer in Banking Practice at Burness Paull, discusses how the experience of his father's efforts to be a fully involved dad has impacted his own approach to fatherhood, even when flexible and part-time working for dads was less-than fashionable.
Journal editorial November 2020
As legal aid lawyers hang on for a Government decision on funding, New Generation Lawyers deserves support in campaigning for their future
Bias and allyship
How can we challenge our own biases and become an anti-racist ally? Jamila Archibald, a solicitor in the commercial disputes and regulation team at Shepherd and Wedderburn explores the different types of bias in her Black History Month blog.
Law, Sustainability and Technology: Welcoming COP to Scotland
Professor Abbe Brown from Aberdeen University looks at the themes of making practices more environmentally sustainable, advising clients on environmental sustainability and climate justice, and the potential clashes with other values and laws following the Society’s Law and Technology Conference.
Demystifying contextualised recruitment for students
Olivia Moore, Careers & Wellbeing Manager at the Law Society of Scotland, explains contextualised recruitment for students, as these systems designed to enable fair access are becoming more common in graduate recruitment.
Maintaining compliance through unusual times
Recent announcements from the UK and Scottish Governments mean a return to traditional office work is still on hold for most of us. This article, which is the first in a series of collaborative content from ScotlandIS Cyber and Data Clusters, FinTech Scotland and LawscotTech, considers how working from home can impact on employees’ attitudes towards diligence and how companies can encourage a compliance-driven culture in a remote setting.
We all have a role to play
The fight for justice and inclusion, regardless of colour or creed, is a shared history that we must all strive to build upon to ensure a society and profession where everyone can thrive, says Tsepiso Forrest, a DPLP student at Robert Gordon University (RGU) and volunteer at the Citizen Advice Bureaux in Nairn and RGU Law Clinic.
Journal editorial October 2020
Sadly, it is necessary to speak out loudly and clearly for the profession and the rule of law and against a Government that poses a threat to both
Amanda Millar Passes the Badge on World Mental Health Day 2020
The Society's President, Amanda Millar, tells us why she is supporting our campaign to Pass the Badge on World Mental Health Day this year, as part of our work on tackling mental health stigma and discrimination.
Elaine Motion on Passing the Badge for World Mental Health Day
Elaine Motion, Chairman of Balfour+Manson shares her thoughts about mental health as part of the Society's Pass the Badge campaign launch to mark World Mental Health Day 2020.
Iain Reid Passes the Badge to mark World Mental Health Day
Iain Reid, Chief Executive of the Faculty of Advocates, explains how the Faculty helps supports its members' mental health and what he does to switch off from the pressures of work as part of our Pass the Badge campaign to mark World Mental Health Day this year.
WTO reflections - trade in the time of coronavirus
Our Policy Executive Carolyn Thurston Smith considers how three key themes from discussions at the World Trade Organisation Public Forum in October 2019, on the influence of Millennials and Generation Z on commerce, have played out during the Covid-19 pandemic.