Blogs & opinions
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.
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.