Law Society news
Scottish agency IT outage resolved for property transactions
An IT outage with a key Scottish Government agency service that caused delays with upcoming property settlements has now been resolved.
Law Society members achieve professional milestones
A select number of the Law Society of Scotland's members have achieved new heights in their careers as they have been accredited in their chosen fields.
Legal regulation amendments must remove political control of lawyers
New amendments lodged in the Scottish Parliament this week must deliver on a government promise to reverse proposed political controls over the way lawyers work, the Law Society has said.
New paralegal accreditation launched in banking and finance
The Law Society of Scotland has added to its paralegal accreditation programme with a new specialism for paralegals who work in banking and finance.
MSPs vote for major reforms to improve judicial factors law
The Law Society of Scotland says finalised legislation to modernise the law around judicial factors provides for significant improvements when such arrangements are needed to safeguard money and other assets. MSPs voted yesterday in the Scottish Parliament to give final Stage 3 approval for the Judicial Factors (Scotland) Bill.
Changes to AML Certificate
The 2024 Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Certificate will introduce changes aimed at streamlining the process and reducing the administrative burden on legal practitioners.
Trainee numbers show legal sector’s record growth continues
Unprecedented growth for the Scottish legal sector has been maintained for a fourth consecutive year, with 764 new solicitor traineeships commencing in the past 12 months to the end of October 2024.
Victims Bill amendments needed to safeguard criminal justice system
The Law Society of Scotland has urged MSPs to make further changes to proposed criminal justice legislation because of the risk of miscarriages of justice.
Stuart Munro, the Convener of the Law Society’s Criminal Law Committee, has appeared before the Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee to provide Stage 2 evidence on the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill.
Law Society’s rise continues in Top 100 Inclusive UK Employers list
The Law Society of Scotland’s commitment to diversity and inclusion has been recognised with an improved ranking in the Top 100 Inclusive UK Employers Index for 2024. The professional body for Scottish solicitors has been ranked 76th in the 2024 list from the National Centre for Diversity, up from 84th place last year.
New research to support future needs of smaller firms
The Law Society of Scotland has commissioned a new research project to ensure it can best support smaller firms and the essential services they provide.
New system to support junior solicitors wins 2024 Innovation Cup
An online system to assist trainees and junior solicitors in drafting legal correspondence has won the Law Society of Scotland’s 2024 Innovation Cup.
Serena Sutherland nominated as Law Society president-elect 2026-27
Orkney solicitor Serena Sutherland has been nominated as president-elect 2026-27 of the Law Society of Scotland.
The future of zoos decides first round of debating tournament
The first round of a national school debating tournament has kicked off, with students across Scotland debating whether zoos should remain open.
Law Society of Scotland Chief Executive to step down in 2025
Diane McGiffen, our Chief Executive, will step down in April 2025 after over three years in the role. She joined in January 2022, focusing on supporting the solicitor profession and acting in the public interest.
Double admissions ceremony breaks record for new Scottish solicitors
A new record has been set for the number of Scottish solicitors formally admitted to the profession in a single day.
Social mobility champion and property law pioneer awarded honorary membership
A champion for social mobility within Scotland’s legal profession and a moderniser of Scottish conveyancing have been awarded honorary membership of the professional body for Scottish solicitors.
New career heights reached for Law Society members
A select number of the Law Society of Scotland's members have achieved new heights in their careers as they have been accredited in their chosen fields.
SLAB report confirms that legal aid remains in crisis
Newly released data from the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) suggests that demand for legal aid support is no longer able to be met by the shrinking pool of solicitors working in the scheme.
Law Society and Faculty jointly intervene in UK Supreme Court case
The Law Society of Scotland and the Faculty of Advocates have jointly intervened in relation to an important principle in Scottish criminal law that is central to a United Kingdom Supreme Court case.
Six inspiring winners of inaugural Legal Pioneer Award
Six inspiring members of the Scottish legal sector have been announced as the inaugural winners of the Law Society of Scotland’s Legal Pioneers Award, which was launched to mark the Society's 75th anniversary.
Rule of law and independence of the legal profession key themes at Annual Conference
The critical importance of the rule of law and the independence of the legal profession were among the key themes considered at the Law Society of Scotland’s Annual Conference. The final day of the keynote event for the professional body for Scottish solicitors was held as a hybrid event in Edinburgh on Thursday, 31 October.
Restricting Complaints Guidance in practice
Following the introduction of new Law Society of Scotland Guidance on restricting complaints, Convener of the Society's Professional Practice Committee, Austin Lafferty has commented on how this will apply to solicitors in practice.
AML annual supervisory report 2024
The Law Society of Scotland’s annual anti-money laundering (AML) supervisory report highlights the range of AML initiatives undertaken between April 2023 and April 2024.
Law Society welcomes scrapping of juryless trials proposal
The Law Society of Scotland says the Scottish Government has made the correct decision in scrapping its plans for juryless trials for sexual offences.