30 key projects highlighted in Law Society of Scotland 2016/17 annual plan

The Law Society of Scotland has published its annual plan for 2016/17 featuring 30 key projects aimed at delivering year two of the Law Society’s five year strategy, Leading Legal Excellence.

The plan outlines projects within each of the Law Society’s five strategic goals to assure, serve, excel, influence and grow, including:

• Introducing new services for members, concentrating on areas of business support, career growth, professional support and wellbeing
• Providing a leading voice as the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union moves forward
• Launching the work of a new public policy committee which will focus on proactive policy development as well as responding to policy proposals of most relevance to the legal sector, including plans for new British Bill of Rights
• Continuing to press for modern and flexible legislation which protects the public and meets the needs of a modern legal profession
• Preparing for the launch of new membership categories in 2017/18

Lorna Jack, Chief Executive of the Law Society of Scotland, said: “I am excited to share our annual plan and the projects which will set us up to achieve year two of our ambitious five year strategy, Leading Legal Excellence. Each of the projects will be delivered by our skilled and committed staff team with support and expert guidance from almost 500 volunteers from across the legal profession and other sectors.

“The annual plan helps to explain how we will assure the public, serve our members, excel as an organisation, influence society around us and grow our membership and income. We are focused on being a world-class professional body and we want our programme of support to meet the ambitions of our members working within and outwith the legal sector, no matter if they are based in Scotland, elsewhere in the UK or overseas.”

The projects for 2016/17 also include considering alternative routes to qualification as a Scottish solicitor and seeking to grow the numbers of law and diploma students from low income backgrounds by issuing the first bursaries from the Lawscot Foundation, the Society’s new registered charity.

Ms Jack added: “Following our review of fair access and potential barriers to entering the profession, we launched the Lawscot Foundation earlier this year. The Foundation will offer financial assistance and mentoring support to students from less advantaged backgrounds to help them as they study at university for a law degree or the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice. I’m delighted that we will be able to offer bursaries within the first year of launching our charity. There has been a great deal of enthusiasm within the profession and we hope that our members will continue to help us ensure there is a lasting legacy for the next generation of Scottish solicitors.”

The Law Society’s full annual plan of activity and objectives is available on the website at www.lawscot.org.uk/annualplan