Law Society news
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Reflections on the Diploma and looking to the traineeship ahead
Miranda Hughes started studying at the University of Strathclyde in 2014 and has combined the academic learning of the Graduate Entry Clinical LLB with practical experience in the University of Strathclyde Law Clinic.
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Lorna Jack wins prestigious leadership award
Lorna Jack, Chief Executive of the Law Society of Scotland, has won the UK Association Excellence Award for Leadership in a prized addition to the trophy cabinet at the Society’s Edinburgh offices.
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'Law abiding citizen' and other phishing emails - 6 April 2017
The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau has issued an alert which explains how fraudsters are deploying banking trojans to unsuspecting victims in order to compromise their banking credentials and passwords.
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Law reform round up April 2017
The Society’s committees have been working on a number of Scottish Parliament and UK Parliamentary Bills and consultations including the UK Government’s Brexit White Paper, the Scottish Government’s consultation on increasing organ and tissue donation and transplantation and the Contract (Third Party Rights) (Scotland) Bill.
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Technology and the law: who, where and how?
Rob Marrs, Head of Education at the Society, discusses where and how technology fits within the legal sector.
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SLP review will need to ensure legitimate Scottish partnerships can thrive while tackling criminal activity
The Law Society of Scotland has said that increased scrutiny of Scottish limited partnerships’ anti-money laundering processes could help deter criminal activity.
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Survey of Scottish solicitors highlights Brexit and legal aid as key concerns
The impact of Brexit on the law and legal practice is a key issue for Scottish solicitors, according to the findings of a recent survey.
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HM Treasury consults on proposals for new anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures
Scottish solicitors are being encouraged to respond to two HM Treasury consultations on proposals to strengthen the UK’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist finance (AML/CTF) regime.
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Trainee blog - Joan McHutchison
Joan McHutchison, a trainee solicitor at Glasgow City Council Legal Services, obtained her LLB and LLM in international law from the University of Glasgow. She worked in Brussels as part of the British civil service for a year before returning home to complete her Diploma at the University of Glasgow.
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Law Society calls for urgent reform of SLCC after levy increase
The Law Society of Scotland has called for the Scottish Government to prioritise reform of the regulation of legal services after a decision from the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission to press ahead with a 12.5% rise in its levy on solicitors.
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Society launches financial benchmarking survey of law firms
The Law Society of Scotland has today, Thursday, 30 March 2017, launched a new, online survey to help solicitors assess their firm’s financial health and how they are performing in the legal market.
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Law Society of Scotland highlights priorities for legal profession and EU nationals as Article 50 is triggered
Commenting on the triggering of Article 50 by the UK Prime Minister today, Wednesday, 29 March, Lorna Jack, Chief Executive of the Law Society of Scotland, said: “Leaving the European Union is arguably the biggest constitutional change for the UK since 1945, with today’s triggering of Article 50 marking the start of serious negotiations on the terms of our withdrawal."
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Update on personal injury discount
Scottish Ministers have made an order setting the discount rate for personal injury awards at minus 0.75% which comes into effect today, 28 March.
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Last few days to nominate someone brilliant for In-house Rising Star Award
Your last chance to nominate someone brilliant for the 2017 In-house Rising Star Award, is fast approaching – final nominations for this prestigious award must be submitted by this Friday, 31 March.
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Bullying and harassment blog
Rob Marrs, Head of Education at the Society, looks at the difficult subject of bullying and harassment in legal workplaces.
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Sale of Legal Post delivers cash benefits for talented Scottish students
Academically gifted students from less advantaged backgrounds in Scotland are set to benefit from a game-changing quarter of a million pound investment through the Lawscot Foundation.
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To in-house or out-house? Part two
In the second part of this series, Vlad Valiente outlines the process involved in restructuring Midlothian Council's legal department following the decision to meet more of its legal needs in-house.
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Pupils from four Scottish schools through to final of national debating tournament
Pupils from schools in Dundee, Glasgow and St Andrews have earned their places in the final of the Donald Dewar Memorial Debating Tournament.
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Brussels Agenda - March 2017
The latest news from the Law Societies' Brussels Office.
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Education on benefits of donating organs needed to boost donation rates
The Society believes legislative change on organ donation and transplants would have to be supported by a major public education campaign to boost donor numbers.
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‘In-house rising stars’ chance to shine
If one of your colleagues or contacts is an in-house Scottish solicitor or trainee; or if you work in an in-house legal role, then you might be eligible to nominate or be nominated for the In-house Rising Star Award.
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The apprenticeship levy – what does it mean for the profession and alternative routes to qualification?
In the summer of 2016, the UK Government published details on a new apprenticeship levy. This is due to be introduced in April this year (2017) aiming to raise somewhere in the region of £3 billion per year to help the government meet a target of funding 3million apprenticeships by 2020.
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'Anger and frustration’ at SLCC budget proposals for 2017-18
Plans to increase the SLCC levy by 12.5% have caused unprecedented 'anger and frustration' within the profession