New and returning Council members welcomed on board
Two brand new members and two familiar faces have been elected by their peers to join the Law Society of Scotland’s Council, in the latest round of contested elections.
Philip Lafferty and Campbell Read were returned to their seats representing solicitors in Campbeltown, Dumbarton, Dunoon, Oban, Rothesay and Fort William.
Waqqas Ashraf won the Greenock, Kilmarnock and Paisley by-election, and will take up his seat alongside current Council member, Simon Brown, when Stuart Naismith stands down on 1 June.
For the first time, the Council member representing newly qualified and trainee solicitors was elected by her peers, rather than appointed by a panel of interviewers, as was previously the case - Amanda Davy won over the 10 other candidates who stood for the seat.
Struan Ferguson is the only new Council member to stand unopposed and will take up the second seat representing solicitors in Duns, Haddington, Jedburgh, Peebles and Selkirk.
Lorna Jack, chief executive of the Society, said: “The Council is our principal governing body and it is important that our members have opportunities to contribute to the decisions which affect their profession – the vote to elect Council members is one of the important mechanisms which makes this possible.
“As an organisation, we are mindful that newer members of the legal community have an important role to play in the future of their profession and it is encouraging to see such high numbers of newly qualified solicitors getting involved and standing for Council.
“I would like to extend our thanks to everyone who voted, stood for election or helped with the campaign – and of course, I would like to congratulate all of our new and returning Council members, Philip, Campbell, Waqquas, Amanda and Struan on their success. I look forward to meeting everyone at the next Council meeting – whether that’s in person or virtually with the magic of technology.”
The following constituencies were also included in this round of elections and the candidates were returned unopposed.
Alloa, Falkirk, Lithlithgow & Stirling
Kenneth Dalling, Dallings, Stirling (incumbent)
John Mulholland, Marshall Wilson, Falkirk (incumbent)
Arbroath, Dundee & Forfar
Murray Etherington, Thorntons, Dundee (incumbent)
Dingwall, Dornoch, Elgin, Inverness, Kirkwall, Lerwick, Lochmaddy, Portree, Stornoway, Tain & Wick
Sheekha Saha, Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar, Stornaway (incumbent)
There is a second seat currently vacant in this constituency
Duns, Haddington, Jedburgh, Peebles and Selkirk
Patricia Thom, Patricia Thom & Co (incumbent)
Struan Ferguson, Blackwood & Smith WS (newly elected member)
England and Wales
Naomi Pryde, Dentons UK and Middle East LLP (incumbent)
The candidates for the Campbeltown, Dumbarton, Dunon, Oban, Rothesay and Fort William seats were elected by Single Transferrable Vote (STV)
The candidates for the Greenock, Kilmarnock and Paisley seat was elected by the first past the post system.
The candidate for the Newly Qualified seat was elected by Single Transferrable Vote (STV)
I have served on Council for three years. Coming from a background of purely criminal court practice, it has been a fascinating challenge to become acquainted with the broad spectrum of legal and regulatory issues which constitute the work of Council. The experience has undoubtedly broadened my perspective of the legal world in Scotland. I’m standing for re-election to Council in order to build upon the experience I have gained over the last three years and make even more effective contribution to the work of Council with the benefit of that experience. I should also like to help strengthen the links between the Society and the membership, the majority of whom I represent earn their living in small scale High Street practices, leading to improved understanding of the challenges facing local practitioners and appreciation of the ways in which the Society can support them.
Being a member of the Council for the last three years has been jolly good fun. The Council is a remarkable forum. It is a place where the voice of the rural high street solicitor from Argyl can be heard just as clearly as that of a corporate partner from a multinational practice. It is a place of debate. It is a place of bonding. It is a place where those with an interest in the law and the practice of law can shape and safeguard the future of the legal profession in Scotland for years to come. It is also a great place to have a good old moan!
If I am re-elected I will continuously remind the Council and the Executive of the practicalities of High Street life. I shall oppose any measure which seeks to impose unnecessary regulation on the profession. I shall oppose the insidious creep of the SLCC.
I believe that solicitors must be agile, forward-thinking and responsive to the needs and wishes of clients. We must embrace technology and best practices. We should not, however, allow ourselves to become homogeneous. We must fight not only for our clients but also for ourselves – our economic interests and our sanity.
I have been actively practising in the criminal courts in Paisley, Greenock and Kilmarnock for five years. In that time I have formed professional relationships with solicitors from different firms in their local areas. I have engaged in conversations about the intricacies of our daily work and ways in which daily operations could be improved to benefit both solicitors and the public. I have also spoken about matters that frustrate the public and solicitors whilst appreciating that certain established practices may ultimately lead to our profession losing young talented individuals to other professions and industries. My experience and shared ideals with colleagues across the constituency led me to believe that I could be their voice at the Law Society of Scotland as their member of the council.
It is clear that there is a desire amongst the newly qualified population to stay informed and to take control over our own careers, rather than have decisions made for us by more senior members. I want to support this goal by ensuring law students’ and junior lawyers’ views are represented in the decision-making of the Council.
I believe that I have the necessary skills and connections to be an effective Council member. I have experience making difficult decisions alongside more experienced team members and challenging the status quo through my role on my firm’s diversity committee. I am also experienced in discussing strategy and annual plans for my department as the only member of my department based in my firm’s Edinburgh office.
As I demonstrate in my mentorship role and my position as an employee representative within my firm, I am an excellent listener and practised at dealing with concerns and channelling information to a wider committee. Lastly, I am based in Edinburgh and travel to Glasgow and Aberdeen several times a month and will therefore be able to seek views from junior lawyers across a wide geographic area.
I would love to have the opportunity to represent my colleagues within the Borders and East Lothian on the Law Society of Scotland Council. I have a keen interest not just in my day to day work as a solicitor but also in the workings of the profession as a whole. I therefore believe I would have something to add to the work of the Council while also giving voice to any concerns from our local faculties. I stood for this election several years ago and was unsuccessful but I am now a more experienced solicitor, a more mature person, and have a grown a nice beard, so am certainly a better candidate this time around. If you have a minute I would be very grateful if you would take the time to vote for me.
Committee vacancies
Find out more about the work they do and look out for opportunities to get involved.
Additional
