Honorary Membership awarded to Peter Nicholson

Long-standing editor of The Journal, Peter Nicholson, has been conferred Honorary Membership of the Law Society of Scotland.

Peter becomes just the 21st person to be given the prestigious award of lifetime membership of the Society since the organisation was founded in 1949. His outstanding contribution to the Scottish legal profession has been recognised this year alongside Glasgow solicitor Michael Samuel.

Both will receive a special welcome to mark their life memberships at the Law Society’s Annual General Meeting on 29 June 2023.

A University of Edinburgh Law School alumnus, Peter qualified as a solicitor in 1981, before joining W Green & Son as a legal editor. He spent more than 20 years editing the Scots Law Times and was the founding editor of Greens Weekly Digest, which he oversaw for 16 years, alongside editing other reference sources including Parliament House Book and Scottish Current Law.

He became editor of The Journal, the Society’s monthly magazine, in 2003 and, for the past 20 years, he has led the profession’s conversation, ensuring the Journal is a vital source of news and updates for the legal sector, and a forum for debate and discussion.

Under Peter’s leadership, the Journal has consistently provided compelling content of relevance to an increasingly diverse profession and evolved into the digital age, with the digitisation of the magazine and introduction of online news and social media content. His work on the Journal saw him named the PPA Scotland (Professional Publishers Association) Business and Professional Editor of the Year at the Scottish Magazine Awards in 2010, 2012 and 2015.

Law Society of Scotland President Sheila Webster said: “Honorary Membership of the Law Society is the highest accolade we can bestow and I am delighted to award it to Peter for his passion and dedication to the profession.

"His diligence, commitment to impartiality, and attention to detail have shone through his work over the past 20 years, making the Journal a hugely valued and important resource for our members. As he looks towards retirement later this year, he will be sorely missed and a hard act to follow.

“I congratulate Peter on joining the prestigious list of Honorary Members. It is justly deserved and a fitting tribute to his career.”

Peter Nicholson said: “This came right out of the blue and I am a little in awe at finding myself in the company of such a distinguished list of past recipients. It is a huge honour and I am, in equal measure, extremely grateful to the Law Society of Scotland and deeply touched at being thought worthy of it

"I know I have followed an unusual career path, but it is one in which I have always tried to be of service to the legal profession, not only to readers but to those looking to share their experience and their views with others.

"I have always admired those who manage to find time to write on top of a busy professional life and I am grateful to every contributor from over the years. For me, it is a mark of the collegiate nature of the Scottish profession that so many have been willing to do so.

"It has been a privilege to edit the Society's Journal for close on 20 years now and other respected titles for an equal period before that, and if people appreciate the results of my labours, I am content. Thank you."