Law Society joins In-house Counsel Worldwide

Fraser Hudghton, head of in-house member engagement, celebrates the recent acceptance of our application to become a member of In-house Counsel Worldwide (ICW).

As we reach the half way point of our ambitious five year strategy, at the heart of the Law Society of Scotland’s ethos is to drive forward our standing as a truly international, world-class professional body.

One of the major growth areas for the Scottish legal community is solicitors working in-house.  More than 3,000 Scottish solicitors work in public bodies, energy companies, financial services and the Crown Office & Fiscal Service, to name but a few. A sizeable percentage of our in-house members also work elsewhere in the UK and overseas.

It is an area of particular pride to us at the Law Society of Scotland and one increasingly attractive for new recruits to the profession. Time after time we hear from graduates and experienced solicitors thinking about the move in-house.

We know it can be a remarkably rewarding experience as solicitors often will be more than ‘just’ the legal eagle in their firm. The breadth of understanding and respective industry awareness required can lead in-house solicitors down career paths previously unforeseen, and truly inspiring.

This potential career journey means the world is a Scottish solicitor’s proverbial oyster. Our degrees and legal training are recognised across the globe as world-class. Put simply, businesses everywhere want Scottish qualified solicitors.

For some time our In-House Lawyers’ Committee have been building relationships with in-house partners across the world.  The culmination of this is the unanimous acceptance of the Law Society of Scotland’s application to become full members of In-House Counsel Worldwide (ICW).

This means we will now be working with in-house lawyers from some of the most dynamic countries and emerging economies: India, Brazil, France, Germany, Canada, Malaysia and New Zealand are only a few of those who we will join at the table.

As we strive to fulfil our aim of being a truly international world-class professional body, we know in-house lawyers will play an essential role.

Our membership of ICW will play a huge part, and we very much look forward to working more closely with global partners to promote and sustain the work of in-house counsel in Scotland, elsewhere in the UK, and across the world.