New look Journal set to go live in 2024 with Think Publishing

A new look Law Society of Scotland Journal is set to go live in 2024.

The move follows the appointment of Think Publishing following a competitive tender process earlier this year.

A new editor has also been appointed to lead the award-winning publication following the retirement of Peter Nicholson at the end of December after two decades at the helm. Rebecca Morgan (pictured) will take up the role as editor in January 2024.

Think Publishing is renowned for its commitment to quality content and creative storytelling. Adopting a fresh approach will enable Think to provide content faster with more flexibility, while retaining the thought-provoking articles and features that the Journal is known for. Think will also develop the Law Society’s legal recruitment website Lawscotjobs to ensure it remains a key hub for legal recruitment in Scotland.

Diane McGiffen, chief executive of the Law Society of Scotland said: "The Journal plays a hugely important role at the heart of the legal profession in Scotland – keeping our members well-informed and up to date on developments in law and legal practice. It has provided a forum for debate and discussion since it was first published, almost 70 years ago. We are very excited by the proposals from Think and their compelling vision for the Journal and plans for our LawscotJobs website.

"I want to thank outgoing editor Peter Nicholson for making the Journal such a success through its powerful and relevant content for an increasingly diverse profession. He has been an exceptional editor over the past 20 years and in June this year we were delighted to award him honorary lifetime membership of the Law Society, the highest accolade we can bestow on one of our members, in recognition of his work.

"Our 75th anniversary year marks the start of an exciting new era for the Journal. It continues to be a much-valued resource for our members and we’re very much looking forward to working with new editor Rebecca Morgan and the team at Think on the next stage in its evolution."

Think’s Executive Director John Innes said: “As the UK’s leading membership content agency, we’re absolutely delighted to be working with the Law Society of Scotland building a content programme for Scotland’s legal community and supporting the Society’s pivotal role within the profession. We hope the Journal content hub will be the go-to source of legal opinion and analysis for the country’s 13,000 solicitors.”

The Law Society of Scotland Journal was first published in 1956 following the creation of the Society as Scottish solicitors’ professional body and regulator in 1949. The first online edition was launched in 2004. During the Covid-19 pandemic the magazine moved fully online, returning to a limited print run in 2022. It will move from print and online to fully digital from January 2024.