Solicitor advocates and international members wanted for Law Society Council
Scottish solicitor advocates and Scottish solicitors working overseas can put forward their nominations to join the Law Society of Scotland Council from noon on Wednesday, 12 July 2017.
An increasingly globalised legal market, and the Society’s strategic commitment to becoming a world-class organisation, has made it pertinent for the needs and views of Scottish solicitors with international careers and its solicitor advocate members to be reflected on Council.
The Society now counts over 350 solicitor advocates amongst its members and has more than 300 members working outwith Great Britain. The Society’s annual general meeting in May 2017 approved a motion to elect a Council member to represent each group.
Becoming a member of the Council, the Society’s governing body, provides an opportunity to influence key developments, contribute to the work of the Society and support solicitors who share specific concerns.
Council members for each post will be elected by their fellow ‘constituency’ members for a three-year term and invited to attend nine Council meetings a year, either in person or by videoconferencing.
Graham Matthews, President of the Law Society of Scotland, said: “It is vital that we continually strive to ensure that all of our members are represented in the decision-making process. The need for international and solicitor advocate members is a positive reflection of the increasing diversity and modernisation of our profession.
“I became a Council member in 2005 and would strongly encourage my fellow Scottish solicitors to nominate themselves for election.
“Becoming a Council member is a unique opportunity to expand your network, broaden your understanding of the work of the Society and represent the views of solicitors whose interests you share.”
Nominations for the 2017 Council elections will be accepted from 12 noon on Wednesday 12 July until 12 noon on Wednesday 30 August 2017.
Voting will be open from Wednesday 6 September to 20 September and successful candidates will be invited to attend their first Council meeting on Friday 27 October.
More information about the application process and what’s involved in being a Council member can be found on the Society’s website.
The Society has produced a video featuring current Council members talking about what they have found valuable about their experiences of sitting on Council and why they think others should consider joining.