Skip to content
Law Society of Scotland
Search
Find a Solicitor
Contact us
About us
Sign in
Search
Find a Solicitor
Contact us
About us
Sign in
  • For members

    • For members

    • CPD & Training

    • Membership and fees

    • Rules and guidance

    • Regulation and compliance

    • Journal

    • Business support

    • Career growth

    • Member benefits

    • Professional support

    • Lawscot Wellbeing

    • Lawscot Sustainability

  • News and events

    • News and events

    • Law Society news

    • Blogs & opinions

    • CPD & Training

    • Events

  • Qualifying and education

    • Qualifying and education

    • Qualifying as a Scottish solicitor

    • Career support and advice

    • Our work with schools

    • Funding your education

    • Social mobility

  • Research and policy

    • Research and policy

    • Research

    • Influencing the law and policy

    • Equality and diversity

    • Our international work

    • Legal Services Review

    • Meet the Policy team

  • For the public

    • For the public

    • What solicitors can do for you

    • Making a complaint

    • Client protection

    • Find a Solicitor

    • Frequently asked questions

    • Your Scottish solicitor

  • About us

    • About us

    • Contact us

    • Who we are

    • Our strategy, reports and plans

    • Help and advice

    • Our standards

    • Work with us

    • Our logo and branding

    • Equality and diversity

  1. Home
  2. News and events
  3. Law Society news
  4. What's it like to join a committee?

What's it like to join a committee?

26th June 2018 | In-house lawyers

Gregor Watt, trainee solicitor at Lloyds Banking Group plc, explains how he became a member of the In-house Lawyers Committee and discuss his first steps into the team.

Do it with passion or not at all …

When I committed to training in-house at a large UK-headquartered financial services company, I did so on the basis that I was passionate about committing to the organisation and its values. I consider passion as fundamental to connecting a person to anything in life, with work (and in this case the In-House Lawyers Committee) no exception.

With hard work comes reward

If you’ve got the connection then I think it’s easy for your passion to flow. But to get anywhere you need to be noticed. In business, this means taking the initiative and showing your passion in the form of the application. I believe this is all about striking the right tone and the best way is to do your research. Use the job advert to your advantage and really tailor your application to your audience.  Consider how you want to be perceived, whether you have evidenced all the key points in the advert and most importantly what makes you stand out in the crowd.

First steps

I’m proud to say that I am now the trainee solicitor representative of the In-House Lawyers Committee, having overcome the initial entry hurdles. But what does a new committee member do? 

To begin with, there’s an initial introductory meeting with the committee secretary to learn about the structure and policies of the team. I found this useful as a means of learning more about the role and showed the support of more experienced committee members to ease the transition process.

Afterwards, the first committee meeting awaits. This is an excellent first chance to gain experience networking with other in-house professionals who share the common purpose of enhancing the in-house legal community across Scotland. It’s also a great early opportunity for exposure to committee work, as well as a first foray into the teamwork of the committee. 

On the last point, the structure of the In-House Lawyers Committee is key to its output. The team is divided into three sub-groups:

  • engagement
  • education and career
  • governance and professional practice. 

It’s through this format that the meetings are structure and work is assigned. It’s also about working out which sub-group you feel closest aligned with, which is an important consideration in the first few months.

What to expect

As a trainee I didn’t know what to expect when joining the committee but I was made to feel very welcome by the other committee members. I am really looking forward to helping to put across the perspective of the in-house trainee and it's great that even as a junior lawyer my input is appreciated. So I would encourage other less senior lawyers to get involved with committee work whether with the Society, their employer or elsewhere, as it really develops your professional skill set.

With my direction slowly starting to take shape within the committee, I look forward to seeing what lies on the horizon.

Working in-house

In-house lawyers make a critical contribution to the success of the companies and organisations that employ them. If you work in-house, we want to hear from you.

Our committees

Our committees carry out valuable work looking at a range of issues to do with improving the law and legal practice.

Read more about Our committees
Add To Favorites

Additional

Categories

  • New lawyers
  • Law Society news
  • Regulation
  • Research and policy
  • Legal aid
  • Professional support
  • Wellbeing
  • Business support
  • Equality and diversity
  • International
  • In-house lawyers
  • Schools
  • For the public
  • Videos
  • Fraud alerts
  • Career growth
  • Member benefits
  • Law and technology
  • Professional skills courses
  • Aberdeen
  • Edinburgh
  • Glasgow
  • Perth
  • Inverness
  • Commercial skills for young professionals
  • Roadshow
  • CPD event
  • Working in-house
  • Public Policy Committee
  • Roadshows
  • careers
  • property (non-commercial)
  • licensing
  • Journal online news
  • Sustainability
  • Policy committees

News Archive

  • 2025
  • 2024
  • 2023
  • 2022
  • 2021
  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
  • 2013

Related articles

  • More stars to rise as in-house solicitors’ award expands
  • Law Society crowns Cameron Ramage 2024’s In-House Rising Star
  • Law Society spotlights 5 in-house solicitors as shortlist for award is announced
  • Time to spotlight Scotland's in-house rising stars as 2024 award launches
Law Society of Scotland
Atria One, 144 Morrison Street
Edinburgh
EH3 8EX
If you’re looking for a solicitor, visit FindaSolicitor.scot
T: +44(0) 131 226 7411
E: lawscot@lawscot.org.uk
About us
  • Contact us
  • Who we are
  • Strategy reports plans
  • Help and advice
  • Our standards
  • Work with us
Useful links
  • Find a Solicitor
  • Sign in
  • CPD & Training
  • Rules and guidance
  • Website terms and conditions
Law Society of Scotland | © 2025
Made by Gecko Agency Limited