Law Society news
My final journey through law school
Sarah Beattie is a Diploma student at the University of Dundee, having previously completed her accelerated LLB in Scots law at the University of Dundee. Sarah will be graduating in June 2017.
Trainee blog - Christopher Knudsen
Christopher Knudsen is a trainee solicitor at North Lanarkshire Council, Legal and Democratic Solutions. He is coming to the end of his first seat in Asset and Information and will shortly be moving to a seat in Licensing and Litigation.
NQ blog - May 2017: Secret NQ blog - tips for transitioning from trainee to NQ solicitor
Our anonymous blogger from Pinsent Masons completed their traineeship with the firm, splitting their time between Scotland and London before qualifying into Pinsent Masons’ Construction Advisory and Disputes team. They now work on a range of disputes within the infrastructure and energy sectors.
Trainee helpline: So, who are you gonna call?
Katie Wood, Head of Admissions, explains how she supports trainee solicitors on our confidential helpline – starting with nagging!
A great leap into the unknown
Kundai Phute, Governance Solicitor at Aberdeen City Council, reflects on her first few months as an in-house solicitor and some of the things she loves about her move over from private practice.
Law Society ‘frustrated and disappointed’ at final SLCC budget
The Law Society of Scotland has said it is frustrated and disappointed after the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) laid its final budget before the Scottish Parliament.
CPD for in-house lawyers - gender pay gap reporting
At this month’s ‘CPD for In-house Lawyers’ seminar, Amanda Jones – Head of the Employment, Pensions & Immigration team at Maclay Murray& Spens LLP – spoke to us about gender pay gap reporting. Here, Amanda reflects further on what this means for organisations and those involved with collating the data.
Legal services review announced
The Law Society of Scotland has welcomed the Scottish Government’s announcement today, Tuesday, 25 April, of an independent review of legal services, saying that current legislation governing the legal sector is no longer fit for purpose.
Brussels Agenda - April 2017
Read the April edition, for all the latest EU developments.
Local solicitors wanted for Law Society Council
Solicitors hoping to represent their local constituencies as Council members on the Law Society of Scotland’s decision making body have just two days left to submit their nominations.
Society calls for delay on SLAB code of practice
The Law Society of Scotland has called for the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) to postpone the introduction of a proposed new code of practice until new legal aid fee levels for providing police station advice are agreed.
Coding and decoding
Rob Marrs, Head of Education at the Society, reflects on the complementary rather than interchangeable relationship between technology and ‘people’.
New charity set to help legal dreams come true for Scottish students
Academically gifted students from less advantaged backgrounds can now apply for potentially life-changing funding to pursue their dreams of a legal career.
The discount rate - what next?
Kathryn Milne, a personal injury specialist at Tilney, analyses the recent discount rate announcement.
National risk assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing consultation
The UK Government has recently launched a consultation on a refreshed national risk assessment (NRA) of money laundering and terrorist financing.
Fake law firm calling itself ‘Taylor McGivern & Co’
We’re aware of scam involving a fake law firm calling itself ‘Taylor McGivern & Co’, who have a website claiming them to be 'the largest law firm in Glasgow, Scotland'.
Online renewal for non-practising members and roll retention
Non-practising members and individuals who wish to be retained on the roll will have to renew their membership or fees online for the first time this year.
April 2017 Lawscot News
Our newsletter, Lawscot News, is full of the latest news and views from the Scottish legal profession.
Advice for studying abroad
Caitlin Alexander a third year LLB student at the University of Glasgow, currently studying at the University of Oslo. She will undertake a Vacation Scheme with Shepherd and Wedderburn upon her return.
Reflections on the Diploma and looking to the traineeship ahead
Miranda Hughes started studying at the University of Strathclyde in 2014 and has combined the academic learning of the Graduate Entry Clinical LLB with practical experience in the University of Strathclyde Law Clinic.
Lorna Jack wins prestigious leadership award
Lorna Jack, Chief Executive of the Law Society of Scotland, has won the UK Association Excellence Award for Leadership in a prized addition to the trophy cabinet at the Society’s Edinburgh offices.
'Law abiding citizen' and other phishing emails - 6 April 2017
The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau has issued an alert which explains how fraudsters are deploying banking trojans to unsuspecting victims in order to compromise their banking credentials and passwords.
Law reform round up April 2017
The Society’s committees have been working on a number of Scottish Parliament and UK Parliamentary Bills and consultations including the UK Government’s Brexit White Paper, the Scottish Government’s consultation on increasing organ and tissue donation and transplantation and the Contract (Third Party Rights) (Scotland) Bill.
Technology and the law: who, where and how?
Rob Marrs, Head of Education at the Society, discusses where and how technology fits within the legal sector.