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Tributes were paid to the "impossible but fabulous" Ethel Houston to celebrate the 75th anniversary of her becoming the first female partner in a Scottish law firm. Ethel, who would have been 100 this year, became a partner at Balfour and Manson in 1949 – and her life and achievements were cel
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A new head of skills academy has been appointed at Cyber and Fraud Centre - Scotland. Katie O’Neill brings extensive experience in cybercrime training, having worked with Police Scotland in her previous role as cyber and digital forensics training lead, where she delivered advanced training pr
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Jones Whyte has announced a series of promotions.
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Pinsent Masons has appointed Gillian Frew as head of office for its 215-strong Edinburgh operation following the retirement of Ewan Alexander after 35 years with the firm. A specialist in the structured & project finance team, Ms Frew joined Pinsent Masons in 2001 after graduating in law from th
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Edinburgh-based private client and conveyancing firm Connell & Connell has appointed Jill Andrew and Irene Turner as partners in the conveyancing team. Ms Andrew brings almost 30 years of experience in conveyancing law and considerable expertise, particularly in high net worth transactions, havi
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Glasgow-based Clark Boyle has appointed Lisa McCall as head of the firm's residential property conveyancing team. A graduate of the University of Strathclyde, Ms McCall brings over 10 years' experience in property law to the firm.
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Burness Paull has appointed commercial litigator Douglas Blyth as a partner in its dispute resolution team. Mr Blyth brings a broad range of sector experience and particular expertise in the areas of insolvency, corporate and shareholder disputes, public procurement and judicial review. He is recogn
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Scotland's legal aid crisis looks like it could be "unsolvable" as more than a third of legal aid lawyers are set to retire in the next decade. There are currently 911 solicitors registered for legal aid – down from 1,084 in 2020, a drop of 16 per cent.
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Tony Lenehan KC remains the top earner of legal aid fees, new figures from the Scottish Legal Aid Board show. In 2023-24, Mr Lenehan's fees were £450,000, an increase of £50,000 on the previous year.
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Criminal lawyers south of the border are to withdraw from legal aid work over a pay dispute with ministers. The Law Society is to advise its members to consider withdrawing from legal aid work or scaling it back until the UK government provides a "meaningful response" to lawyers' demands.
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Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk is being taken to the High Court by lawyers who say legal aid fees are so low they cannot provide representation to thousands of people. The case revolves around access to legal aid for immigration and asylum lawyers and is being brought by Duncan Lewis solicitors.
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The Law Society of Scotland is to withdraw from discussions on the creation of a review mechanism for legal aid fees, stating it had "lost confidence" in the Scottish government project following a lack of progress in two years. The Legal Aid Remuneration Project and Research Analysis Group were set
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A new booklet celebrates the women of Strathclyde Law School as it celebrates its diamond jubilee this year. It states: "The idea for the booklet dates to 2022 when Claire McDiarmid and Rebecca Zahn decided to embark on a project to collate the memories that women academics have of their time in the
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A University of Dundee academic is calling for ‘less talk and more action’ from COP29. Dr Nandan Mukherjee, of the University’s UNESCO Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science, wants to see real action taking place this year through tangible initiatives such as climate resilient ho
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Dundee Law School has established a new partnership with The College of Legal Practice for students taking the English LLB. The college will offer the university’s law students an opportunity to take their courses to prepare for the Solicitors’ Qualifying Examination (SQE).
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Professor Lady Sue Black, Baroness of Strome, is making a return to the University of Dundee to deliver this year’s Margaret Harris Lecture on Friday 29 November. From 2003 to 2018, Professor Lady Black served as Professor of Anatomy and Forensic Anthropology at the University of Dundee, where
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As Pro Bono Week begins, shining the spotlight on the role of voluntary legal work is of utmost importance, writes Lauren Weetman. The pro bono effort of solicitors has a profound impact on both those seeking access to legal advice and the broader legal community alike. Efforts that shine particular
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The Pope's surgeon has been charged with fraud in connection with allegedly fake records of operations he never performed. Sergio Alfieri, who successfully operated on Pope Francis twice, in 2021 and 2023, lied about performing surgeries 29 times, prosecutors claim.
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It is no longer a crime to cheat on your spouse in New York. The state has repealed an adultery law dating back to 1907, which said it was a crime where a person "engages in sexual intercourse with another person at a time when he has a living spouse, or the other person has a living spouse".
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A two-kilogram garden gnome made entirely out of MDMA has been seized by police in the Netherlands. The fairy creature, with a suitably mischievous countenance, was discovered in a drugs stash by the Dongemond police force in the south of the country.
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A man has been convicted of a criminal offence after deliberately gaining weight to avoid compulsory military service. The 26-year-old was sentenced last week by a court in South Korea, where all able-bodied men are required to service in the military for at least 18 months.
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Pop singer Katy Perry has won a 15-year-long trade mark dispute with a fashion designer called Katie Perry. The American pop star – whose real name is Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson – launched the legal action in 2009 after Australian woman Katie Jane Taylor, née Perry, registered "Kat
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