Pupils gain insight into life as a government lawyer

“Your Future in Law” (YFIL) is a project run by the Government Legal Service for Scotland, in conjunction with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the Scottish Parliament.

The project aims to promote a career in government law for those from state schools, which are generally under-represented in the legal profession in Scotland.

In October, YFIL returned for the third consecutive year and saw 23 pupils, mainly from Edinburgh, experience how law is used in government.

Through a number of talks and interactive workshops, pupils learned about the need for law, the legislative process, the importance of human rights and how the law is applied in a criminal trial.

At the Scottish Parliament, the pupils conducted a mock stage 1 parliamentary evidence taking session on a fictitious bill aimed at tackling cyber bullying.

Pupils then participated in a mock criminal trial when one offender was prosecuted under this legislation in a court room at the Court of Session.

Other highlights included use of the Judicial Institute for Scotland with an address from Sheriff Duff (Director of the Institute), a guest appearance fromPaul Wheelhouse MSP, Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairsand a closing address from the Solicitor General, Lesley Thomson QC.

As in previous years, the YFIL committee has received very enthusiastic feedback from participants with one pupil noting: “Your Future in Law has helped me become aware of the different kinds of law you can practise, such as public law.

“It has also helped me get a really good insight into what it’s like being a lawyer. I would recommend this course to my peers.”