Legal affairs minister Elena Whitham praised Scotland’s legal profession and committed to working constructively in a speech at the Law Society of Scotland’s annual dinner. Law Society president Murray Etherington also addressed the more than 200 guests who attended the function, speakin
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The Council of the Law Society of Scotland has renewed its condemnation of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, passing a resolution on the ongoing conflict and the international rule of law when it met today, Friday, 3 March 2023. The Council had previously condemned the invasion in a resolu
Ukrainian lawyer Larysa Zhdankina writes about her journey to Scotland last year following the Russian invasion. Our house in Kyiv is located 20 minutes from Zhulyany airport and Vasylkiv military airfield. These objects were attacked in the first minutes of the invasion. The remains of the fir
Rob Marrs, head of education at the Law Society of Scotland, details the support of the Scottish legal community for Ukrainian lawyers. I’ll confess that my knowledge of Ukraine prior to last year’s invasion by Russia was limited. I knew the names of some of the cities. I had a vague ide
Friday, 24 February 2023 marked one year since Russia launched its illegal invasion of Ukraine. Law Society of Scotland president Murray Etherington reflects on what has been lost and achieved in the past year, and on the importance of remaining steadfast in providing support through the struggles a
The Law Society has wished First Minister Nicola Sturgeon well and thanked her "for her service". Ms Sturgeon, a former solicitor and member of the Law Society, took up her post in 2014, following the independence referendum.
Experts from the legal sector and beyond are being urged to get involved in work to shape Scots law and legal practice. Thirty-two of the Law Society of Scotland's 57 committees and sub-committees are looking for new committee members and conveners.
The Law Society of Scotland has described the Scottish government’s confirmation of an additional £11 million for legal aid as ‘a step in the right direction’ but called for urgent progress on a formal review mechanism to ensure the sector remains sustainable. Legal aid solic
The Law Society of Scotland has stepped in to ensure that clients are protected while appropriate managerial arrangements are put in place to cover the absence of a director at Hendrie Legal Limited. The Law Society’s petition for a judicial factor on the client account of the practice was gra
The Law Society of Scotland has expanded its accreditation programme for paralegals with a new accreditation in immigration law. Accreditation is offered to paralegals who can demonstrate experience and knowledge in their chosen field as well as meeting a set of competencies.
Scottish government plans to bring forward new legislation to reform and modernise the regulation of legal services are good news for consumers and the Scottish legal sector, the Law Society has said. Scottish ministers today published their formal response to last year’s consultation on updat
Seven new solicitor advocates have been introduced to court at a ceremony in Edinburgh.
The Law Society of Scotland has launched consultation on proposed minor changes to modernise the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice. The diploma is the first of two parts required to qualify as a solicitor under the Law Society’s Professional Education and Training (PEAT) programme, with t
The Law Society of Scotland has backed the Scottish Legal Aid Board’s call for urgent reform to address the crisis facing the legal aid system and access to justice as a whole. The Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) annual report was laid before the Scottish Parliament yesterday and revealed that
The Law Society of Scotland’s work on advance choices in case of future disablement has inspired a major project to encourage legal reform across Europe. The Council of the Vienna-based European Law Institute (ELI) has approved a project to draft model laws for advance choices, to facilitate c