The Law Society of Scotland has announced the relaunch of its Accredited Legal Technologist specialisation, a designation first introduced in 2019 to recognise professionals with significant expertise at the intersection of law and technology. With the rapid evolution of digital tools and legal innovation, the updated accreditation aims to better reflect the growing diversity of…
New scheme to help smaller firms bridge the technology gap
The Law Society of Scotland has introduced a new initiative aimed at supporting smaller law firms in adopting practical and cost-effective technology solutions. The scheme, known as the LawscotTech Bridge Builder, was launched on 20 November 2025 and developed in collaboration with Hey Legal founder, Ally Thomson. It follows a recent Law Society survey highlighting…
United Kingdom Companies House ID verification checks change
The Law Society of Scotland has addressed forthcoming changes to Companies House ID verification processes in an article dated 23 January 2025, with an update on 24 February 2025. Under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, firms supervised under anti-money laundering (AML) regulations—such as Professional Service Providers like solicitors and accountants, and Trust and…
Legal regulation amendments must remove political control of lawyers
The Law Society of Scotland has urged that new amendments to the Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill, lodged in the Scottish Parliament, must fulfill the government’s promise to remove political control over the legal profession. The Bill, originally introduced in April 2023, proposed sweeping new powers that would allow the Scottish Government to directly…
Anti Money Laundering Suspicious Activity Reports thematic review initial findings
The Law Society of Scotland’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) team has published initial findings from its thematic review of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), indicating robust procedures in many firms but also highlighting areas needing improvement. The review, which examined 50 legal practices via a questionnaire, aimed to gauge the profession’s grasp of the SAR regime and…
The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission makes recommendations for the Faculty of Advocates complaints handling
The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) has released a report on the Faculty of Advocates’ conduct complaint handling process, describing it as overly complex and difficult for lay complainers to navigate. This complexity, the report suggests, is likely to cause confusion and frustration thus undermining public confidence. The SLCC has suggested five improvements for the…
February feature: On-going regulatory reform
This month’s feature looks at a few of the jurisdictions currently engaging in a review of the legislative framework for the regulation of legal services. These reviews cover issues ranging from a restatement of the objectives of lawyer regulation through to a fundamental redesign of the architecture of regulation and the roles and responsibilities of…
We need to talk about mental health in the Scottish legal sector
Scotland’s legal sector, while making progress in addressing mental health issues, is facing an accelerated crisis that demands urgent support. Mental health problems, affecting one in three people annually, have worsened in recent years, requiring comprehensive support across sectors, particularly in the legal profession. The demanding nature of legal work, long hours, high workloads, and…
New trainee numbers remain near record high in Scotland
The recruitment of solicitor trainees in Scotland has sustained strong momentum for the third consecutive year, with 765 new traineeships initiated in the past 12 months. Although slightly below the previous year’s record of 788 trainees, this figure is notably higher than the pre-2020 levels, where the number of new traineeships had never surpassed 700…
The Law Society of Scotland launches new guide for creating a wellbeing strategy
The Law Society of Scotland has launched a new resource called the Guide to creating a Wellbeing Strategy to support the mental and physical wellbeing of legal professionals. The guide outlines a three-step process to develop a wellbeing strategy, including securing the support of senior workplace leaders and consulting with colleagues on the wellbeing support…