Law Society chief to discuss his organisation’s importance with isles solicitors

Law Society of Scotland president Cameron Ritchie is visiting Lerwick tomorrow to meet Shetland solicitors. He will highlight the organisation’s plans for the future and its priorities for supporting its members, which are set out in its new strategy document “Towards 2020” during the meeting.

Mr Ritchie said: “Solicitors play a key role in communities across Scotland. They provide a range of essential services such as helping with buying and selling a property or making a will and can often provide a lifeline when someone is in the greatest need of help and advice.

“That’s why it’s important that their membership body, the Law Society, provides the support that its members need and that we create opportunities to discuss ideas and share information about the society’s plans for the future and listen to what their key concerns are to better understand issues that solicitors face on a local, as well as national level.

“The past few years have been a time of rapid change for the legal profession, coupled with the ongoing economic downturn which has meant severe restrictions in public spending, including Legal Aid, and cutbacks in the private sector.

“There will be no let up in the pace of change for the profession as next year will potentially see the first alternative business structures, following legislation passed in 2010 by the Scottish parliament, which will allow solicitors to set up in business with other professionals to provide legal services.

“We want our members to be as well informed as possible so that they can plan ahead and ensure their business continues to succeed. More importantly, we want our members to have an opportunity to contribute their views and I’ll be discussing why we want to modernise the existing Law Society constitution to allow new opportunity for virtual meetings and electronic voting on the issues that matter to solicitors regardless of where they practice around the country.”