News In Focus
16 November 2007
Soceity welcomes 60 new solicitors
The Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon welcomed 60 new solicitors to the profession today.
The former solicitor, who worked in Drumchapel Law Centre, said: “I am very proud of my legal background. I am very proud to have been a member of this great profession and you should be too.
“Although I practised law for a very brief period – just five years in total - there is not a day goes by that I don’t use and benefit from the skills my legal training gave me. Whatever you go on to do, always know that your legal training has enhanced your prospects and equipped you well for whatever challenges you might face.
“This is a profession that has served our country well for 300 years; helping people when they need it; standing up for our cherished human rights; making an enormous and varied contribution to our economy; and helping to preserve a strong and distinctive Scottish identity.”
Richard Henderson, President of the Law Society of Scotland, told the audience at the Signet Library in Edinburgh: “Today marks an important day in your career, becoming members of a profession which contributes significantly to the Scottish economy and provides vital legal services to those who might otherwise not have access to justice.
"You are joining the profession at an exciting time. The current debates over the future delivery of legal services in Scotland and south of the border are something the Society is closely involved in and I would encourage you to become involved too.
“The Society is consulting its members on other issues too. One which will be of interest to you is the way solicitors are trained, which is at the early stages of policy development. The Society is actively looking for feedback on the debate about alternative business structures, or the future delivery of legal services on which we are currently consulting online.”