Education and Training (Becoming a Solicitor)
*NEWS* - UPDATE ON DIPLOMA FUNDING
In the Guidance Note issued with the application for the Diploma 2009/2010 the position of funding was outlined to all applicants. We now know that the position as regards academic session 2010/2011 has changed since the Guidance Note was issued last year.
In late 2008, the Scottish Government announced to the Society its plans to change the student support arrangements for the Diploma in Legal Practice. This is part of a much wider review of a particular category of post-graduate student support in Scotland, Post-graduate Student Allowance Scheme (PSAS) funding. It was anticipated that this review would be implemented fully by academic session 2010/2011 but this is now not the case. We know there will be 300 Diploma grants available for the 2010/11 academic year and we will provide further details of this as soon at it available.
In relation to Diploma places - please note that the University of Glasgow will deliver its own Diploma from session 2010/2011, and the University of Strathclyde its own. There will therefore be seven Diploma providers and the Society will provide information on the number of places as soon as it is available.
*NEWS* - ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE VACANCY
The Society’s Admissions Committee is seeking to co-opt a recently qualified solicitor (admitted within the last three years) for a set period of one year. The Committee carries out the functions of the Council relating to the training and admission of solicitors. For additional information, please click here.
*NEWS* - TRAINEE STATISTICS
The Society has registered 427 training contracts this year. For the full report, which includes historical data and a breakdown by geographic area and size of firm, please click here.
*NEWS* - QUARTERLY TRAINEE PERFORMANCE REVIEWS
Unfortunately due to technical difficulties the Society is unable to receive on-line Quarterly Trainee Performance Reviews. Please complete the review and either email it to registrar@lawscot.org.uk or send a hard copy to the Registrar's Department, Law Society of Scotland, LP1 EDINBURGH-1 or 26 Drumsheugh Gardens, Edinburgh EH3 7YR. Thank you for your patience.
*NEWS* – THE FUTURE OF LEGAL EDUCATION, TRAINING AND LIFELONG LEARNING’
The Society is committed to providing the profession with the practical information it needs to ensure the new system of legal education and training works. Please find the key dates highlighted here and see a powerpoint about the entire project here.
*NEWS* - DEALING WITH THE DOWNTURN
The Society is developing a series of initiatives designed to support new lawyers affected by the current climate. Visit the website for further details.
*NEWS* - THE FUTURE OF LEGAL EDUCATION, TRAINING AND LIFELONG LEARNING
As we move towards implementation of the new training framework in 2011, the Education and Training Committee is seeking the input of the profession.
WORKING PARTIES
We are seeking volunteers for working parties which will finalise the detail of the various stages of the new route to qualification. These working parties are:
Pre Diploma Training Contract - a review of this route into the profession, in the light of the Society’s commitment to promoting flexible routes into the profession.
CPD working party – what will qualify as CPD in a flexible system, and how this should be captured, reflected on and reported to the Society.
Requalification - a longer term project addressing new requalification rules under the new framework.
ACCREDITATION PANEL MEMBERS
We are seeking panel members to assist with accreditations of new Foundation (formerly LLB) and PEAT 1 (formerly Diploma) courses which will start from academic session 2011/2012 across ten Scottish law schools.
We are looking for members of the profession with experience of teaching or training, and members of the academic community.
Accreditation dates will be set in the autumn. The accreditation panels will meet to consider accreditation submissions from universities between spring 2010 and spring 2011.
PILOT ORGANISATIONS FOR PEAT 2 (TRAINEESHIP)
PEAT 2 will introduce modern technologies to support both trainers and trainees, and will introduce new and improved assessment methods.
We will be running a small pilot of PEAT 2 between September 2010, with a cross-section of training providers.
Indications of interest should be sent to consult@lawscot.org.uk by Wednesday 30th September 2009. Please indicate what you are volunteering for in the subject line.
*NEWS* POLICY STATEMENT ON TERMINATION OF TRAINING CONTRACTS - As a result of the economic downturn, the Society has recently received a large number of calls from both trainees and training employers seeking guidance on whether a training contract can be terminated by reason of redundancy. The Society has issued a policy statement on the matter. To read the full policy statement click here.
This main section provides information on routes to qualification as a solicitor in Scotland - click on each heading on the right hand side of this page for the detail of each stage of the different routes to qualification. In addition, the sub-sections of this section, listed on the left hand side of this page, cover the full spectrum of the work of the Education and Training Department.
In terms of how you can qualify as a solicitor in Scotland and the requirements of different routes, by clicking on the headings and links on the right hand side of this page you should be able to find the guidance you need - whether you are thinking about studying law at university, are about to commence the Diploma in Legal Practice, are about to begin a training contract, want to find out about qualifying without studying the LLB, or are seeking information about how to requalify in Scotland.
By clicking on the left hand side of this page you can find out more about the full spectrum of the work of the Education & Training Department:
Schools Debating - the Donald Dewar Memorial Debating Tournament, the biggest schools debating competition in Scotland, is an important outreach project for the Society. If you are pupil, why not take part? We are also always on the look-out for judges - every year we need over 100 judges to run the tournament.
Education and Training Policy - since late 2006, the Education & Training Department and the Education & Training Committee have been consulting on and developing new policies in respect of how solicitors are educated and trained in Scotland. You can now download the Society's Education and Training policy consultation by clicking here. The consultation closed on 6th February 2009.
New Lawyers Portal - we are committed to engaging with the next generation of legal professionals in Scotland, from the point at which they are considering embarking on the study of law. We wish to support and guide different types of groups who together we call "New Lawyers" - We do this by running various projects - careers advice, tailored learning opportunities, focus groups with your Council member, and where it benefits new lawyers, joint projects with the Scottish Young Lawyers Association. You will also be able to read our NEWS in the New Lawyers' Portal:
NB: current trainees can submit their Quarterly Performance Reviews online - click here to be taken directly to the relevant section.
There is a lot of useful information in this section, so please take time to browse. If you cannot find what you are looking for or if you want some further information on any of our work, please contact us and we would be happy to help.
To help you, the 'Department Contact List' on the right is a guide to the staff in the Education and Training Department so that you can direct enquiries to the correct person. If you are unsure who you should direct your query to, we would ask that you email legaleduc@lawscot.org.uk in the first instance.
