‘Make our profession the very best it can be’

◆ Law Society of Scotland President Sheila Webster shares her excitement

It really is a privilege to be attending the solicitor profession’s first admissions ceremony of 2024, and especially to be doing so as the Law Society of Scotland’s President in our 75th anniversary year.

There’s two parts to my excitement today. The first is seeing the joy of our newest solicitors as they soak up this moment of recognition while close friends and family members watch on, and being able to meet and speak to many of them.

Today’s cohort will have much in common in terms of their hard work and perseverance, but each should also be proud of their own journey and the unique challenges they’ve overcome. My second reason for excitement is for what today’s entrants will bring to our sector. Our profession relies for its success and survival on evolution and innovation, and there’s no doubt that new people bringing new ideas helps with that mission.

To name just one of the areas where the profession will need to adapt, AI was the focus of a meeting of presidents of European bar and law societies I attended in Vienna. Managing the growth of generative AI is an important challenge, understanding and harnessing it responsibly while dealing with risks such as so-called hallucinations. The opportunities for learning and professional development for today’s group are enormous, whether that’s via their employers or through the work of their professional body.

So I would encourage any solicitor, whether they’ve been in the legal sector for 20 years or 20 minutes, to consider what kind of contribution they want to make to the future of the solicitor profession. We all have something to give to make our profession the very best it can be.

Congratulations to today’s newly admitted solicitors!