September 2020
Price: £95 PLUS VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
***Full-scale policy conference taking place online***
Key stakeholders and policymakers at this conference will examine examines the next steps for legal services in Scotland.
It will be an opportunity to discuss options for reform to the sector and how these should be shaped, as the Scottish Government prepares to consult on the future of legal services regulation.
The discussion and context at a glance:
- regulatory reform - including the potential creation of a single independent regulator for all providers of legal services
- international competitiveness - priorities for the sector going forward
- legal technology - the impact of innovation, and what it means for legal services providers
- Competition and Markets Authority recommendations:
- regulation and trust in the sector - an independent body to regulate legal services in Scotland moving forward
- price transparency - a review by the Law Society of Scotland of existing guidance
- COVID-19 - the impact on law practices and those who work in them, how the sector is adapting and moving forward, and options for supporting practices through the economic pressures
The agenda:
- The Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation in Scotland - key findings
- The next steps for policy - independent regulation, entry into the market and competition
- Priorities for the sector in implementing reforms to regulation
- The impact of legal regulation reforms on stakeholders - the new regulatory model, consumer protection and competition in the sector
- Priorities for the profession in responding to the challenges of COVID-19
- Exporting Scotland’s legal services - international competitiveness, investment and the impact of Brexit
- Innovation in law - legal technology, skills and business partnerships
- Enabling a healthy legal services market
The discussion in detail:
Practicalities of regulatory reform
- implementation - legislative changes that would be needed to introduce the single regulator and to provide a flexible and efficient system of regulation
- consumer protection - latest thinking on how it can be improved
- competition and the consumer experience - options for reform
- simplification and accessibility - addressing concerns in the Independent Review that the current framework of regulation and redress is too complex
Oversight
- A single overarching regulator reporting to the Government - what scope and powers of the body should be, as well as: its code of conduct and ethics, costs of setting up the new system, issues around potentially granting the regulator power to set educational and entry qualifications, and the impact on the legal sector and its workforce in Scotland
The international legal market
- competitiveness - how Scottish law firms can retain and improve the global attractiveness of the Scottish legal sector
- Europe - priorities for ensuring access to the EU27 and recognition of qualifications
- tackling barriers - how any reform can address challenges for the ability of Scottish legal services to operate with the rest of the UK and abroad
Lawtech and innovation
- adoption - next steps for firms and practitioners in Scotland
- investment and partnerships - with businesses, universities, and others
- market disruption - potential scale and nature, and what it means for the sector, including both established law firms and new entrants
- standards - priorities for managing innovation whilst preserving quality assurance
- regulation - options for future-proofing the system - as the CMA investigates the potential impact of regulatory reform on the entry of new business models to the market
The context at a glance:
- The Scottish Government consultation on the future of legal services regulation following its response to the Roberton Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation in Scotland
- Scottish legal services research - the CMA study to support The Scottish Government in its final response to the Review
- UK-EU future partnership - legal services sector report - concerns raised by The Law Society of England about the potential impact of Brexit on legal exports across Britain
- The Scottish Government’s drive for greater international business development
Policy officials attending:
Our forums are known for attracting strong interest from policymakers and stakeholders.
It is no different with this conference. Places have been reserved by officials from The Scottish Government, the office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland; and the Ministry of Justice.
This is a full-scale conference taking place online***
- full, four-hour programme including comfort breaks - you’ll also get a full recording to refer back to
- information-rich discussion involving key policymakers and stakeholders
- conference materials provided in advance, including speaker biographies
- speakers presenting via webcam, accompanied by slides if they wish, using the Cisco WebEx professional online conference platform (easy for delegates - we’ll provide full details)
- opportunities for live delegate questions and comments with all speakers
- a recording of the addresses, all slides cleared by speakers, and further materials, is made available to all delegates afterwards as a permanent record of the proceedings
- delegates are able to add their own written comments and articles following the conference, to be distributed to all attendees and more widely
- networking too - there will be opportunities for delegates to e-meet and interact - we’ll tell you how!
Full information and guidance on how to take part will be sent to delegates before the conference
