The Austin Lafferty Solicitors & Estate Agents Blog

Once again, a prominent member member of the Scottish legal community are asked to comment on matters relating to our national game, only this time with levity, rather than litigation, in mind. Austin joins Tam Cowan and Stuart Cosgrove on 'Off the Ball'.

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Austin's world tour of South Africa closes with a crescendo as he encounters an out-of-place doorman, hears of the horrors perpetrated by mining companies in South Africa, listens to an impassioned speech by Lord Judge, extols the virtues of the Dear Green Place and visits the site of Nelson Mandela's incarceration on Robben Island. Read the full blog here.

On day six of his trip, Austin finds that the ethnic and gender balance of judges in South Africa has improved greatly over the last two decades as the previously white male-dominated judiciary has reconfigured enormously. Austin also finds out about the challenges posed by legal aid budgets across the Commonwealth and developing world and he is reminded of one of the great legal scenes from movie history! Read the full blog here.

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Austin schools young lawyers on media presentation and is confronted with the reality of the life of lawyers in Africa. Racial, ethnic, political, religious and cultural forces pull in different directions leading to inequality, oppression and breaches of human rights. The burden of righting these wrongs, Austin finds, falls squarely on the shoulders of his Commonwealth colleagues. Read the full blog here.

Still in Cape Town, Austin ponders a personal injury claim against the operators of the Victoria & Albert waterfront after a trip but elects instead to hobble around the relics of South Africa's grisly colonial past. Read the full blog here

In an article for the Council of British Chambers of Commerce in Europe, Austin discusses the challenges facing the legal profession not just at home but in England and further afield. Discussing the need to diversify, Austin points out that "working as a solicitor is a great platform from which to develop other business skills, by focusing on management, marketing, efficiency of delivery, customer service, research and development, financial planning and control".

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Austin as President of the Law Society of Scotland welcomes new solicitor-advocates to the High Court as they have just been sworn in by a judge in Edinburgh. Solicitor Advocates have extended rights of audience in Scotland's courts and are able to represent clients in the High Court and the Court of Session.

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In his address to the Law Society of Scotland's Legal Aid conference, President of the Law Society Austin Lafferty reaffirmed the importance of Legal Aid to the justice system in Scotland.

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Austin as president of the Law Society of Scotland at the Parliament to meet with Scottish Government justice minister Roseanna Cunningham to discuss important current legal issues.

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Austin as President of the Law Society of Scotland chaired the annual and highly successful flagship conference in Glasgow this week. Austin prefaced his message in a video broadcast before the conference, stating that:

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In my capacity as a director of GSPC, I write the occasional blog. The latest of these was titled "the truth about title deeds and explores some of the misconceptions surrounding title deeds. The blog can be found here.

Austin's appointment as president of the Society has been confirmed. Austin remarked that it was " A great honour" to be appointed to lead the profession but reiterated that the legal profession faces challenging times. The Herald report can be read here.

"At times, alternative business structures feels a bit like the bogeyman of the legal world – constantly held up as a reason to comply and modernise, but shadowy and uncertain, and possibly not real at all." Austin on ABS and modernising the legal profession. Read more here.

"Scottish Solicitor is a brand, a proud one and one that is easy to say and to grow and, for the population, to understand, if we all do our bit to promote it. The name has to mean quality, user-friendliness, and problem-solving." Austin writes exclusively in The Firm magazine. Read it here.

Austin interviewed in the Scotsman on the regulatory and representative roles of the Law Society and a potential future theme song for the society! Read the article here.

Austin Lafferty interviewed on the impact of ABS, the future of the profession, his upcoming presidency, Karate and Art! The Journal Online Read the article here.

Law Society of Scotland President Elect, Austin Lafferty, talks about taking on his new role and how the Society can continue to help its members. Watch the Video here.

Austin sets out his stall for a positive approach to 2012 as President-elect of the Law Society of Scotland, in the Firm Magazine.