Sharing ideas across the pond

I DON'T usually spend my weekends in barristers' chambers, discussing hot topics, including the merits of English judges and barristers losing (or not, as the case may be in criminal cases) "the wig".

This was partly how I, and 90 young lawyers (or "new lawyers", as we call them at the society) from across Europe, the US and beyond spent the last weekend in September: a tour of Hardwicke Chambers was part of the European Young Bar Association's (EYBA) international weekend.

The theme this year was how young lawyer organisations can structure themselves for optimum benefit. I had gleefully booked my place, given my own role as new lawyers' coordinator at the Law Society of Scotland, and our preparations for today's launch of the new lawyers' engagement strategy, a three-year plan to develop stronger links with would-be and newly qualified solicitors.

Representatives from the Scottish Young Lawyers' Association (SYLA) and I attended as a foursome, furthering our commitment to work more closely. Having developed the three-year plan for the society to reach out to the future of the profession, we eagerly anticipated learning what standing young lawyers have in the legal profession in Italia, en España, et dans la France...

Those from the American Bar Association's young lawyer division (YLD) took to the floor on more than one occasion, and their pearls of wisdom based on their extensive experiences on the new lawyer "scene" in the US would have taken some beating. Of all the enthralling tales regaled by the Americans, I was most struck by the pro bono work and community-based projects they are involved in - and how seemingly buoyed up new lawyers are to get involved.

I had been somewhat sceptically thinking that, for those new to the profession, supporting these kinds of projects might be, well, pretty difficult. Wills for Heroes, a project set up in the aftermath of 9/11 and Answering the Call, a legal check-up for sufferers of HIV and AIDS, are examples of projects the YLD have supported and have seen new lawyers putting their skills to use in the community. Inspiring stuff.

I departed a drizzly London mulling over the view that short of concocting a plan for world domination through EYBA (perhaps a bonus lecture for next year?), new lawyers are being incredibly proactive in ensuring they have a foothold in their own jurisdictions. But they are also talking to each other and it's amazing what we can learn from our peers.

On my first day back in the office, I met with Scottish charity Challenges Worldwide, which is currently looking for Scots lawyers to put their legal skills to use in other countries, something that requires the support of the home employer.

I couldn't shake the same thought at this meeting that I had at the conference: for the new lawyers' engagement strategy to be successful, it needs the powers-that-be to create opportunities for new lawyers to get involved in their profession, represent themselves or do pro bono work.

The main thing I learned is young lawyers have the ability to make a real impact in different ways and can collectively be a powerful force in a legal profession. Today's launch will see the professional body for solicitors in Scotland increase and improve opportunities for new lawyers to engage in the profession from the very earliest stages of study.

We aspire for all new solicitors to have made an informed decision to enter the legal profession and thereafter to take up the mantle of leading the profession of the future, to meet the needs of clients, the public and their fellow members. Over a period of three years, we are committed to continually challenging these opportunities for the better.

We might be a small nation, but that didn't stop us from proclaiming to be the best small country in the world for a while there.

I hope the work highlighted in the new lawyers' engagement strategy could see us being asked to take to the platform with our international neighbours at a future EYBA conference.

The main objectives of the new strategy are to: raise the profile of the society and the SYLA; provide quality advice on the route to qualification and careers; achieve participation with new lawyers, from communication to involvement to representation; provide tailored learning opportunities for qualified new lawyers; and for the society to collaborate with all stakeholders in this process.

• Collette Paterson is the new lawyers coordinator at the Law Society of Scotland.