Did you know the legislation regulating charities in Scotland is now almost 15 years old?
Although nowhere near as ancient as many of our laws, it’s aged enough to catch the eye of The Law Society of Scotland.
Following a government consultation and commitment to review the paperwork, it’s calling for even wider reform of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005.
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This governs the workings of more than 24,000 charities nationwide, including grant-giving bodies, care providers, schools, universities, community groups and religious organisations.
The Society points out charity regulation needs to “command the confidence of the general public, as well as those who serve on charity boards, volunteer, donate and otherwise engage with charities”.
With moves afoot to look at the legislative framework, lawyers themselves continue to work in many different roles in the charity sector.
This is much more than simply handing out water and bananas at the end of fundraising fun runs.
These are full-time, frontline occupations that ensure charitable groups always operate not only to the letter of the law but also to the best business principles.
Pursue a career path into this sector of the legal world and you could find yourself acting for anything from global names to small, local community groups.
Right now many charity and voluntary sectors are being squeezed by austerity measures, with income inequality rising and the global economy shifting faster than a Brexit deadline.
This means charity groups are being asked to do more with less.
So, while everyone from the finance director to the weekend volunteer is fighting to find funds and resources, their legal teams are working hard to keep up with every new development in politics and legislation.
If you can provide pragmatic and commercially-focused legal support for managers and trustees, this helps them run thriving organisations – with the main mission always to deliver the best outcomes for their beneficiaries.
Often this involves giving proactive advice, which means you need to be up to speed on current laws, while having the foresight to prepare for changes on the horizon.
Of course, having a genuine passion for the work of the charity is a must – the best legal expertise comes as much from the heartfelt as the head.
The best way to build long-term and sustainable relationships with clients is to immerse yourself in their organisation.
Linking up with partner teams can be essential, too, with support coming from solicitors who specialise in disciplines that can affect a charity – such as employment, dispute resolution, child protection, trusts and taxation.
If you’d like to put your head and your heart into your work, check s1jobs for the latest Legal roles.