Shepherd and Wedderburn expands pro bono project in West Lothian

13 November 2017

Shepherd and Wedderburn expands pro bono project in West Lothian

Lawyers from Shepherd and Wedderburn have lent their time for a good cause, providing training for the trustees of the Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) in West Lothian as part of their ongoing commitment to LawWorks Scotland.

LawWorks Scotland is a charity that aims to coordinate, develop and encourage the provision of pro bono legal services by solicitors in private practice, lawyers working in-house and law students.

Shepherd and Wedderburn has been involved with LawWorks Scotland since 2011, running legal advice clinics for the CAB offices in Haddington and Musselburgh. The aim of the clinics is to provide practical advice to CAB clients who might not otherwise be able to access legal services, and to give the volunteers a personally and professionally rewarding experience.

In March this year, the firm first provided pro bono training to the West Lothian CAB volunteers on legal considerations arising on the breakdown of a relationship. The Shepherd and Wedderburn team was delighted to be invited to provide further pro bono training, this time taking the bureau’s board of trustees through the new data protection legislation, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which comes into force next May. GDPR represents the biggest overhaul of data protection in the last 25 years and will have far-reaching consequences for businesses and charities alike.

This workshop provided the trustees with important information on the impact of the new GDPR legislation, including useful guidance on carrying out their obligations as trustees of a charity. The Shepherd and Wedderburn team comprised Gordon MacTavish, one of the firm’s media and technology lawyers, solicitor Katie Souter and trainee Stuart West, all of whom regularly work with LawWorks Scotland.

Shepherd and Wedderburn partner Gillian Carty, who leads the legal advice clinic initiative, said: “As a firm committed to supporting our local communities, we are very proud to have developed a sustainable pro bono advice project supporting the needs of the clients of the Haddington and Musselburgh CABs over the last six years. We are delighted to be able to expand our commitment to volunteering and participation in pro bono projects by using our specialist skills and expertise to provide training for the trustees and volunteers at West Lothian CAB. We look forward to continuing to develop these relationships and to continuing to support LawWorks Scotland in the future.”

Peter Anderson, Chair of LawWorks Scotland commented: “If you want something done – ask a busy person. That's the truth, at least so far as Shepherd and Wedderburn is concerned.  On behalf of all of LawWorks Scotland I congratulate the Shepherd and Wedderburn team, together with the clever and enthusiastic West Lothian CAB volunteers for putting into action all that LawWorks Scotland is about.”