Scotland a bonny place for women to work, survey finds

The legal profession in Scotland is booming, according to a survey which shows more women coming into the profession than ever before and a huge leap in the number of assistant solicitors.The Law Society of Scotland survey also reveals that the number of in-house lawyers has reached an all-time high of 1,500, having doubled in the past 20 years.Scotlands profession has grown from 4,810 practising solicitors in 1980 to 8,609 today.

There are 80,000 practising solicitors in England and Wales.

Women make up 38%, up from 15% in 1980, and more women than men are entering the profession for the first time.The number of assistants has also increased from 918 in 1980 to 2,404 in 2000, compared with a more gradual rise in partners from 2,951 in 1980 to 3,818 in 2000.

In the past decade, the average age of solicitors has increased, with just 49% of the profession under 40 last year compared to 61% in 1985.Victoria MacCallum