Advocates Library is the professional association and representative body for advocates in Scotland, operating as part of the historic Faculty of Advocates. With a heritage spanning nearly 500 years, it stands as a cornerstone of the Scottish legal system, providing access to a distinguished group of specialist advocates and maintaining one of the UK’s most significant legal libraries.
The Faculty ensures the highest standards of professional conduct and expertise among its members, who are instructed primarily by solicitors to provide specialist advice and representation across a comprehensive range of legal disciplines. It supports both the development of new advocates through rigorous training programs and the Devilling Process, and offers resources such as the Free Legal Services Unit to promote access to justice.
Services Offered
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Bankruptcy & Insolvency
- Children’s Referrals
- Company and Commercial Law
- Construction Law
- Contract & Commercial Litigation
- Criminal Law
- Employment Law
- Energy Law
- Family Law
- Health & Safety Law
- Immigration and Asylum Law
- Insurance Law
- Intellectual Property Law
- Land Law
- Licensing Law
- Media, Defamation and Privacy Law
- Personal Injury Law
- Planning and Environmental Law
- Post Conviction Proceedings
- Professional Liability and Regulation
- Property Damage Law
- Public and Fatal Accident Inquiries
- Public Law, including Judicial Review and Human Rights
- Regulatory Proceedings
- Tax, Trusts, Succession and Pensions Law
- Faculty Dispute Resolution Service
- Faculty Appeals Unit
- Free Legal Services Unit
- Direct Access Instruction
Based in Scotland, the Faculty serves solicitors, businesses, public bodies, and individuals requiring specialist advocacy and legal opinion, and maintains significant historical collections and resources through The Advocates Library, including special collections related to legal history and notable cultural figures.
