Falkirk legal eagle John is the new top law man for Scotland

Mr Mulholland said it was a “great privilege” to represent his fellow solicitors after taking over the role from Alison Atack following a meeting of the Law Society’s decision-making council.

He said: “We face a number of important issues in the year ahead, and I intend to take forward key areas of work, including modernising regulation to ensure continuing high professional standards and robust consumer protections, further reform around legal aid, the use of technology within the legal sector to enhance services and career and development opportunities.

“Alison has already carried out valuable work in those areas during her year in office and I’m determined to build on that, while continuing to provide a strong voice for the legal profession and the clients they serve with such dedication.”

Mr Mulholland added important advances in equality and diversity had been made in recent years within the profession, but significant challenges remained, for instance, encouraging employers’ involvement to improve social mobility.

He also emphasised the importance of continuing to improve as an organisation, offering better and more tailored support for its members, whether they work in private practice, in-house, on the high street or for a global enterprise in the UK or abroad.