Profile

How long have you been a member of Council, and how did you become involved?

I was first elected to Council in August 2009 and re-elected in 2011 and 2014 as one of the representatives for the Edinburgh constituency.

In what specific capacities have you served (office bearer, committee or other)?

I was installed as Vice President in May this year and have been the convener of the Education & Training Committee since 2014. I also served on the Employment Law Subcommittee 2010-2013 and on two re-accreditation subcommittees of the Education & Training Committee 2012-2013. I also sit on the editorial board of the Journal.

What have been the highlights for you personally?

Being elected as Vice President and having the confidence of the Council to take on the role has been a tremendous honour and I am very grateful for this opportunity to work on behalf of our members on a day-to-day basis.

Throughout my time on Council, I have been greatly impressed by the professionalism, hard work and enthusiasm of the Society’s executive and staff team. The range of work covered and the service provided to the profession and the public is second to none. It is an organisation of which we should be justly proud.

Why did you decide to run for Vice President?

I have a keen interest in the future of the legal profession and I have a strong desire to do all that I can to represent the varied and various interests of our profession and the public to the best of my ability.
Born and raised in a rural community in south west Scotland, I have a good understanding of the issues and concerns of those living and working in more remote areas, and of the aspirations of schoolchildren with no background in the law who would like to go to university to study and enter our profession. This combined with my career in the larger commercial practices, together with time spent on the Society’s Council, has given me a broad perspective on the profession and it is a privilege to serve at this critical period in the profession’s history.

What big project is Council working on at the moment?

The big project at the moment is the rollout of the Society’s new strategy, Leading Legal Excellence. We are at the start of the journey and will be discussing with our members what they see as the key priorities in this very dynamic legal services market.

What do you see as the main issues that your local members want Council to address at present?

The list of challenges facing the profession at the moment is long and varied. For me, some of the key priorities are:

• the future of legal aid in these times of reduced budgets set against increasing evidence of a widening, unmet need;
• ensuring a sustainable future for young people qualifying into our profession and at the same time remaining true to our commitment to widen access and participation by well planned and executed initiatives in our schools and communities;
• defending the solicitor brand by setting and maintaining quality standards through effective and appropriate regulation;
• differentiating our brand in the market place: this applies whether we work in-house, on the high street, in an international firm or in local or national government. To our clients, whether they be internal, external or prospects, we need to demonstrate why what we provide costs what it does, what guarantees come with it and why, in light of increasing unqualified and unregulated competition, in a world of immediacy and cost cutting, we as solicitors are best able to provide the legal services required.

What do you see as the other main issues that Council has to address at present?

The list of issues I’ve already mentioned does not even scratch the surface of other critical issues and concerns such as the future of the Master Policy, progress of ABS, entity regulation and digital developments.

I also think it is critical that we hear from all branches of the profession across the length and breadth of Scotland, the UK and overseas and focus on member engagement as a membership organisation.

If you could change only one thing for your members, what would it be?

“Still the hands of time” – we know that the world is turning beneath our feet, but rarely have we felt so much that we are on a moving platform. In an ideal world, a period of calm and stability with sufficient room for reflection would be my wish for all of our members.

What keeps you busy outside of work?

I am an enthusiastic golfer, a bookworm, novice bridge player and very slow jogger. I have two working cocker spaniels, Lola and Belle, who demand constant attention but give much in return, and two sons, Tom and Matthew, who do likewise!