Profile: Ally Thomson

Tell us about your career so far?

Of course. I worked as a lawyer in legal aid and high street practices. I then developed some business interests in providing services to the legal sector and am now non-practising. I get to work with lawyers and law firms, and also businesses in other sectors such as marketing and advertising. I tutor on the Diploma at Glasgow University Law School where I am the senior tutor in Legal Innovation and Technology. Hey Legal launched in 2020. All of these pursuits have shown me that diverse teams are the best. I have seen so many examples of people from all walks of life having the ability to succeed if they get the chance to do so. 

What drew you to joining the Lawscot Foundation?

Through Hey Legal I got involved in helping with fundraising for the Foundation through our Christmas charity calendar. I got to meet the team and saw the passion they had to develop the Foundation, and to help students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds to, first of all, consider the possibility of a career in the law and then make that viable through financial and mentoring support. It was clear that revenue was central to the aims and success of the Foundation, and it just seemed the right thing to do to become more involved. I’m sure we all see merit in having a legal profession populated by talented people no matter their background or financial situation. The work of the Foundation is focused on making that happen. 

As you’ve recently joined the Foundation as a trustee, what are you most looking forward to?

I am looking forward to bringing new and innovative ways to raise funds for the Foundation, ones where it is really easy for law firms and lawyers individually to get involved and to donate funds and time. We are only at the planning stage of hopefully many new initiatives, but you will be hearing more soon!

Ideally, it would be great if every law firm and lawyer was involved in some way with the Foundation. Making that happen in an engaging, compelling way would be a key aspiration as chair. 

Tell us more about Baublefest and why readers should get involved?

I would ask readers to get involved, as every donation made could be a decisive factor in making the legal career of an applicant a possibility. Each year numerous applicants are unsuccessful, which can mean they do not pursue their dream legal career. We all have the power to change that. The bursary for each student per academic year is £2,750, and we’d love to raise even more than that through Baublefest so we can support as many students as possible.

What have you been most surprised by since joining the Foundation?

This is maybe going to sound obvious, but what has surprised me most is how crucially important raising funds is! There is so much work and regulation around the Foundation to ensure that it runs well and meets its aims, with many people volunteering to give their time for free. To make the big aims of helping students happen though revenue is absolutely key.  

What do you have planned for the festive season?

2024 is going to be a really busy year, so I am looking forward to the Christmas holidays as an opportunity to relax – although of course that never happens! I hope all readers have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Baublefest runs until 22 December; all the details are on the Foundation’s website