Direct Employers

COMMERCIAL SOLICITOR
 

Choosing Law

I can still remember opening the UCAS letter that informed me of being given a place to study law at the university of my choice. Very few pupils from my high school went to the University of Glasgow and I was the only person who went to study law. It was like entering a new world as I did not know anyone who had studied law or had peers who knew people who had studied law.

Would I Fit In?

I remember clearly after starting law school, we would often ask each other where we lived and what high school we went to. I was often asked whether I went to a state school or a public school. Private schooling simply did not feature in my life before law school and so initially I found this a strange question. However, upon starting law school, I realised that Glasgow (and other cities) had many private schools and many law students were from private schools where often, the students knew each other before starting university. However, there was no snobbery and I met some fantastic people.

University was a new start for all of us, irrespective of background and we were all excited at this special stage in our lives.

The LLB

I thought that studying law meant studying endless rules and regulations. Instead, it was refreshingly diverse and I found some subjects that appealed to me and in which I went on to specialise. The study of law involves many different aspects of our society, from government to the tax regime. It may sound terribly diplomatic but to be honest, most of the subjects that I studied were interesting.

I was lucky to be able to study in America where I completed my third year (junior honours). The subjects were very different but there were common themes. I lived with the other undergraduates in halls and this was my first experience of living in halls. Let’s just say that the college capers you see in American films are quite true to life!

Life After the Law Degree

I did not enter law school with definite aspirations to become a solicitor. However, as I went through law school, I realised that the practice of law was as diverse and varied as the study of law and therefore legal practice would be worth pursuing. It is fair to say that the study of law is very different to the practice to law. I embarked on my legal career at an Edinburgh firm specialising in litigation. I enjoyed Court of Session litigation with all of its conventions and working with advocates as well as doing appearances in the Sheriff Court and being able to walk around the court wearing a gown. The more appearances you do, the more comfortable you become but court work is very unpredictable and you have to be able to deal with the unexpected.

Life as a Commercial Lawyer

After qualifying, I started practicing commercial law. The work I do as a commercial solicitor is incredibly varied from commercial contracts to construction law. I am working in-house for a commercial organisation and I love being able to combine a legal career within a commercial context. The commercial world does not stand still and some of the projects that I am working on are in innovative and emerging sectors. As an in-house commercial solicitor, the distinction between legal advice and providing commercial input is often blurred and it is professionally satisfying being able to provide legal advice linked to the commercial objectives of the business. Working for a large commercial organisation means that I am working with many different people on many different matters involving many different areas of law.

The Future

In terms of the future, I aspire to continue developing my technical knowledge and skills set. Being a commercial solicitor is not just about providing advice on the law, it is about providing commercial solutions and working with your colleagues, and I would love to continue with that and be involved in work that takes the organisation forward.