Direct Employers

The Policy Officer - Gemma Crompton
Job title: Senior Policy Advocate (Legal Services)
Name of Organisation worked for: Consumer Focus Scotland

What are your primary responsibilities?

I have responsibility for our work in relation to legal services. This is a broad remit, and my current workload involves such topics as consumer law, public legal education (including consumer education), regulation of the legal profession, civil justice and alternative dispute resolution.

How do you spend your time?

Because my workload is so broad, it is difficult to give an example of a typical week. I undertake a mixture of proactive and reactive work. Consumer Focus Scotland has an annual work programme to deliver, and proactive work emerging from that largely involves publishing policy papers, commissioning research and writing research reports.
Reactive work takes up a significant proportion of my time. This work covers a very diverse range of topics and includes responding to consultations, inputting into working groups and committees, and providing evidence to Scottish Parliament among other things.

What is typical career progression in this job area?

I started out as a policy assistant and have worked my way up into more senior positions with greater responsibility. A natural progression would be to build on that responsibility into more managerial positions. 

To what extent, if at all, do you call on your legal knowledge and experience in this role?

Although my role does not involve providing legal advice to consumers, I draw on my knowledge of the law and legal systems on a daily basis. I require a good working knowledge of the legal principles and the working of the courts.

What do you enjoy most/what motivates you in your job?

In the area of legal services, other stakeholder groups are well organised and represented, but because the consumer interest is so diverse, it can be drowned out and overlooked. We are trying to ensure that consumers are heard and their interest taken account of by policy makers. This is hugely satisfying and allows me to pursue the area of greatest interest from my LLB – the social impact of law and the legal system.

What would you do if you were trying to start out in this job area?

Don’t assume you can walk directly into your dream job following your LLB. It’s more likely you’ll have to take a less direct path and work your way up. Think about what skills you lack, how you could build these skills, and what experience might benefit you to help you get to where you want to go. 

What is typical career progression in this job area?

In law, there is a very defined career path that most people hope to follow. Although in my area of work the progression is perhaps less linear, you will still start in more junior positions, working your way up to more senior roles with more responsibility and then probably managerial positions.

What skills are most critical to success in this area?

It is imperative to be able to look at arguments from all sides and make balanced judgements. This includes not only deciding on the organisation’s view on any particular topic, but also in being able to defend and justify your position in light of opposition from other stakeholders. Communication skills are critical, both written and verbal. You need to present views in clear and concise ways, not only in written work, but also at meetings, in giving parliamentary evidence and also to the media.  

How useful have your legal skills, knowledge and experience, from your studies and/or your work in the legal profession, been in this area of work?

My legal background gives me a good grounding in legal principles and how the legal system works. Although I am not applying the law on a daily basis, my legal background has given me a depth of knowledge for this job that others wouldn’t have.

Is there anything else you think would be helpful for anyone considering this field?

Don’t be disheartened that the path into this area might be less direct and obvious. Have strength of your convictions, look for opportunities that might give you the skills and experience that you need to get where you want to go. 

Return to 'Case Studies'