OF THE LAW SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND - The Journal Online
OF THE LAW SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND - The Journal Online
OF THE LAW SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND - The Journal Online
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<strong>Journal</strong><br />
Interview<br />
Lure of the law<br />
May 2002 Volume 47 No 5 32<br />
still strong<br />
Duncan Hamilton MSP tells Roger Mackenzie<br />
why the call of the law was too strong to resist<br />
While it’s not really the done thing to discuss someone’s salary, in Duncan<br />
Hamilton’s case it’s an unavoidable discussion point following on from his<br />
recent decision not to stand at next year’s elections for Holyrood in order<br />
to pursue a career in law.<br />
And as it’s a matter of public record, broaching the subject isn’t entirely<br />
impertinent. Let’s face it, who didn’t ask “Why?” when they heard of the<br />
28-year-old’s decision to sacrifice an annual salary of £48,228 (topped up by<br />
some lavish expenses) to return to university and undertake the Diploma<br />
in Legal Practice, followed by two years employed at the still notoriously low<br />
trainee salary.<br />
It’s either a shocking indictment of the Scottish Parliament or striking<br />
testimony to the strange lure that the legal profession can still have.<br />
“It’s going to be very tough and I will have to live extremely frugally, but if<br />
anyone was in any doubt about my professional commitment to becoming<br />
a lawyer, they need only look at the financial hit I’ll be taking. I’m not<br />
someone who is massively motivated by money, I’m more interested in<br />
having a fulfilling and satisfying career and for that reason I think the right<br />
move is to go into law”, said Hamilton.<br />
Still, Hamilton’s record of prodigious achievement suggests it’s unlikely he’ll<br />
live in penury for long – and a career in Opposition probably has limited<br />
appeal.<br />
“It will take a while for my career to get up and running, and I’m under no<br />
illusions about how difficult it will be. It’s not, as some have suggested, a<br />
desire to chase money. In the long-term I wouldn’t rule out going to the Bar,<br />
but at the moment I’m just focused on trying to kick-start a legal career.”<br />
Fiscal considerations aside, how did he arrive at what is a fairly momentous<br />
personal decision?<br />
“I have been through a process of trying to establish what is the best option<br />
for the future and establish more of a real life base as opposed to the<br />
institutionalised, slightly unreal world of the Scottish Parliament. In doing that<br />
I’ve had a long-term attraction to the law, which is why I did the two-year<br />
LLB at Edinburgh after graduating from Glasgow. It was always my intention<br />
to go back to the law at some stage.<strong>The</strong> advice I have taken from friends<br />
and colleagues is that a legal career is still one that has dignity and great<br />
opportunity.