Legal Services Manager & Senior Solicitor

• Oct 2017 - Present

Solicitor

• Jul 2016 - Oct 2017

• Providing Second-tier advice, information and support to advisors with legal matters; • Providing legal advice and assistance in areas of unmet legal need within the Highland & Islands; • Training advisors and agency workers on relevant legal issues; • Representing clients at various Sheriff courts, Tribunals and children’s Hearings throughout the Highlands and Islands. • Experience of a wide civil caseload including family law, children’s hearings, debt, public law, social welfare, housing law and mental health tribunals.

Accredited Consultant

• Oct 2003 - Oct 2009

This role allowed me to work effectively as part of a cross functional team to achieve goals set, having the confidence and initiative to work as an individual to achieve daily and monthly sales targets, retaining and improving product knowledge and effectively communicating that knowledge to clients, and treating clients as individuals through accessing their needs and concerns on a personal level. This role allowed me to work effectively as part of a cross functional team to achieve goals set, having the confidence and initiative to work as an individual to achieve daily and monthly sales targets, retaining and improving product knowledge and effectively communicating that knowledge to clients, and treating clients as individuals through accessing their needs and concerns on a personal level.

Law Clinic Advisor

• Mar 2007 - Jul 2009

Responsibilities: - As an advisor, I was responsible for conducting client interviews, researching the case and checking advice with an experienced solicitor; - Responsible for general case management, writing letters and communicating with third parties on behalf of the client; - In managing a case, I was required to seek settlement of any dispute and if necessary, start legal proceedings and argue cases in small claims court and various tribunals. Key Achievements: - Working effectively with other students to obtain the best outcome for the client; - Successfully settled a number of cases; - Gaining invaluable practical experience in different arrears of law.

Telephone Befriender

• Mar 2007 - Apr 2008

My role within this employment was to provide a free daily telephone service for elderly and vulnerable people within the community in order to ensure their well-being and safety. Many skills were used within this role for example my organisational skills as I was responsible for my own list of clients who had to be called within a specified time, effective communication skills in order to communicate with different types of clients at different levels, problem solving, IT, and general office and admin skills.