Better the devil you know:The importance of having relatable role models and support on the journey

Written by Bilaal Shabbir

From an early stage, I had an interest in the work of Advocates at the Scottish Bar. Seeing

good advocacy (in Court or on paper) from Counsel, for me, was one of the most wonderful

things in the world. It was like seeing a jigsaw come together in front of you. Seeing the

gravitas with which Counsel presented a case was spectacular, I was inspired. Through my journey to qualification as a solicitor, I geared my work as much as possible towards the Court of Session so that I would get a chance to work with lots of different Counsel. Because of the breadth of work, I did at my initial firm, I got a chance to work with Counsel across a variety of practice areas.

Even when I started in the legal profession, 9 years ago, there was an air of mystery and