Part-time degree led to success for Glasgow-Edinburgh collaboration chief

by Ann Wallace© The Herald
Originally published: 16.02.2007





From high-flying corporate lawyer to the person tasked with bringing Glasgow and Edinburgh closer together, it would be fair to assume Laura Gordon rarely shies away from a challenge.

The 41-year-old took her first steps into the legal profession via Strathclyde University's part-time LLB when she was running her own business from home and looking after two young children.

She already had a degree in psychology and was dubious about returning to education, but her father persuaded her to consider it. "He knew I was looking for a change of career, so he pressed me," she explains. "The course was in its first year when I heard about it. I decided to go for it, filled in the application, went for an interview and, before I knew it, I had been accepted."

The course, which has been running since 1992, has always been popular with those wishing to study law while maintaining existing work and family commitments.

As well as its obvious appeal to anyone looking for a career in the legal profession, it is seen as an equally attractive option for those entering spheres as diverse as teaching, the public sector, housing, administration, social and welfare services and commerce.

"The course opened a lot of doors for me, and I still use and benefit from the skills I developed during it, " says Laura, who is now director of the Glasgow-Edinburgh Collaboration Project which aims to get both cities working together, building on their strengths and boosting the Scottish economy.

"I can honestly say it changed my life in every way."

Balancing her studies and the demands of home life - looking after sons Adam and Greg, now 19 and 17 - was often tricky.

"As my children were young, they were generally about to go to bed at the time I would leave for classes - the sessions were from 6pm until 8pm, twice a week, and I studied when my sons were at nursery, " says Laura.

"Later, as they were in school all day, it got easier. And I was lucky to have the support of my husband, Jonathan, and friends and family. I couldn't have done it without them."

Laura completed the degree in four years, and began a traineeship with a niche Glasgow law practice.

"After my traineeship, I had more decisions to make: whether to stay where I was, doing mainly private client work, conveyancing and a bit of court work, or to specialise further, " she says.

She decided to specialise in commercial and IT law and completed a Masters in information technology and telecommunications law, a part-time distance-learning course at Strathclyde University. She moved jobs, to the corporate department of commercial law firm Boyds and, six months after graduating, was promoted to associate.

Shortly afterwards, Laura was appointed head of the technology and media unit, and in 2005was named Rising Star of the Year at the Scottish Legal Awards.

"Then I decided it was time for a change, " she adds with a laugh. "What I liked about my job was the business development side, the communicating and networking and bringing people together - those aspects of the job.

"I wanted to focus on that, rather than the day-to-day minutiae of drafting and negotiating legal documents."

As a director of both Glasgow and Edinburgh Chambers of Commerce and a prominent figure in the Scottish business and legal communities, she was well placed in both public and private sectors to step up to the challenge of her new role.

Her priorities are to drive forward initiatives in the economic, tourism and transport sectors, bringing the rival cities closer together, and developing cultural links.

"It has been a steep learning curve, but every day is fascinating and exciting. It is the most challenging thing I have ever done, " she says.

"At presentations, I often joke about the media interest my appointment attracted, the fact that it has taken a lawyer to get Glasgow and Edinburgh to work together. But , of course, I am not employed in any legal capacity.

"My role is a business development one, more of a facilitating capacity, negotiating and mediating, and those are skills I developed as a result of my law degree at Strathclyde."

Laura believes one of the most important things the course teaches its students is communication. "For some people, that comes fairly intuitively, and in my case, I think being a mature student with business experience helped, " she says.

"Client counselling and how to talk to the client is vital. And every business, every client, is different, so it's important to be able to identify different situations, to interpret them, and to find solutions."

Her advice to anyone considering taking on the part-time course is straightforward and recognises that, for many, juggling a law degree with a day job and home life can be daunting. "Take each year one at a time. Don't think of it as a six-year project, or a four-year project, " she says.

"Use it to enhance your learning, to embrace new opportunities. For me, it was as much about personal development as it was about professional development."

Her example has been closely followed by her sons, who are now studying at university and about to leave school.

"Adam is doing law although, funnily enough, not necessarily with a view to entering the legal profession, and Greg is preparing to study business, " says Laura. "I think I have set them a good example. We have always had a good work ethic, and I think they both realise that anything worth having is not going to come without lots of hard work. And that is a good lesson to learn."