So You Want To Be... A Politician

The Scottish Young Lawyers' Association is delighted to share details of its upcoming panel event, "So you want to be… a Politician." Join SYLA at 6pm on 23 September 2025 as we explore the career path from law to politics. This event will offer valuable insights for young lawyers curious about how legal training can translate into political leadership.

We are pleased to be joined by our panellists and chaired by Catriona Headley, former president of the Scottish Young Lawyers’ Association and current Partner at Digby Brown. Catriona specialises in dealing with personal injury law, including employer's liability, road traffic and general delictual claims in both the Sheriff Court and Court of Session. Catriona was the Scottish Labour Party Parliamentary Candidate for Edinburgh Western in the Holyrood election of May 2016 and a party spokesperson on Justice & Policing from August 2015 to May 2016. She is now a regular political analyst and commentator, appearing on broadcast media including BBC Scotland and STV.

Our panellists for the evening are:

Catriona Munro is a solicitor qualified in England and Wales and in Scotland. She worked in Brussels at Ashurst and then in London at Freshfields before moving to Maclay Murray & Spens (now Dentons) where she was a partner for some 20 years. She specialises in competition litigation. Catriona has stood as a Westminster parliamentary candidate and on the Lothian list, and is now PPC for Edinburgh South Western for the Holyrood 2026 elections.

Alistair Carmichael MP graduated from Aberdeen University with a degree in Law in 1992. After graduating, Alistair worked as a Procurator Fiscal Depute then moved into private practice as a solicitor. Alistair has been an MP since 2001. During the Coalition Government, Alistair was first Liberal Democrat Chief Whip and later Secretary of State for Scotland. He has been Chair of the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee since September 2024.

Joanna Cherry KC has a distinguished legal career, becoming a King’s Counsel in 2009 and serving as Advocate Depute and Standing Junior Counsel to the Scottish Government. Between 2015 and 2024, Joanna served as MP for Edinburgh South West. During that time she served as a Front Bench Spokesperson for her party on Justice and Home Affairs and Chair of Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights. She has appeared before the UK Supreme Court, led complex public law and human rights cases, and is now back in practice with Ampersand Advocates.

Our panellists will give insight into their own experiences and reflections on the transition from law to politics, the skills that have served them well in both fields, and advice to young lawyers considering a similar path.