Ampersand, a group within the Faculty of Advocates, Scotland’s body of independent lawyers, have announced its formal link-up with two leading law academics.

Ampersand, known in legal circles as a Stable of the Faculty, has appointed Professor Adam Tomkins, John Millar Professor of Public Law at the University of Glasgow and Professor Douglas Brodie, head of the School of Law at the University of Edinburgh, to advise and assist its membership. 

Professors Tomkins and Brodie will provide academic resources such as lectures, seminars and other continuing professional development to practising advocates within Ampersand throughout the coming year.

It is believed to be the first time there has been such a formalisation of academic links with a group at the Faculty of Advocates.

Simon Di Rollo, QC and Head of Ampersand, said the appointment of Professors Tomkins and Brodie was an important development.

He said: “While strong informal links between academic lawyers and the Faculty of Advocates have existed for some time, Ampersand felt the time had come to make those links official. I am delighted that two of Scotland’s leading academics specialising in core areas of our practice have agreed to a link with us. I hope that this will result in ever closer ties between legal practitioners and the Universities. The presentation of complex cases is a multi-disciplinary activity and having two people of such high calibre available will be of real assistance to us and we hope to our clients.”

Professor Tomkins added: “Close links between the legal academy and legal practice are mutually beneficial. As Glasgow continues with the exciting development of its Professional Law School, formal ties such as this new link with Ampersand should flourish in Scotland, as they already do elsewhere. In my field of public law there has never been a better time to strengthen ties between teaching and research on the one hand, and legal practice on the other.”

Ampersand is the principal sponsor of the first annual conference of the Scottish Public Law Group, to be held at the University of Glasgow on 15 June 2009.  

For more information please contact Eleanor Cowie, Media Relations Officer at the University of Glasgow, on telephone: 0141 330 3683 or email: e.cowie@admin.gla.ac.uk

For more information on Ampersand please see: www.ampersandstable.com

First published: 22 April 2009

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