Scottish Young Lawyers Association - Podcasts

Hosted by SYLA

BusinessInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

Latest episode

Jul 2026

Language

About the show

SYLA's podcast platform.

Listen to episodes

14 recent

July 28, 202656 min

Breaking Barriers: Care Experienced Voices in Law

In this episode of the SYLA Podcast, we are joined by Lucy Barnes and Tracey Wright for an important conversation about care experience, social mobility and access to the legal profession. Drawing on their personal journeys, Lucy and Tracey share the challenges they faced entering the legal profession, the support that helped them succeed, and the barriers that still prevent many care experienced young people from pursuing legal careers. Lucy Barnes is a barrister at East Anglian Chambers, a TEDx speaker and a prominent advocate for care experienced people. Having grown up in care herself, Lucy is the Co-Founder of Lawyers Who Care, a pioneering organisation dedicated to supporting care experienced aspiring lawyers through mentoring, work experience opportunities and community building. She is widely recognised for her work on social mobility, trauma-informed practice and widening access to the legal profession.Tracey Wright is a care experienced criminal lawyer and former social worker. She is the driving force behind Legal Futures with Care, an initiative focused on creating opportunities, building connections and expanding access to legal careers for care experienced individuals across Scotland. Together, Lucy and Tracey discuss the realities of growing up in care, navigating education and entering a profession where role models and networks can often feel out of reach. They reflect on the importance of representation, creating inclusive workplaces and ensuring talented young people are not held back by circumstances beyond their control. This episode is essential listening for aspiring lawyers, employers, educators and anyone interested in making the legal profession more accessible and inclusive.

July 28, 202640 min

An Interview with Fiona Sasan: Domestic Abuse Through a Family Law Lens

In this episode of the SYLA Podcast, we sit down with Fiona Sasan, one of Scotland's leading family lawyers, to explore domestic abuse through a family law lens. Fiona is a Partner and Head of the Glasgow Family Law team at Morton Fraser MacRoberts (MFMac), with more than 35 years' experience advising clients on complex divorce, child law and relationship breakdown cases. She is an accredited Family Law Specialist, Family Law Arbitrator and Collaborative Practitioner, widely recognised for her expertise in high-value and cross-border family disputes. Drawing on her extensive experience, Fiona discusses the realities of domestic abuse beyond physical violence, including coercive control, psychological abuse and financial control. The conversation examines how abuse can shape separation and divorce proceedings, the challenges faced by vulnerable clients, and the importance of recognising power imbalances that may not be immediately visible. We also explore the intersection between domestic abuse and financial matters, including the impact of divorce on pensions, economic vulnerability and the ways in which financial abuse can manifest across all social and economic backgrounds. Fiona shares her insights on supporting clients through some of the most difficult periods of their lives and offers valuable advice for junior lawyers entering family law practice.

April 17, 202631 min

Navigating Scotland’s Legal Landscape and Opportunities

Professional Insight & Educational Outreach: We're exploring the heart of the Scottish legal system right here in Edinburgh. For those of you navigating your early legal careers, the path to the Bar can often feel like a distant or mysterious goal. To help demystify this journey, we are joined today by a member of the Faculty of Advocates, Mark Boni . Our guest has navigated the rigors of devilling and now practices at the highest levels of the Scottish courts. We’ll be discussing their personal journey, the reality of life as an Advocate, and how you, as students or junior lawyers, can engage with the legal landmarks of Edinburgh.

March 13, 20260 min

test

April 17, 202531 min

Changing Discipline with Julie Nixon and Chiara Pieri

In this episode, we are joined by Julie Nixon Partner at TLT and Chiara Pieri, Associate at CMS. Together we discuss how the traditional boundaries of law are shifting and why you don't need to feel confined to a single area of practice. We explore practical tips for adapting within the legal field and the importance of embracing change. Thank you to our listeners for tuning into another episode of the SYLA podcast!

April 2, 202447 min

Being a Woman in Law with Naomi Pryde

In this episode, host Sophie Campbell is joined by guest Naomi Pryde. Naomi shares stories from her own life and career, and discusses her experience of being a woman in the legal profession. Naomi speaks candidly about work-life balance, how to avoid burnout, and steps that junior lawyers can take to set boundaries. Naomi also discusses the Mindful Business Charter and how the pandemic has changed attitudes in the profession to flexible ways of working. Thank you to our listeners for tuning into another episode of the SYLA Podcast.

March 11, 202418 min

Writing a Private Law dissertation...with Janeen Carruthers

In this podcast episode, host Aman Uppal is joined by guest Janeen Carruthers to discuss the process of writing a private law dissertation. Janeen explores how to tackle writing a private law dissertation and what contributes to a well written dissertation in this area, whilst also giving practical writing advice to students embarking on their dissertations.

December 21, 202321 min

Writing a Public Law Dissertation... with Professor Alison Britton

In this podcast episode, host Aman Uppal is joined by guest Professor Alison Britton to discuss the process of writing a public law dissertation. Professor Britton explores how best to navigate this writing process and the things to try and avoid when doing so, whilst giving helpful and practical advice for students who are or will be writing a dissertation in this area of law. This is part two of our four-part series on writing a dissertation, so be sure to tune into the third instalment where we discuss writing a private law dissertation.

December 19, 202332 min

Writing a Dissertation...with Dr Nick McKerrell

In this podcast episode, host Aman Uppal is joined by guest Dr Nick McKerrell to discuss some general hints and tips for writing a legal dissertation. Dr McKerrell explores the common issues students find themselves facing when writing a dissertation and gives helpful advice on how to avoid the pitfalls during the writing process. This is just part one of our four-part series on writing a dissertation, so be sure to tune into part 2 where we hone in on the specific area of public law and the process of writing a dissertation in that area.

October 31, 202344 min

Men's Mental Health...with James McFarlane (part2)

Welcome to the SYLA Podcast, proudly sponsored by TLT. In this episode, Amina and Brianella dive into Part 2 of SYLA's Men's Mental Health series, joined by the insightful James McFarlane. Together, they explore the significance of embracing failure, fostering accountability in mental health, and navigating the pitfalls of toxic productivity. Thank you for tuning in to the SYLA Podcast. For those interested in joining James's men's well-being group, please reach out to legalmenswellbeing@outlook.com. For additional support, contact LawCare: Emotional Support Helpline: 0800 279 6888 Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm If you're unable to call during these hours, please email support@lawcare.org.uk, and LawCare will make every effort to arrange alternative support for you.