Highland hopes rest on Inverness paralegal named a finalist in the Scottish Legal Awards
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Inverness paralegal Donna Clark has been shortlisted for the paralegal of the year title at the annual Scottish Legal Awards event.
A member of Inverness law firm Macleod and MacCallum’s private client, wills and future planning department she is the only Highland finalist in the 17 categories, although national law firm Harper Macleod, which has an office in Inverness, is a finalist for firm of the year.
This is the second year in succession that Mrs Clark has made it to the final three in the category, but says it will be the last.
“Next year I will be retiring, so I’m not going to go for third-time lucky,” she said.
“I think they are really just looking for you to be good at your job and know what you are doing and have some empathy.
"In my job I deal mostly with people who have lost somebody, so they are probably looking for somebody who is good with clients and has a bit of insight into the firm and how it works.”
Mrs Clark, who was nominated by her colleagues, has worked in a legal environment since leaving Inverness High School.
She qualified as a Scottish law accountant in 1994, completing the course while still working full-time and looking after three children, and joined Macleod and MacCallum in June 2016 after it took over fellow city firm MacNeill and Critchley.
“I enjoy the work. It’s very interesting. There are no two cases the same. There can be a few that are quite easy and the next one can be challenging,” she said.
Macleod and MacCallum director Peter Mason said: “I am delighted that Donna has been shortlisted for such a prestigious national award, which is a well-deserved recognition for all of her hard work over many years, helping our clients at an often difficult time for them.”
Winners will be announced on March 19 in Glasgow.
