First graduate of Kirk Murdoch Scholarship fitting tribute to admired Scots lawyer

The first student to graduate from a scholarship scheme set up in memory of the high-profile lawyer Kirk Murdoch has started a traineeship at legal heavyweight Pinsent Masons.

Emilia Gordon - the first graduate of the Kirk Murdoch Scholarship - is now a trainee at legal giant Pinsent Masons.

Emilia Gordon, who is dual qualified in Scots and English law after graduating from the University of Dundee, has joined the firm in London and will initially be working within its pensions team. The scholarship was set up to help promising students from less advantaged backgrounds and who traditionally would have difficulty in accessing a career in law.

Kirk Murdoch was chairman of Pinsent Masons in Scotland and Northern Ireland when he passed away in 2017 and during a 35-year legal career played a pivotal role in the development of Scottish legacy firm McGrigors, which merged with Pinsent Masons in 2012.

The scholarship supports the Law Society of Scotland charity, Lawscot Foundation, and provides students with career mentoring, financial support and offers summer vacation work placements, with the opportunity of being offered a traineeship following graduation.

Gordon’s first vacation placement with Pinsent Masons’ Glasgow office was virtual due to pandemic restrictions but it led to her being awarded a training contract. She said: “My second placement was with the pensions team which was really good experience and gave me an insight into an area of law which I would not have previously considered. It affirmed the fact that I really wanted to work here, and knowing people on the pensions team has made the whole experience of starting my traineeship a lot less nerve-racking.”

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