Law and Leadership: Opening of the Academic Year
Location:
MacLaren Stuart Room,
Old College
Date/time
Mon 28 September 2026
17:30-20:00
Edinburgh Law School warmly invites students, alumni, colleagues and members of the public to its opening-of-the-academic-year event: a panel discussion on Law and Leadership.
A legal education can lead to leadership in many settings: within legal practice, the judiciary, public service, business, universities, charities and communities. At a time when the legal profession is being reshaped by technological change, including artificial intelligence, alongside wider social, economic and environmental challenges, the capacity to exercise thoughtful, ethical and effective leadership matters more than ever.
This discussion brings together speakers whose careers demonstrate the varied ways in which legal knowledge, professional judgement and public responsibility can inform leadership. The panel will reflect on what leadership looks like in legal settings and beyond them; what, if anything, is distinctive about leadership grounded in law; and how students and early-career professionals can develop the skills, confidence and values needed to lead in changing times.
Chair
- Honorary Professor Jacquelyn MacLennan FRSE
Speakers
- Professor Lesley McAra CBE FRSE
- The Rt Hon Lord Carloway
This event launches Edinburgh Law School’s 2026–27 Law and Leadership series: a programme of events for alumni, students and friends of the School exploring leadership across the legal profession and the many fields in which law graduates contribute.
Attendance is free, but advance registration is required.