A CRIMINAL lawyer at the largest law firm in North Wales has been accredited as a duty solicitor.
Chloe Young of Gamlins Law has passed the rigorous assessments to achieve the Law Society’s Criminal Litigation Accreditation.
The accreditation is required to represent defendants at magistrates courts when they do not have a solicitor of their own.
Chloe, 30, is unusual in that the vast majority of duty solicitors are male with an average age of over 50 and less than 4% are under the age of 35.
There have been numerous concerns raised in recent years about the shortage of younger duty solicitors coming through and the threat to a fair access to justice for those who have been charged and due to appear at magistrates’ court.
Chloe joined Gamlins Law a year ago, becoming part of the firm’s nine-strong team which is regularly included in the prestigious Chambers UK Legal Guide.
Chloe said: “There were two stages to the accreditation process, the first providing a detailed portfolio of 25 cases where I had represented clients in the magistrates’ court while the second stage was a role play via video link in which I had to handle three different scenarios, demonstrating my skills interacting with clients and in the court room.
“I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a criminal lawyer and sought out work experience whenever I could.
“I’m delighted to have now gained the accreditation as a duty solicitor. I love that every day is different and acting on such a diverse range of cases.
“It is worrying that there is a growing shortage of duty solicitors, but I would encourage more people to consider it. Every client deserves a fair access to justice and, for many people, the criminal justice system can be daunting, making the need for legal representation even more important to help defendants understand what is happening.”
Dafydd Roberts, a Gamlins Law director and head of the criminal team, said: “It is great that Chloe has gained her accreditation enabling her to act as a duty solicitor. She is bucking the trend in this area where there is a worrying shortage of lawyers choosing to work.
“Unlike other firms in the region and elsewhere, we are continuing to grow our criminal law team, developing young talent and ensuring that clients have access to the best possible legal representation.”
Gamlins Law, which employs over 85 people, has its head office at Morfa Hall in Rhyl and further offices in Mold, Ruthin, Denbigh, Abergele and Holywell.
Gamlins Law offers a comprehensive range of legal services including commercial, commercial and residential property, employment law, family and matrimonial, children, personal injury and clinical negligence, criminal, regulatory, litigation, inheritance tax, wills and probate.
For more information, visit the Gamlins Law website.