david paton

I volunteered at a rural Costa Rican based NGO where I helped protect endangered turtles from extinction.

I currently tutor the undergraduate courses "Public Law in the UK And Scotland" and "Public Law And Individual Rights". My duties include: leading class seminars; preparing and undertaking research In advance of tutorials; marking assessments; providing feedback and supporting students. I am also a qualified adviser at the Edinburgh University Free Legal Advice Centre (FLAC) where I assist students in giving legal advice to members of the public. As part of this role I also assisted in the piloting of a Small Claims Introductory course aimed at senior students. I assisted in the development of the course materials and assisted in delivering the session.

My role is to engage in the law reform process so as to promote the interests of the solicitors’ profession. I am responsible for a number of law reform committees including Mental Health and Diability, Family Law, Charity Law and Trusts and Succession. My main duties relate to responding to law reform proposals from Westminster, Holyrood, Brussels and the UN. This involves tracking proposed legislative changes, preparing agendas and clerking committee meetings. In a Scottish context this includes responding to Bill consultations, submitting written and oral evidence to the relevant parliamentary committee, preparing a Stage One brief for MSPs and drafting and lodging amendments at Stages 2 and 3 of the legislative process.

* I worked as a Litigation solicitor where I undertook a wide range of commercial and public law instructions in the Sheriff Court and Court of Session. I had a varied caseload which included:- sale of goods disputes on behalf of leading high street retailers * judicial reviews, debt and rent recovery proceedings, sequestration proceedings * intellectual property enforcement action * defamation advice * ad hoc human rights advice * and assisting in the administration of one of the UK’s leading football clubs. Other responsibilities included: appearing on behalf of clients in Sheriff Courts throughout Scotland * drafting Summons and Initial Writs, attending client meetings * consultations with Counsel * covering Counsel * and supervising and providing training to trainees.

* I undertook an internship at the UK's leading freedom of expression organisation - Index on Censorship. My duties included: writing daily updates on worldwide freedom of speech issues including drafting a report on super-injunctions * helping to organise external events * contributing to Index on Censorship’s libel reform campaign * and meeting MPs to help facilitate greater free speech in Belarus.

* I undertook an intern with my local MSP Karen Gillon. My responsibilities included: shadowing meetings * carrying out research, working the switchboard * corresponding with constituents * document filing * and attending various site visits around the constituency.

First Class Dissertation on the Euopean Court of Human Rights approach when freedom of expression conflicts with religious sensibilities

Dissertation with Distinction on the political, philosophical and legal implications of increasingly protecting the private lives of public figures at the expense of freedom of expression