We’re very different but I love to watch her succeed
Meghan Markle may have made most headlines when she left the classy American legal drama Suits, but my favourite character is Jessica Pearson, played by the excellent Gina Torres.
We certainly have different lives – she is African American and I am from a Scottish-Pakistani background – but her journey to the top of her firm intrigues me.
I’m pleased to see her in such a powerful, albeit fictional, position. Perhaps as a result of drive, determination and hard work, her gender or ethnic origins do not impede her success. She is also mentor to other characters and mentorship is integral to the Scottish Bar. When you’re devilling (training to become an advocate) you shadow an advocate and, although they’re technically training their competition, the relationship is quite intimate. You work so closely with them that sometimes it feels like you are literally their shadow. That collegiate atmosphere means you often rely on senior colleagues for advice. It’s good to know I can pick up the phone to ask more experienced advocates for advice.
Jessica is impressive; smart, capable and powerful. You don’t mess with her.
I imagine a woman like her has faced the same problems as me. Sadly, a lot of times I’ll turn up to the court room and people will assume I’m a witness or, more commonly, the interpreter before I have to make clear I’m the lawyer.
I like to think that with every encounter, I’m challenging stereotypes of what a typical lawyer looks like.