Employee Spotlight on James Hamilton

For many, James Hamilton is the heartbeat of the Signet Library. James has provided the research function at the WS Society since 2012, coming to us with a wealth of experience in academic and research archives in London and Edinburgh. A history graduate from the University of Oxford, he is a frequent speaker and presenter on historic subjects.

Sarah Leask recently sat down with James to discuss his career to date.

You have had a fascinating and varied career, to date, tell us a bit about it?

It was nearly the Church, and even more nearly teaching: I turned down a job at a major English public school to enter the public library service in London, in Chelsea at first and then in Ladbroke Grove. Part of my duties in that period involved maintaining the little library in Grenfell Nursery near the foot of Grenfell Tower. I was an eyewitness in the course of duty to the Aldwych bus bombing in 1996 and three years later to the Paddington Rail Disaster (all day the silent closed roads, the procession of ambulances, the black column of smoke, the poisoned air). The children in my Homework Club lived in the flats overlooking the line and saw everything from their windows. By the time 7/7 took place I’d followed my interests away from libraries into the psychology world and self-employment, working with professionals and sportspeople, with an occasional sideline as a talking head for Sky and the BBC. The Crash ended all that just as I was really establishing myself, and after a period filling in at a university library, I followed my wife to Edinburgh.

What attracted you to work at the Signet Library?

“Midway upon the road of our life I found myself within a dark wood, for the right way had been missed.” Not long after arriving in Scotland, I turned 40.  I worked for brain tumour charities, took part in the Census, booked the calls at night for a Sighthill cab firm and built websites. Some of this was successful: the charity work elicited an invitation to the Queen’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. But I was spinning my wheels, and it was only when the WS Society came looking for someone to join their terrific team and take care of the basic library function for a couple of days per week that things really found traction again for me.

So far, what have been your highlights and special moments whilst working for the WS Society?

I’m incredibly proud of the way the WS Society executive team responded to the Covid emergency, but it’s what followed after that I’ll look back on - the remarkable day when all the Society’s hard work to attain charitable status finally won through, and then the chain of Signet200 events in 2022, all fitting with one another and contributing to one another. The culmination of it all was in CEO Robert Pirie’s autumn lecture which brought together everything the Society was about and aspired to. It was a privilege also to be a close bystander to the contribution of the former Keeper of the Signet, Lord Mackay, and the way his determination and dedication remade and re-established the Keeper’s role in the modern age as a vital and living symbol of the legal profession’s importance and potential. We’ve changed much behind the scenes: a new online catalogue, a separate online catalogue for the Society’s archive, vast swathes of the historic collection remapped, re-catalogued and rehoused, digitization and conservation programmes instituted, and we’ve promoted all of this through talks and lectures and the publication of articles. But coming from a public library background that had lost faith in itself, the real privilege for me has been to be involved with the WS Society at a time when it has been so intent on growth and endeavour. For years now my advice to young librarians has been “work for lawyers”.

Tell us some facts about the Signet Library and its resources, that people might not know?

Firstly, William Stark’s architecture here (the 1812 design behind the Signet Library) is wildly original. (And it is Stark’s building: all that’s left of Robert Reid’s design is the front elevation). It’s quite different from the usual run of Edinburgh neo-classicism and it’s absolutely convention-breaking in terms of Georgian library design. Secondly, the sheer scale of what’s here can get hidden somewhat behind all the splendour. The Signet Library is one of the largest private libraries in the UK and there is little outwith London to match it. The Library stock has increased by a third in the last 40 years, a rate of growth that matches any previous period in the Library’s history. We’ve regained our pre-war collection size. Thirdly, the collections here are, without doubt, in the top tier of their kind, world class and worthy of their surroundings, with so much that is unique and vital to national memory and international heritage. Persistence has made this widely known once again, and as a public “fact” it is a crucial element in the modern legal and social reputation of the WS Society.

How can members make the most of their membership, when it comes to library resources?

One of the things we’ve always recognised at the Signet Library is that the needs of the working lawyer are paramount, and we try to be as quick and easy to interface with in terms of firms’ daily needs as we can. A far wider spectrum of the Society uses the Library on a day-to-day basis now than ten years ago, and our awareness of the changing needs has broadened also in terms of provision of modern workspace close to the courts, meeting space and private study space. We’ve become a place once again which members see as a potential repository for the records of their firms or of the legal bodies and societies that they have participated in, and I would urge any member who is entrusted with the disposal of historic legal archives to bear us in mind.

Spotlight on Thomas Murdock WS

We are delighted to introduce our new feature, Spotlight. Spotlight will showcase WS members and WS employees.

Our first member is Thomas Murdock WS. Thomas is Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel EMEA at Blue Yonder and a WS Council member. We asked Thomas about law as a career, law in commercial tech and what being a member of the WS Society means to him.

What/who made you consider law as a career?

I actually moved into a graduate LLB after studying music at undergrad level, and my plan was to find a way of combining these two interests. But when I qualified in 2012 there wasn’t a great deal of opportunity for a Scots lawyer without the right connections to move into media law, plus there wasn’t really a media law presence in Scotland at that time. I took an NQ job at a venture capital plc specialising in tech startups in a very commercial role crossing business, tech and law, and the rest is history.

Law wasn’t actually my first choice of career, more of a pragmatic solution, and I don’t think it’ll be my only career. I’m really excited about portfolio careers, the agility and portability of skills in the workplace now and in the future. I think it’s fair to say that the legal profession was brought hesitantly into the 21st century and I think necessity will dictate that traditional roles will give way to something more dynamic, as the commercial landscape changes and integrated AI solutions become an accepted norm. Change is the only constant, and I’m excited about what the future holds.

What attracted you to work in commercial tech?

Something I came to realise as I got older was that I have a short attention span and can get bored easily, so moving into a dynamic area like tech made sense, since the landscape is constantly evolving. I also knew I was unsuited to private practice – the suit and tie, time-served, deferential thing just didn’t click with me. Tech companies seemed to have a more youthful, diverse, meritocratic outlook and so I fitted in much better with my growth/ disruptive mindset, particularly working in-house viewing everything through a commercial lens. For me, Tech was the antidote to what I’d experienced in private practice, and felt full of opportunity.

Tell us about your role and what a typical week looks like, for you?

I’m one of the three regional heads of legal in a global tech business with 7,000+ employees, so anything and everything can (and does) hit my desk within my EMEA purview. My team primarily focus on revenue transactions, negotiating complex and high value deals, but Blue Yonder is in a transformative period and so there’s no shortage of strategic projects to work on, like acquisitions, integration, go-to-market planning, training, and the usual in-house lawyer staple of implementing process (especially using tech) to grow and scale. I also look after EMEA housekeeping items like HR escalations, bricks and mortar management, and working with our global Privacy and Compliance leads to navigate and cascade EMEA-specific considerations amongst my team and the business.

How did you first come to hear about the WS Society and what made you want to become a member?

I first came to hear of the WS Society as a child, seeing ‘WS’ on law firm letterheads and wondering what it meant. Fast-forward to my traineeship and I remember discussing with one of the Edinburgh-based partners, who was a WS, about the Society and what it meant to them. Being a relative outsider, becoming a WS did feel something unattainable and like ‘part of the establishment’, but that posed an instant challenge and becoming a member was intriguing to me.

“My WS membership has extended my professional network, and provides a sense of belonging to a heritage where law, history, and culture interconnect and inform.”

After nearly 10 years of membership, in November 2023 I also became one of the WS Council members. The Council has an important consultative function in providing the Society’s Trustees with feedback on the Society’s activities, in pursuit of our charitable objects and providing subscriber engagement.

Being able to bring my experience to the table at the WS Society, both as a member and Council member, felt important to me. I’m an out gay man, and although that does not define me, being my authentic self has not always been easy in the workplace. Having experienced rejection, prejudice and both conscious and unconscious bias in my career, I’ve tried to take every opportunity to represent and advocate for diversity and inclusion within the roles that I’ve had, both employed and voluntary. I’ve found the WS Society to be open, inquisitive, inclusive and evolving to be fit for purpose now and in future.

In what way has the WS Society played a role in your career?

The WS Society offers professional, social and networking opportunities, both in Edinburgh and remotely, and has reconnected me with past colleagues. There’s also an excellent CPD programme, the extensive library itself – which can also be used as a great place for quiet working – and a variety of events throughout the year, for example when Senator John Kerry came to present last summer.

I’ve worked with a number of US and international tech companies since qualifying, and made some assertive career moves. Being a ‘WS’ has prompted questions and raised the profile of my Scots Law background amongst hiring managers, started interesting discussions and set me apart from other candidates. When potential employers understand more about the WS Society and the role it plays within the Legal profession in Scotland, it’s been seen as a positive differentiator.

What would you say to any lawyer considering WS membership?

My WS membership has extended my professional network, and provides a sense of belonging to a heritage where law, history, and culture interconnect and inform. The WS Society has changed a lot over the years and will continue to evolve, with a real focus on increasing diversity. In doing this, we hope to achieve a sense of belonging for our members. It’s crucial that we continue to attract and embrace lawyers with diversity of background, beliefs and journeys into law, and so I’d encourage anyone interested to visit the website or social media to find out more, and take the plunge.

If you would like to feature in a future Member Spotlight please contact Sarah Leask, Director, Engagement and Membership (sleask@wssociety.co.uk).