Sarah P. L. Wolffe, Lady Wolffe

Last updated

James Wolffe
(m. 1987)
Lady Wolffe
Lady Sarah P.L. Wolffe.jpg
Official portrait, 2014
Senator of the College of Justice
In office
2014–2021
Alma mater Dartmouth College
University of Edinburgh
Balliol College, Oxford

Sarah Poyntell LaBudde Wolffe, Lady Wolffe is an American-born Scottish lawyer and judge who is currently a Professor at the University of Strathclyde. She previously served as Senator of the College of Justice from 2014 to 2021. Wolffe was the first US-born member of the Scottish judiciary and the first woman appointed as a Commercial Judge in the Court of Session. [1]

Contents

Early life

Sarah Poyntell LaBudde was born in the United States, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. In 1987, she moved to England and studied at Balliol College, Oxford. The same year, she met James Wolffe and they married. They both moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, and she studied at the University of Edinburgh, gaining an LLB in 1989 and a Diploma in Legal Practice the following year. [2]

Early career

Wolffe then qualified as a solicitor in 1992. She became a member of the Faculty of Advocates in 1994. From 1996 to 2008 Wolffe was standing junior counsel to the Department of Trade and Industry and its successor departments. Since 2007 she acted as an ad hoc advocate depute. In 2008, she was appointed a Queen's Counsel. [3]

Senator of the College of Justice

Nomination and appointment

Wolffe became a member of the Outer House in March 2014. [4]

Tenure

In September 2021, Wolffe announced her intention to step down as judge in the Court of Session.

Academic career

On 20 September 2021, Wolffe took up the position of Professor of Practice at the University of Strathclyde's Law School, where she teaches civil justice and commercial law. [5] She is also an Honorary Professor of the University of Edinburgh. [6]

Personal life

In 1987, she married James Wolffe KC, the Lord Advocate from 2016 to 2021. They have two sons. [7]

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References

  1. "The Hon Lady Wolffe (Sarah Wolffe QC) - Judicial Office Holders - About the Judiciary - Judiciary of Scotland". www.scotland-judiciary.org.uk. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  2. "Faculty to host International Women's Day talk". Scottish Legal News. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  3. "Lady Wolffe". scts_judiciary. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  4. "Sarah Wolffe - General Council Assessor at The University of Edinburgh". THE ORG. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  5. "Lady Wolffe to leave the bench for Strathclyde chair". Law Society of Scotland. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  6. "Hon Lady Sarah PL Wolffe QC | Edinburgh Law School". www.law.ed.ac.uk. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  7. Wolffe, (Walter) James. Oxford University Press. 2018. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.247296. ISBN   978-0-19-954088-4.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)