Mr Lennon calls to the bar having worked for a variety of human rights and equalities organisations. After completing his LLB, he was elected as a local councillor and has represented his community for since 2017. He trained at a leading Scottish litigation firm and a specialist asylum and human rights firm in Glasgow. He has excellent experience in human rights, immigration and asylum law. He also has experience and expertise in criminal defence, personal injury and public law.

Prior to calling to the bar, Ms McMillan worked as a procurator fiscal depute within the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for seven years. She prosecuted a variety of offences at both summary and solemn level. She has extensive experience dealing with complex cases that involve vulnerable witnesses and expert witnesses. During her devilling she continued to build on her extensive criminal knowledge with a particular focus on criminal appeals. She also gained exposure to immigration, professional negligence and public law.

Ms McQuade calls to the bar as a Scottish Council for Law Reporting and Lord Hope scholar. As a solicitor she had a busy and diverse mixed civil and criminal practice and gained a breadth of experience across many different areas of law, including commercial litigation, insolvency, employment, property, reparation, family and regulatory law. She also regularly appeared in sheriff courts all over Scotland, before a variety of tribunals, and instructed Counsel in the Court of Session and High Court. Since calling she continues to maintain interests across both criminal and civil practice.

Ms Young calls to the bar as a Lord Hope scholar. Prior to calling, she worked in a criminal defence and family law firm in Glasgow. She regularly represented clients in the Sheriff Court and in children’s referral proceedings. During devilling she continued to gain experience in criminal and family law and spent time at the Sheku Bayoh Public Inquiry.

Optimum Advocates stable director, Gillian Ross, said: “I am wishing them all a very successful career at the bar.” Angela Bath, Practice Manager said “I am looking forward to working with Martin, Mairi-Clare, Linzi and Iona as they begin their career at the Bar. They are all a very welcome addition to our stable.”