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Diane Lane: “Although my outcome was good, I still had to believe I was part of a good team and it helped me with confidence and coping with the length of time of the whole incident. I would like to say how professional and sharp this lady is with good and straight advice.”
Background Diane has been a member of the Criminal department at Goodhand & Forsyth since March 2000. She has recently qualified as a Solicitor but already has a very thorough working knowledge of Criminal Law, having completed all her legal examinations whilst working full time. She has been an Accredited Police Station Representative for the firm since 2005. What has been your most memorable day at Goodhand & Forsyth? The end of any trial I have been involved with is always a memorable occasion as by that point I will have built up a relationship with my client and be almost as anxious as they are to hear the verdict. If I had to point to a specific occasion it would be when a jury returned a not guilty verdict after deliberating for only 20 minutes in a rape trial. We had all worked so hard to prepare the case and the client was so relieved when he heard the verdict. What has been your worst day? I think that would have to be when I attended the police station for the first time on my own and ended up there for a full 24 hours! It really made me appreciate though what an emotional and exhausting time it is for clients when they are being questioned and how important it is to have a representative there to offer advice. What made you want to become a lawyer? My brother died when he was just 25 years old and I remember how difficult it was for my family to work out what the legal position was on his death concerning who his next of kin was and what was going to happen as he didn’t have a will. In the end I thought that the easiest way was to find out for myself by studying law! I also wanted to try and prevent others being just as confused when their lives are affected by legal issues which can happen to us all and happen when you least expect it. What qualities do you think a Criminal Lawyer needs to have? I think you need to be able to be sympathetic towards clients and their predicaments. Often events can spiral out of control be that on a night out or with your next door neighbours even and people who have never been in trouble before can find themselves at the police station or before a Court. A good Criminal Lawyer however also needs to be able to give realistic advice to their client. What job would you have done if you hadn’t become a lawyer? I always wanted to be a vet as I liked animals until I found out that I was allergic to cats and that I don’t like the smell of dogs! Diane’s recent cases have included the following types of offence: Indecent images of children, conspiracy to supply drugs, rape, theft She has also recently attended the following courses: Professional Skills Course prior to qualifying; Computer evidence in relation to indecent images “Although certain disclosure on the morning of the trial confirmed my story – Diane backed me all the way – she believed me.” Please click here to return to the Criminal Litigation Section. |
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