NLJ career profile: Suzanne Lee

What was your route into the profession?

I left school with very few qualifications and initially held management roles at Kodak, and then went on to consumer goods giant Unilever. It was the 1970s and you didn’t necessarily need a degree in order to secure a good job or build a career.

I then started a family and was a stay-at-home mother until 1990, when I took the decision to begin the long road to qualify as a solicitor. Juggling two children, I did a four-year, part-time law degree at the University of Wolverhampton. I did this for two nights every week while working in paid employment with Citizen Advocacy.

What has been your biggest career challenge so far?

The biggest and best challenge was taking on the role of managing director at mfg Solicitors. It was an extremely proud chapter in my career to lead the firm’s development and growth, and to ensure we built on its exceptional reputation.

During my tenure, I am proud of how much I achieved alongside the management board, which included the conclusion of three high-profile mergers and, of course, steering the firm safely through the crisis of the Covid epidemic.

If you weren’t a lawyer, what would you choose as an alternate career?

Without a doubt, I’d love to have been a chef. I adore cooking and trying new recipes. It’s something I’ll be indulging in far more during my retirement.

Who is your favourite fictional lawyer?

I could name a few, but one who stands out is Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee from A Few Good Men, the 1992 American legal drama. For those who don’t know, he was a Navy lawyer and the plot follows the court martial of two Marines charged with the murder of a fellow Marine. The role was played superbly by Tom Cruise and took you on a rollercoaster of the case’s trials and tribulations.

What change would you make to the profession?

For me, that has to be improvements around continuous learning and development. I believe there should be accessible training courses at all levels which focus on the importance of having integrity, both as lawyers and as human beings.

How do you relax?

As I mentioned earlier, I am hugely passionate about cooking. Linked to that, I also love hosting dinner parties. Sewing is also another way I relax and I look forward to doing more of that in the months and years ahead!