A director in Switalskis child abuse department, Amy represents victims of child abuse to achieve justice. Her specialism is child sexual exploitation and grooming.
Amy heads a team of lawyers dealing with the high-profile Rotherham grooming scandal. This work is highly specialised and complex. The team’s work brought the failings of the Local Authority and South Yorkshire Police into the national spotlight. In 2019 Amy won the Rising Star of the Year Award at the Modern Law Awards and went on to win the Lawyer of the Year at the Modern Law Awards in 2023. She was also been shortlisted for Rising Star at the Yorkshire Legal Awards 2021 and Rising Star at the Legal 500 Northern Powerhouse Awards 2024.
Amy is the firm’s Training Principal and supports Switalskis cohort of Graduate Solicitor Apprentices. As part of this role, she organises in-house training for junior members of the firm. She is also a Mental and Physical Health First Aider and is an advocate for positive mental health practices.
Outside of work Amy is currently a Council Member for Yorkshire and Humberside and is the Education Representative for the Yorkshire Union of Law Societies. Amy has worked with various local Junior Lawyers Divisions and was elected as the Chair of the Junior Lawyers Division of The Law Society of England and Wales for the year 2018-19 representing approximately 75,000 junior lawyers. During her term she concentrated on sexual harassment and bullying, mental health and protections for junior lawyers in light of recent high –profile decisions (at that time) of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal to strike-off junior lawyers. Amy continues to take a keen interest in ensuring that the profession remains diverse, accessible and develops talent.
What does “paving the way” for future generations mean to you?
“Paving the way, to me, means leading by example, being a part of positive change and ensuring that all aspiring lawyers are encouraged and supported through their journey into our profession in order to harness the very best talent.
In recent years we have begun to see a much more diverse legal profession. A more diverse and accessible legal profession means that we can better service our clients, from all walks of life. Being from a low socio-economic background, with no connections or contacts, I found it quite difficult to find my home in the legal profession. I’d like to ensure that is not the case for future generations.”
