Martin Whitehorn

Martin is a former chair of the Surrey Junior Lawyers Division, which he kept active during the pandemic lockdowns.

He changed its focus to include supporting access to the profession, providing a community and support network to isolated junior and aspiring solicitors. Surrey Junior Lawyers Division has thrived since, compared to many other junior lawyer groups which fell dormant.

Being named a national Legal Hero by in 2023 has been a continuation of Martin’s efforts to support aspiring and junior solicitors, including helping Ukrainian lawyers with their CVs and job applications, championing neurodivergence in the legal profession and assisting junior lawyers in difficult situations.

An active European Young Bar Association member, in 2023 he briefed the Danish lawyers’ union Djøf Advokat (on the use of pro bono by our jurisdiction’s international law firms as a means of improving employee wellbeing) to inform its working group on this topic with the Danish Association of Law Firms (Danske Advokater).