Luke Rennie
The University of Glasgow is one of the oldest education institutions in the country. With over five hundred years of history, as students we are privileged to follow in the steps and learn in the same spaces as some of the finest minds in our country’s history. The University has worked to achieve greater equality and I hope it will continue to do so long after I have left and moved on to a career in the legal profession.
However, in recent weeks the ongoing struggle for equality throughout society has been clear. The protests across the world in relation to the BLM movement have highlighted the history of inequality that has existed in our society and institutions for generations. It raises questions for all of us, collectively and individually.
The depressing truth is that centuries of education have still not brought true equality to our societies. We might have come a long way in terms of institutional inequality throughout the last one hundred years, but there is a long way to go. I believe that, as lawyers, it is our duty to be at the forefront of change and to lead the charge towards true equality.
Aristotle once said, “The only stable state is the one which all men are equal before the law.” For me, this idea has never felt more true and I believe it should be a call to all those who work within the legal profession. As solicitors, judges, and lawmakers we must strive towards making society more equal for all. We need to examine how law can challenge poverty and discrimination and use it to hold governments accountable.
We also need to reckon with our past. Last year the University announced the payment of twenty million pounds in reparations due to its historical profiting from the slave trade. And it is also important that we now recognise the diverse pioneers in our University’s history. For example, Dr James McCune Smith was the first African American to receive a medical degree when he graduated from the university in 1837, having been refused admission to American Universities on account of his race. He went on to become one of the leading intellectuals and abolitionists upon his return to the USA.
Racial inequality is not the only inequality our society has faced throughout its history. Women for centuries have worked to achieve greater equality beside men. Aside from the law School’s own Madge Easton Anderson, we should remember our first female graduate in 1894, Marion Gilchrist, who was also one of the first female medical graduates from a Scottish University. These historical landmarks exemplify the importance of breaking down barriers.
On a personal level, I have been extremely fortunate. I didn’t face any real challenges in my progression from school to university. That being said, I am proud to be the first student of law in my family, and to have been a product of state education rather than private education. I know how lucky I am and I am grateful to the pioneers who made our University a diverse place.
The highlight of my degree would be my final year dissertation thesis, in which I advocated for corporations acting in manner which would result in greater equality. Throughout my studies I have seen fellow students campaign on issues of equality and I think that is one of the virtues that a legal education at the university gives people - the recognition of your own privilege and desire to use that privilege to help others.
At this moment in time, I do wonder what the future holds in terms of equality and diversity both in the university and wider society. So many factors play into how a society progresses in achieving equality. Politicians play an extremely prominent role in this and, at this moment, it feels that equality may be under threat. However, I do have faith that things will change and progress will be achieved and preserved. It was heartening, for example, in recent weeks, to see progressive US Supreme Court decisions on transgender employment rights and immigrant rights. These key decisions show the power of the judiciary and legal scholars to hold government accountable and protect the rights of citizens.
My experience of the University of Glasgow’s law degree has been both challenging and rewarding. There have been successes and failures, and the degree has moulded me into a person who not only seeks to better himself but also the society I live in. I have made fantastic friends and made wonderful memories whilst also learning from brilliant lecturers and tutors. I am proud to be in the University of Glasgow Law Class of 2020, because I am part of a privileged few and I have the chance to make a lasting impact on society.