Ms Johnstone, of Thorntons Law LLP, was elected at the SLAS AGM on June 25 alongside Shelley Anthea Matheson, of Archibald Sharp, who became vice-president.

Andrew Stevenson, secretary of SLAS said: “I am delighted that Gemma and Shelley have been elected to these positions within SLAS Both have fresh ideas and are keen to take the society forward and to expand our role as the largest voluntary organisation of practitioners in Scotland. Both will also be serving as new trustees of the Scottish Solicitors’ Benevolent Fund, whose next meeting will be in September.

“Thanks also go to Darren Murdoch, who stepped down as president of SLAS after three years of sterling service, and to all the council members for their ongoing support and help. The profession faces challenges which make an independent representative body all the more vital.”

Ms Johnstone is an associate at Thorntons and completed her TCPD with SLAS during the pandemic when she was a trainee. She went on to qualify as a residential property solicitor then decided to retrain as a commercial property solicitor. She now works at Thorntons in Dundee. She was previously involved with Dundee International Law Society whilst at the University of Dundee.

Ms Matheson is a private client solicitor at Archibald Sharp & Son in Partick, Glasgow, where she advises clients on trusts, executries and estate planning. She chairs the Law Society of Scotland Journal Committee and also sits on the society’s Environmental Law Committee. Shelley completed her TCPD through SLAS at the Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow in 2023, is a WS Society affiliate and is currently undertaking STEP studies. Before returning to law she worked as a national newspaper journalist.