Caroline Erentz is a WS Affiliate member and has been awarded Trainee Solicitor of the Year at Business Women Scotland’s Women in Law Awards 2026.
As a WS Summer Scholar in 2023, a Student Member and now an Affiliate Member of the Society, the WS Society has been delighted to be part of your legal career to date. Please tell us about your journey to law and some of the highlights.
This is a lovely question and please let me tell you for the umpteenth time how grateful I am to everyone at The WS Society.
My journey to law is a non-conventional one. I did not intentionally follow the plot of Legally Blonde, though I studied International Fashion Branding and Marketing, then worked in the fashion industry for a decade, before studying the Accelerated LLB in 2022. My twenties were spent having a lot of fun in creative roles, but I continually felt like I was craving a career which was more in line with my underlying personal values. My ambition to pursue law was then sparked by my experience as an essential witness in a High Court case. I was supported by a particularly inspirational Prosecutor, who gave me a real insight into the impact and responsibility of the role. I guess you could say I moved from one side of the courtroom to the other and in doing that, found the thing I was always meant to do.
There have been so many highlights to that journey...
I will list the three which are particularly special:
During the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice at the University of Glasgow, I joined the Emma Ritch Law Clinic. Through this, I was part of the legal team representing an intervention made on behalf of Rape Crisis Scotland, before the UK Supreme Court in October 2024. This experience provided a rare opportunity as a student to engage directly with litigation at the most senior judicial level. I had the privilege of observing advocacy of the highest calibre and learning from some of Scotland’s most distinguished legal professionals.
Being named as a co-contributor to the ‘Trauma Informed Justice, Knowledge and Skills Framework for Working With Victims and Witnesses,’ (2023) developed by NHS Education for Scotland. That then led to giving evidence to the Criminal Justice Committee as part of the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025. I have since been actively involved in the practical implementation of this, delivering training to a variety of agencies including The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, The Judicial Institute for Scotland, The Law Society of Scotland, Police Scotland, Victim Support Scotland, and Victim Information and Advice. Scotland has been proactive as a jurisdiction in adopting this approach and I have seen real progress in terms of embedding trauma informed practice in to our civil and criminal courts. I value the opportunity to have contributed to this development and to the progression of a more informed and compassionate justice system.
Prior to commencing my traineeship, I served for two years as Patient Advocate to Scotland’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARCS) Network. During this time, I supported the enhancement of service delivery standards in a national role, delivered in partnership with the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland. This work aligned with the implementation of the Forensic Medical Services (Victims of Sexual Offences) (Scotland) Act 2021, which introduced self‑referral pathways and strengthened survivor centred access to forensic medical care. It was a great privilege to work alongside multidisciplinary healthcare and forensic teams, where combined expertise is fundamental to the effective translation of policy to meaningful practice.
You recently won Trainee Solicitor of the Year at Business Women Scotland’s Women in Law Awards 2026. Congratulations! What advice would you give to someone seeking or starting a traineeship?
Thank you! This was the inaugural year of the awards, so it felt particularly meaningful to be part of this long‑overdue celebration of the talented and inspiring women working across Scotland’s legal profession. I was not expecting to win, given the exceptional standard of nominees doing remarkable work.
My advice to anyone seeking or starting a traineeship is to take time to reflect on the kind of lawyer you want to become, as well as the kind of life you want to build alongside that career. From there, actively seek out opportunities that align with those professional and personal goals. The legal profession offers a wide range of internships, placements, and experiential learning opportunities, many of which only become apparent when one looks beyond the most conventional or established pathways. I would encourage prospective trainees not to be unduly influenced by external pressures to secure a traineeship prematurely, but instead to prioritise an informed understanding of the type of work that will offer long‑term fulfilment. Having pursued a full career in another sector prior to entering the legal profession, I gained invaluable transferable skills, perspective and life experience. Time spent working in other sectors, or travelling, can be equally formative and just as rewarding as following the more standard route to law directly from school.
Professional relationships are of considerable importance, and I would encourage aspiring lawyers to engage thoughtfully and authentically with everyone they encounter. Simple human practices, such as approaching conversations with curiosity and making others feel at ease in your presence, can have a lasting and meaningful impact. During my studies, I was fortunate to connect with highly motivated individuals, united by a shared belief in the potential of law to contribute positively to society. People like that naturally inspire and support those around them. I feel grateful to be entering the profession alongside those colleagues who have since become lifelong friends - and it all started by simply making conversation in the classroom.
On that note, I have been fortunate to benefit from the guidance of outstanding lecturers who, over the course of my studies, also became valued mentors. Among them are academics who have authored leading textbooks in their respective fields, as well as practitioners with highly distinguished professional careers. Several have since become my colleagues, underscoring the collegiate nature of the profession. Scotland’s universities provide exceptional opportunities to engage directly with first‑hand legal knowledge shared by those actively shaping legal scholarship and practice. I would advise any prospective lawyer to make the most of that. I have peers whose academic engagement and performance impressed their tutors to such an extent, that they were subsequently offered traineeships and doctoral opportunities.
Finally, I recently read the phrase “enjoy the process of becoming” and it has stayed with me. Qualifying in law is a long game and there are many different routes into the profession. Enjoy the journey, because who you become along the way matters just as much as where you ultimately end up.
You are currently on secondment in in The Netherlands - how has working in an international legal environment contributed to your development, and how do you see cross-border experience influencing your future practice?
Working in an international legal environment has been profoundly formative for my professional development. For the past three months, I have had the privilege of working as the Scottish representative and secondee to the UK Liaison Prosecutor at Eurojust in The Hague. In this role, I represent Scotland’s legal interests within international, cross‑border criminal investigations and prosecutions. The position carries a significant degree of responsibility, and I am deeply grateful to my employer for entrusting me with work of such importance.
The secondment has exposed me to complex, high‑profile cases, requiring regular engagement with the legislation and procedural frameworks of multiple jurisdictions. Working alongside judicial and prosecutorial counterparts from across Europe and beyond has strengthened my understanding of international cooperation mechanisms and demonstrated, in practice, how effective mutual legal assistance can be achieved. Witnessing diplomacy in action, while being part of an organisation that convenes justice partners from around the globe, has been intellectually rigorous, professionally inspiring, and genuinely transformative.
Living and working in the ‘Place of Peace’ has set an exceptionally high bar for the future. My time at Eurojust has embedded a deep appreciation of the procedural, cultural, and institutional differences that can either facilitate or impede effective international cooperation. Crucially, it has reinforced the importance of clarity, sensitivity, and care in communication, and how thoughtful engagement can bridge legal and cultural divides. These insights will undoubtedly inform how I approach all my cases in the future.
Equally important, the experience has reaffirmed for me that justice is, at its core, about people. Being based in The Hague during the 80th anniversary of the International Court of Justice, visiting institutions such as the Peace Palace and the International Criminal Court, and attending the Symposium on Victims’ Rights in May has grounded my understanding of law and justice in terms of the human impact. The Symposium’s focus on the procedural rights of cross‑border victims served as a reminder of the human dimension underlying international justice, and of the meaning and responsibility inherent in this work. I see it as a real honour to work in this sector.
What would you say to any lawyer or future lawyer considering WS membership?
Participation in the Summer Scholars Programme had a lasting impact on my professional practice, substantially developing my confidence in both legal research and presentation. I remember on my last day as a Summer Scholar, the ever-enigmatic James Hamilton (Research Principal) warmly telling our team that we were now official members of the “WS family.” It really has felt that way ever since.
It was a particularly meaningful experience to share my Admission Ceremony with my closest friends and introduce them to none other than Lady Elish Angiolini, whose career has long stood as an inspiring example of leadership and excellence for women in the legal profession.
Scotland has a distinctive legal history, and WS membership offers a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in it. Whether through time spent in The Signet Library, or through participation in an institution with such an enduring heritage, members play an active role in keeping this legacy alive. Beyond this, the preservation of legal libraries carries a broader responsibility to future generations - a task rendered even more vital in the context of an increasingly digitising world.
I am a big believer in “romanticising your life.” For me that means stepping away from screens, reading from books, making notes with a fountain pen, and appreciating the atmosphere around me. There is no better setting for that than The Commissioners Room, surrounded by some of the oldest texts on criminal law and that unmistakable smell of books - which I recently learned is called ‘bibliosmia.’
Finally, a key highlight of membership is the opportunity to join Special Interest Groups. I am a member of the Art SIG and recently joined the Book Club. Participation in these groups has provided a welcome reminder to maintain interests and balance, alongside the demands of a legal career.