Sarah Poyntell LaBudde Wolffe, Lady Wolffe is an American-born Scottish lawyer and judge who is currently a professor at the University of Strathclyde. She previously served as

Senator of the College of Justice The senators of the College of Justice are judges of the College of Justice, a set of legal institutions involved in the administration of justice in Scotland. There are three types of senator: Lords of Session (judges of the Court of Session); ...

from 2014 to 2021. Wolffe was the first US-born member of the

Scottish judiciary The judiciary of Scotland are the judicial office holders who sit in the courts of Scotland and make decisions in both civil and criminal cases. Judges make sure that cases and verdicts are within the parameters set by Scots law, and they ...

and the first woman appointed as a Commercial Judge in the

Court of Session The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland and constitutes part of the College of Justice; the supreme criminal court of Scotland is the High Court of Justiciary. The Court of Session sits in Parliament House in Edinburgh ...

Early life

Sarah Poyntell LaBudde was born in the United States, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. In 1987, she moved to England and studied at

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...

. The same year, she met

James Wolffe Walter James Wolffe FSAScot FRIAS (born 20 December 1962) is a Scottish advocate who served as Lord Advocate from 2016 to 2021. He previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Advocates from 2014 to 2016, and Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Advo ...

and they married. They both moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, and she studied at the University of Edinburgh, gaining an

LLB Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the China, People's Republic ...

in 1989 and a

Diploma in Legal Practice A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...

the following year.

Early career

Wolffe then qualified as a solicitor in 1992. She became a member of the Faculty of Advocates in 1994. From 1996 to 2008 Wolffe was standing junior counsel to the Department of Trade and Industry and its successor departments. Since 2007 she acted as an ad hoc

advocate depute The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is the independent public prosecution service for Scotland, and is a Ministerial Department of the Scottish Government. The department is headed by His Majesty's Lord Advocate, who under the S ...

. In 2008, she was appointed a Queen's Counsel.

Senator of the College of Justice

Nomination and appointment

Wolffe became a member of the Outer House in March 2014.

Tenure

In September 2021, Wolffe announced her intention to step down as judge in the

Academic career

On 20 September 2021, Wolffe took up the position of Professor of Practice at the University of Strathclyde's Law School, where she teaches civil justice and commercial law. She is also an

Honorary Professor Honorary titles (professor, reader, lecturer) in academia may be conferred on persons in recognition of contributions by a non-employee or by an employee beyond regular duties. This practice primarily exists in the UK and Germany, as well as in m ...

of the University of Edinburgh.

Personal life

In 1987, she married

KC, the Lord Advocate from 2016 to 2021. They have two sons.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wolffe, Sarah P. L. Living people

Wolffe Wolffe is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Alan Wolffe (1959–2001), British cell biologist * Jabez Wolffe (1876–1943), British swimmer who attempted to swim the English Channel many times * James Wolffe (born 1962), Scotti ...

Year of birth missing (living people) Scottish solicitors Scottish King's Counsel 21st-century King's Counsel American emigrants to Scotland Scottish women judges 21st-century Scottish judges University School of Milwaukee alumni 21st-century American women judges 21st-century American judges Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom 21st-century British women lawyers 21st-century British women judges