Elizabeth McAlpine is a trainee solicitor within Livingstone Brown’s Specialist Litigation Department based in the Glasgow city office.  Elizabeth joined the firm in 2023, and has extensive experience in client-facing jobs, including as a paralegal in another Glasgow criminal defence firm.

Elizabeth holds a Master of Arts Joint Honours degree in Geography and International Relations from the University of Aberdeen, with special interests in human rights, international security, and Middle Eastern politics. Elizabeth also obtained a Bachelor of Laws (Accelerated Graduate Entry) with Distinction, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Professional Legal Practice, from the University of Glasgow. During her time at Glasgow University, Elizabeth was awarded the Shaw Stewart Jubilee Memorial Prize in Scots Law and was accepted to the Faculty of Advocates Mini Devilling Scheme 2022/23. In her role as a Mini-Devil, Elizabeth shadowed counsel and gained first-hand experience of complex and high-profile criminal and civil cases, including the Sheku Bayoh Public Inquiry.

Elizabeth’s public inquiry work has continued at Livingstone Brown, following the firm’s appointment to the Post Office Horizon IT Public Inquiry as legal representative for Core Participant, Susan Sinclair. Elizabeth was part of a small, dedicated team seeking to investigate the experience of subpostmasters who were prosecuted under Scottish criminal procedure, and examine the interplay between the Post Office, as a former Specialist Reporting Agency, and COPFS as Scotland’s independent prosecutorial body. She undertook a microscopic review of available evidence and documents to ensure pertinent questions were asked of witnesses at inquiry hearings.  Elizabeth now represents a number of former subpostmasters, and their families, across the various compensation schemes established by the Post Office and UK Government. She is committed to ensuring her clients are adequately compensated for the suffering caused as a result of this national scandal.

In addition to her civil work, Elizabeth’s criminal experience spans across white-collar and violent crime, having instructed junior and senior counsel in complex criminal cases in the Sheriff and High Courts.

Elizabeth is also experienced in assisting clients who have themselves been the victims of crime by making representations to police inviting them to investigate criminal activity.

In her spare time, Elizabeth enjoys keeping active at Pilates and spin classes.