Maxmillian Alexander Knowles Campbell

Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision

Maximillian Campbell, a junior solicitor at Slaughter & May, admitted dishonestly providing false information in a pupillage application to Erskine Chambers (claiming a double starred first degree and the Slaughter and May Prize) and then providing false information to his referee that he had not made the application and suspected a practical joke. He admitted all allegations and breaches of Principles 2, 4 and 5 and Paragraph 1.4. He argued exceptional circumstances based on a major depressive disorder, but the Tribunal found the dishonesty was deliberate, sustained and not isolated, and that his mental health did not reduce culpability sufficiently to establish exceptional circumstances. He was struck off and ordered to pay costs of £6,110.

Duties found breached:

• Non-discriminatory acceptance and cab-rank
• Good faith and courtesy to colleagues

Aggravating factors:

• Deliberate and positive act designed to gain advantage in selection process
• Sustained course of conduct, not a momentary lapse
• Multiple opportunities to correct the dishonesty during two interviews and communications with referee, but chose not to do so
• Fabricating academic achievements (double starred first degree, Slaughter and May Prize)

Mitigating factors:

• Junior solicitor, admitted March 2020, practising only two years at time of misconduct
• Conduct occurred during proposed career transition
• Self-report to the SRA shortly after events came to light
• Remorse and insight, full admission from the outset
• Full cooperation with regulatory process; not practised since April 2022
• Unblemished regulatory record
• Suffering from major depressive disorder at time of misconduct