Hazel Mann

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

An unqualified clerk responded to an advertisement for a family solicitor post and accepted the role at Bennett and Ryan without disclosing she was not a qualified solicitor; her CV referred to having "retrained as a solicitor" and to articles of clerkship, and was found inadvertently misleading. She worked for three months until a third party revealed her unqualified status, whereupon she resigned. The Tribunal found the allegation substantiated (not contested) and that she had been reckless. It made a Section 43 order subjecting her future employment in the profession to Law Society permission, and ordered her to pay agreed costs.

Duties found breached:

• Personal probity and fitness to practise
• No conflict between current clients

Mitigating factors:

• Admitted the matter and consented to the Section 43 order
• Conduct found to be reckless and CV inadvertently misleading rather than deliberately dishonest
• Resigned upon her status being raised
• Found the matter embarrassing and distressing
• Agreed to pay the costs