A lot of solicitors may feel like jumping out of an aeroplane from time to time, but how many of them actually do it? Well, associate solicitor Ruth Magee (pictured) from Simpson Millar is about to do exactly that – not, we hasten to add, because of despair over the latest e-billing system, but to raise money for the Communication Workers Union Humanitarian Aid. Magee will be accompanied by an instructor for what will be her first-ever jump, freefalling about 7,000ft at speeds of up to 120mph, after which the parachute will (hopefully) unfold and she will glide the final 5,000ft to the ground. Like most good lawyers, Magee is clearly a great believer in prepar­ation, so the mere 30 minutes she will be given to learn the safety procedures has under­standably made her a tad nervous: ‘Half an hour doesn’t seem like long to prepare,’ she says. ‘The good thing about being attached to an instructor is that I am given little chance to change my mind about the whole thing.’

Well, if Magee does hit the ground with a bit of a bump, at least she knows what to do. Did we mention what area of law she practises in? Personal injury, of course.