LAWYER IN THE NEWS

Who? Cherry McMillen, 44-year-old partner at three-partner London legal aid practice McMillen Hamilton McCarthy.Why is she in the news? Represented railway rapist David...Who? Cherry McMillen, 44-year-old partner at three-partner London legal aid practice McMillen Hamilton McCarthy.Why is she in the news? Represented railway rapist David Mulcahy, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering three women and raping seven more during the 1980s.

He was finally brought to trial, which was the longest murder trial in English legal history, after his accomplice Stephen Duffy who was jailed for his part in the attacks in 1988 confessed to prison psychologists that his schoolboy friend was his accomplice.

Duffy testified against Mulcahy in the trial, which was the first time that a category-A inmate had testified against a co-defendant.Background: History degree at Warwick University 1974-1977, followed by the CPE in 1979 and Law Society finals in 1981, both at the College of Law in Chancery Lane.

Ms McMillen qualified in 1984 with London firm Wallace Bogan & Co, and remained there until she set up her own practice in 1992.Route to the case: One of my existing clients referred me to Mr Mulcahy.Thoughts on the case: The case was a phenomenon, both in terms of its sheer size at one point I had seven solicitors working in my team and the drama involved.

The day of the jurys verdict was one of the most dramatic Ive ever known: the tension was incredibly high, and the courtroom was packed out, but none of the journalists reporting the case wanted to hear the defences side of the story.

I felt a real responsibility to Mr Mulcahy because it was such a hugely important case I couldnt sleep at night if I hadnt felt that I had given everything I had to his case.

We are considering an appeal against the verdict.Dealing with the media: I was very disappointed with the one-sided reporting of the case in the national media.

No-one appeared to want a comment from our side, which did surprise me.

I was, however, more impressed with the local press, who dealt with it in a more balanced manner.Victoria MacCallum