Lawyer in the news

Who? Dominic Lloyd, 38-year old senior partner of three-partner Liverpool firm Lloyd Lee Dures.Why is he in the news? Represents the family of Robert Thompson, who has been released from a secure detention centre after serving eight years for the murder - with Jon Venables - of toddler James Bulger in 1993.

The two boys, who are now 18, have been given new identities on release for fear of attacks from members of the public, and a wide-ranging injunction is in place preventing the media from revealing any details about the two boys' new lives.

However, certain newspapers have threatened to print photographs of the two boys, and it was revealed last week that Thompson's mother has been forced to move house for the ninth time because of fears for her safety.Background: BA in English at Liverpool University 1982-85, followed by CPE and Law Society Finals at Chester College of Law in 1987-88.

He qualified with Liverpool firm Paul Rooney in 1990, and stayed there until he set up his own firm in 1998.Route to the case: 'I represented Robert at his original criminal trial, and have been involved with the case ever since: the judicial review of the tariff, the publicity injunction before the family court, the representation before the parole board and dealing with Ralph Bulger's recent application for a judicial review of the release date.'Thoughts on the case: 'I know for a fact that the media are actively trying to uncover the boys' new identities, and that is a real threat.

The injunction is not as strict as people may think, and although they cannot print the boys' names or whereabouts, papers are allowed to publish many other details.

The case obviously arouses great passions, but it's very rare that I'm attacked personally: however angry they may be, people realise that a lawyer is simply doing a job, and they don't tend to identify you with your client.

Of course, I don't know if I've lost potential work because of my association with this case.'Dealing with the media: 'This case is now driven by what's reported in the media, rather than events, and it will run and run.

The media are not going to go away, and eventually you have to engage with them on some level - when you provide them with copy, even if it's simply no comment, they will leave you alone for a while.

We have learnt how to accommodate each other.

Individually, reporters have tended to be extremely respectful, and most of them understand the reason behind the injunction, but the combined effect of all of them becomes very draining.'Victoria MacCallum