Who? Angela Donen, 49-year-old family law partner at Bryan & Armstrong in Nottingham.

Why is she in the news? Acts for Maureen Smith, mother of 14-year-old Melissa Smith, who was not consulted when a school outreach worker advised her daughter to have an abortion.

When Ms Smith found out about the pregnancy through a chance meeting with Melissa's friend, she discussed the situation with her daughter, who decided to keep the baby.

However, the first chemical stage of the abortion had already taken place and the procedure had to be continued.

Melissa had not understood the irreversible nature of the first stage.

Background: LLB at Nottingham University, graduating in 1975.

Articles at Freethcartwright in Nottingham, qualifying in 1978.

Then moved to Chambers & Hind in Ilkeston until 1983, when she joined her current firm.

Made partner in 1985.

Route to the case: Maureen Smith had already obtained advice from another solicitor but was not happy - she came to Ms Donen through a friend who had a connection with the firm.

Thoughts on the case: 'We may take legal action against the primary care trust which employed the outreach worker, the school, or the hospital where the abortion took place.

The real issue is that the law should reflect people's views about what right-thinking people would do.

A lot of parents have no clue that their child can give consent to an abortion at the age of 14 without their family knowing about it.

Judging from the phone calls and responses I have received, parents across the country have been shocked.

The government has made parents responsible for a child's truancy - with a potential prison sentence - and yet they can be left without vital information about their child's welfare.'

Dealing with the media: 'I have been interviewed on the radio for BBC's 'Today' programme, and appeared on TV broadcasts for BBC News 24, Sky News, GMTV and others, as well as being interviewed by national newspapers.

Maureen signed an exclusive deal with the Daily Mail and so the press wanted to get hold of me instead.

As a firm, we are used to media attention - one of our partners is the father of Richard Bacon, the 'Blue Peter' presenter who was fired for taking cocaine.

We put in extra support and I was able to keep all my appointments - even when at one point we had three TV cameras in the office at the same time.'

Rachel Rothwell