Solicitors have paid tribute to Trevor Aldridge, the first solicitor to become a QC, following his death earlier this month aged 76.

Aldridge was a former law commissioner and a longstanding member of the Law Society’s Conveyancing and Land Law Committee (CLLC). He remained an active member of the committee until his retirement in July.

Law Society president Linda Lee said: ‘Trevor made a valuable and unique contribution to the Society over 30 years. As the first solicitor to become a QC, he is an inspiration for all solicitors.’

Aldridge was admitted to the solicitors’ roll in 1960, becoming a partner at former City firm Bower Cotton & Bower from 1962 until 1984, when he became law commissioner. He was made an honorary QC in 1992 and an honorary life member of the Law Society in 1995. He was president of the Special Educational Needs Tribunal from 1994 to 2003.

CLLC chairman Richard Barnett said: ‘It was a privilege to have worked with Trevor. He was a giant in our area of work, but was always gentle with us mere intellectual mortals.’

CLLC member Emma Slessenger said: ‘The breadth and depth of Trevor’s knowledge was unrivalled. My abiding memory will be of Trevor’s deadpan way of bringing a wandering discussion back on track by floating an outrageous suggestion or reductio ad absurdum of a point just made – we would all have to do a double take before an impish grin broke out on his face.’