Frances McMenamin KC was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1985 after over 8 years in the Procurator Fiscal Service. In 1991 she acted as Junior Counsel for the Crown in the Lockerbie Inquiry and in 1997 was appointed as an Advocate Depute, prosecuting in the High Court in major and serious criminal cases as well as appearing for the Crown in the Appeal Court. She also held an appointment as a Temporary sheriff from 1991 to 1997. Having taken silk in 1998, Frances has become recognised as the top female criminal defence counsel, appearing constantly in the High Court, particularly in cases relating to murder, rape and serious organised crime. Until 31st December 2024, when she ceased practising, Frances was the senior woman at the Scottish Bar. As well as appearing in hundreds of cases and speaking at many legal conferences, she has been a member of various Faculty Committees over the years and is currently still a member of the Criminal Courts Rules Council. She has also been a member of several judge led review groups considering highly controversial proposed major changes to the criminal law of Scotland – e.g. corroboration, the management of serious sexual offence cases (which included proposals for juryless trials for rape, the removal of the Not Proven verdict, a national court to deal exclusively with serious sexual offences). She was a Board member of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission from 2010 to 2019 and in 2020 was appointed to be its Consultant Legal Adviser, a post she still holds. In 2009 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Strathclyde for services to the law and to the University.