There may be confusion about the right of solicitor-advocate Alan Blacker to call himself ‘Lord Harley of Counsel’. But the man — who was criticised last week for dressing ‘like something out of Harry Potter’ in Cardiff Crown Court — is the undisputed Lord of LinkedIn
Here are the highlights of Lord Harley of Counsel’s epic LinkedIn profile…
1. A memorable name
Lord Harley is registered with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) as plain old Alan Blacker. But he usually goes by what he says is his hereditary aristocratic title, which in full is: ‘Dr The Right Honourable The Lord Harley of Counsel of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem’.
2. Spectacular client testimonials
Now this is how to endorse someone on LinkedIn.
3. Impressive qualifications
All those initials must make form-filling hell.
4. Wonderfully wide-ranging language skills
Lord Harley of Counsel is quite the polyglot.
5. A helpful contact details section
When Legal Cheek called the listed number we reached a receptionist at Christine Sharp & Co Solicitors in Lancashire, who told us that Lord Harley rents a room at the firm but is not employed there.
6. A link to classic 80s track ‘(Something Inside) So Strong’
Viewers of Lord Harley’s profile are directed to www.alanblacker2.webs.com, the website of the Joint Armed Forces Legal Advocacy Service (JAFLAS), of which Harley is director general. Upon clicking through to the site, they are greeted by this track on auto-play.
7. A raft of honours and awards
There is a risk, however, that the Order of St John honour may be tainted by a statement issued over the weekend by the chief executive for St John in Wales, Keith Dunn, who told The Mirror:
“St John in Wales would like to confirm that Lord Harley (Alan Blacker) is not a member of the Order of St John and his name does not appear on the roles of the Priory for Wales or England and he is therefore not a member of our Order.
“He is not entitled to say that he is a Knight of the Order of St John and the dignities that appertain to being a Knight of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.
“We have asked the Chief Constable for South Wales Police, to investigate this matter and St John will be taking legal action if necessary.”
8. A fine collection of patents
We don’t fully understand this bit either, but in view of Lord Harley’s top ancestry — “My family has been in the height of public life for over 700 years,” he told Legal Cheek on Friday — it may be related to the achievements of other Harleys.
9. Giraffes and steam power
And finally, what self-respecting lord’s LinkedIn profile would be complete without a couple of eccentrically juxtaposed interests?
As noted above, these are just highlights. The CV goes on and on, listing all sorts of other delightful bric-a-brac. It can be enjoyed in full here.