He graduated in 1989, with a first class Honours L.L.B and the John McCormick prize.
In 2016 he defended criminal proceedings against one of the former Administrators of Rangers football club.
[2][3] He also received some public attention for his work as advocate for Rangers Group.
[citation needed] Lord Fairley was formally installed as a Senator on 9 January 2020 in a ceremony in Court One of Parliament House, Edinburgh.
[4] In September 2020, he was nominated by the Lord President to be a part-time Judge of the Employment Appeal Tribunal.