The Lawyer Inquiry: John Taylor

John Taylor was born in Birmingham on 21 September, 1952. He is a barrister now working in television and was given a peerage on 2 October this year.



What was your first job?

A member of Warwickshire County Cricket Club's 2nd XI. It was brief.



What was your first ever salary as a lawyer?

Barrister: £15,000 in first year, 1979.



What would you have done if you hadn't become a lawyer?

Professional soccer player; professional singer.



Which law could you live without?

Parking laws.



What was your most embarrassing professional moment?

Referring to a 70-year-old woman's pony-tailed male friend (aged 24) in conference as "your grandson". It was her husband.



What car do you drive?

A Vauxhall Astra.



Which famous person would you like to go out with?

Whitney Houston.



Where would you go to eat?

Claridges restaurant.



What's the best thing on TV?

Brookside.



Which movies do you wish you'd appeared in?

Spartacus and On the Waterfront.



What's your most often-worn piece of clothing?

I tend to like trousers - especially in court.



What book(s) are you reading at the moment?

The Search for Justice by Joshua Rozenburg.



What is your all-time favourite record?

My Cherie Amour by Stevie Wonder.



What piece of advice would you give to anyone entering the profession now?

Make sure you have absorbed common sense as well as the law. Never give up, if it's what you really want to do.



What do you like about yourself?

The fact I support Aston Villa.



What do you hate about yourself?

The fact I turned down the chance to train with Aston Villa as a teenager.



Where would you most like to be right now?

Scoring the winning goal in the World Cup Final.