▁Its ▁first ▁occup ant ▁was ▁Charles ▁Er sk ine , ▁who ▁was ▁appointed ▁on ▁ 7 ▁November ▁aged ▁only ▁twenty - se ven ▁years , ▁despite ▁the ▁Town ▁Council ' s ▁ob jections . ▁Er sk ine ▁later ▁served ▁as ▁Lord ▁Adv oc ate ▁and ▁then ▁Lord ▁Justice ▁C ler k . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁Neil ▁Mac C orm ick ▁was ▁appointed ▁to ▁the ▁chair . ▁He ▁had ▁previously ▁taught ▁Jur is pr ud ence ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁St ▁Andrew s ▁and ▁Bal li ol ▁College , ▁Oxford . ▁Mac C orm ick ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁recogn ised ▁as ▁amongst ▁the ▁world ' s ▁leading ▁contemporary ▁jur ists , ▁and ▁was ▁kn ight ed ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁for ▁his ▁services ▁to ▁law . ▁From ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁he ▁was ▁an ▁SN P ▁Member ▁of ▁the ▁European ▁Parliament ▁for ▁Scotland . ▁Mac C orm ick ▁retired ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁and ▁was ▁succeeded ▁by ▁Neil ▁Walker . ▁ ▁Prof ess ors ▁▁ 2 0 0 8 – present : ▁Neil ▁Walker ▁ 1 9 7 2 - 2 0 0 8 : ▁Sir ▁Neil ▁Mac C orm ick ▁ 1 9 4 5 - ? ▁Arch ib ald ▁Hunter ▁Campbell ▁ 1 9 2 2 - 1 9 4 5 ▁William ▁Wilson ▁ 1 8 9 0 - 1 9 2 2 ▁Lud ov ic ▁James ▁Grant ▁ 1 8 6 2 - 1