Solicitors are being offered a taster of the Judicial Appointments Commission’s selection process – the only snag is that they will not be allowed to apply for the commission’s next round of appointments.

The commission has been asked to recommend 18 candidates for deputy district judge posts in magistrates’ courts.

The Law Society today said the JAC is looking for ‘dry-run volunteers’ for an appointment exercise.

The commission pilots qualifying tests and role-play scenarios for specific selection exercises, and uses mock interviews as part of the training for its selection panels.

The Society said participating in a dry run as a ‘mock’ candidate was an ‘excellent opportunity for solicitors who are considering applying for judicial appointment in the future to familiarise themselves with the selection process’.

The mock candidates will not be able to apply for the live exercise, which is expected to be in June or July.

They will also have to sign a confidentiality statement that will prevent them from disclosing any part of the selection exercise process.

Further details can be found on the Law Society’s website.