Solicitors aspiring to join the bench should prepare 18 months to two years before applying, a former judicial appointments commissioner has said.
With solicitors underrepresented on the bench, the Judicial Appointments Commission published advice from solicitor and former commissioner Sarah Lee.
Lee is a former partner at City firm Slaughter and May, where she remains a senior consultant. she said solicitors, often the closest legal link to a client, regularly apply strategic thinking and communication skills to advice, and have detailed knowledge across a broad range of legal issues – all skills that are transferable to judicial roles.
Yet even though they represented 52% of applicants in 2023-24, they made up only 32% of recommendations for appointment compared to barristers, who represented 40% of recommendations.
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Being unprepared or not fully understanding the role of a judge was a ‘common mistake’, said Lee, who said solicitors should prepare 18 months to two years before making an application. As a minimum, solicitors should participate in a judicial candidate support scheme, sit in with judges to understand the role, observe a public hearing to see how judges manage a courtroom, and collect examples to match the commission’s competency, skills and abilities frameworks.
Other advice included avoiding broad statements, jargon, hyperlinks and case reference numbers.
Lee also advised solicitors to be realistic: ‘First-time applicants should consider starting at entry level positions to gain judicial experience before applying for more senior roles. In practice, this may mean applying for fee-paid positions which need to be balanced alongside responsibilities to solicitor firms.
‘While this change may feel challenging, as solicitors we are adept at juggling different commitments. Establish the benefits a judicial position would bring to your firm, your clients, your career, and to wider society. This will help you start that discussion with your firm.’
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