Junior lawyers sought for new judicial assistant scheme in the UK

The High Court of England and Wales is now accepting applications for a new judicial assistants (JA) scheme.

“The role of judicial assistant offers those in the early years of their professional practice a ringside view of the trial process and first instance decision-making from the perspective of the judge, for the most complex, high value and often high profile cases,” the government said.

Similar to the long-running clerkship scheme in the US, the new High Court job involves researching and summarising documents for judges. The High Court said that the scheme is aimed particularly at qualified barristers and solicitors “in the early stages of their legal career.”

Applicants must have “outstanding intellectual ability, excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage large and complicated workloads, as well as a high level of professional integrity,” it said.

Applications are open until 1 July and the placements begin in October. The post, which last from three to five months, pays about £2,500 per month. Up to 36 spots are up for grabs.

Applicants can indicate their most preferred among the Chancery Division, Family Division, Queen’s Bench Division, Commercial Court, Technology and Construction Court, Administrative Court, and Queen’s Bench Division Civil.