Judicial Assistant Recruitment

Applications for the 2025/26 legal year will open on 31 January 2025 and close on 14 March 2025. Fixed term contracts will start on 15 September 2025 and finish on 31 July 2026

The salary will be £40,850 per annum (pro-rated).

Why apply to be a Judicial Assistant?

The Judicial Assistant role is intended to provide a unique opportunity to work at close quarters in support of the Justices. It will enable Judicial Assistants to see the Supreme Court and the JCPC in operation from the inside.

The Supreme Court and JCPC hear many of the most important cases of the day. The appeals are very varied and generally raise an arguable point of law of general importance, so the work is both interesting and impactful.

The Judicial Assistants have the opportunity to get to know the Justices and to see their decision-making in action. By reading the parties' written submissions and watching the appeal hearings, the Judicial Assistants are also able to learn from some of the UK's best advocates.

Working as a Judicial Assistant is regarded highly by law firms, chambers and other employers - our Judicial Assistants typically go on to have successful careers at the Bar, top law firms, academia, the Government Legal Department and in policy

What do Judicial Assistants do?

Each Judicial Assistant is assigned to one or more Justices. They work very closely with their assigned Justice(s) and support them by:

• Conducting legal research on appeals and applications for permission to appeal.

• Drafting bench memos summarising applications for permission to appeal.

• Attending appeal hearings and discussing them with the Justices.

• Drafting plain English press summaries of judgments for publication on the Court's website.

• Responding to requests for information from international judicial and comparative law networks.

• Generally assisting the Justices in their work, including with extra-judicial speeches, articles and other publications.

Judicial Assistants also get involved in the wider work of the Court. For example, they may be asked to assist the Registrar with regards to applications for permission to appeal and appeals. All Judicial Assistants get involved with the Court's educational and outreach activity, such as student mooting competitions and debate days.

Who is eligible to be a Judicial Assistant?

Judicial Assistants come from a wide range of backgrounds and bring diverse expertise to the role.

Competition for the Judicial Assistant role is high. We look for exceptional candidates and select them based on the eligibility criteria in the Job description. Due to the nature of the Court’s work, in the past the majority of Judicial Assistants have been qualified to practise as a solicitor, barrister or advocate in one of the UK jurisdictions and have had some practical experience in those professions. However, the Court recognises that the most important quality needed for the role is intellectual ability and it therefore also strongly encourages applications from non-qualified candidates able to demonstrate outstanding academic knowledge of the UK legal system and advanced experience in legal research, as detailed in the eligibility criteria.

All applicants must meet the essential criteria for the role. Please check the Person Specification carefully to ensure you meet these criteria before applying.

Candidates must have the right to work in the UK in place when applying. We are unable to sponsor applications to work in the UK.

How can I apply?

To apply to be a Judicial Assistant please click on the apply now button below to complete the online application form.

Closing date for applications is midnight on 14 March 2025. Please note that late applications will not be considered.

Interviews are likely to take place in the week commencing 19 May 2025 in person at the Court.

Where can I find out more?

If you have any questions which are not answered here, please contact us at : recruitment@supremecourt.uk 

Terms and Conditions 2025 

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