The Rt Hon Lord Collins of Mapesbury, patron of the Solicitor Judges Division, provides his personal perspective on solicitor judges.
Welcome to the first edition of the Solicitor Judges Division newsletter.
Becoming a judge is an immensely rewarding and satisfying experience. It is an ideal opportunity for solicitors to put their skills of analysis, reasoning and critical thinking to wider use and broaden the extensive knowledge and experience they have gained in private practice. For many, it provides another way to serve their local communities. Having served as a judge since 2000, I can testify to the opportunities and challenges presented by life on the bench and I am very pleased to be the first patron of the Solicitor Judges Division.
The Solicitor Judges Division is an exciting development for solicitor judges. It will create a vibrant community of judges, and provide a convenient and easy way for you all to communicate with each other. It will also help you to stay connected to the Law Society and keep up with current developments in the solicitors' profession, and host events and networking opportunities at national and circuit level.
There are currently over 3,000 solicitors serving as full-time and part-time judges in the courts and tribunals, which is a testament to the valuable skills that solicitors bring to the judiciary. Every year more solicitors successfully apply for judicial appointment. I hope that even more solicitors will do so in the future, and that there will be more appointments to the higher judiciary. I would like to invite current solicitor judges to attend our 'Meet the Judges' events around the country to encourage prospective applicants. We would also like to hear from any solicitor judges who would like to speak at one of these events to provide an insight into judicial life for those wishing to apply.
The Solicitor Judges Division was created in response to feedback from solicitor judges. It is now up to all of you to help shape the division by letting us know what you would like it to provide. To begin with, I hope that you will share your opinions on the current newsletter and tell us what sort of stories and articles you would like to see in the future. Please write to solicitorjudges@lawsociety.org.uk.
I look forward to hearing your views.
Lawrence Collins (Rt Hon Lord Collins of Mapesbury)
Patron of the Solicitor Judges Division