The High Court Judicial Assistant Scheme 2025/2026

Judicial assistants (JAs) in the High Court of England and Wales are assigned to judges of the High Court across the three Divisions. They assist the judges(s) to whom they are allocated, for example by carrying out legal research, summarising documents and providing general support for the judge(s) in the organisation of their work and hearings. 

Aimed particularly at recently qualified barristers and solicitors in the early stages of their legal career, applications will be invited from those able to demonstrate effective decision making, excellent communication skills, the ability to deliver at pace, as well as a high level of professional integrity.

Candidates will be asked to express their preference(s) in terms of the jurisdiction and courts in which they would wish to be placed, and as to the duration and timing of their placement.

Number of positions:

This recruitment is for the equivalent of up to 13 full-time appointments for the 2025/2026 legal year. The exact number of appointments will depend on the preferences of the candidates for a placement lasting two or four terms (for example, if all successful candidates request a placement of two terms, there will be capacity for 26 up to individual appointments during the course of the year).

Suitability, skills, and qualifications:

Typically, the candidate will have graduated with an excellent degree (2:1 or above, subject not specified) and have practical experience in legal research and writing, and familiarity with civil procedure (for example, it is expected that candidates will be familiar with and capable of dealing with issues arising out of CPR).

Therefore, they would also accept applications from qualified trademark and patent attorneys. Experience gained in the early years of practice – from either arm of the legal profession - is also desirable, though candidates with comparable early years’ experience (for example in academia) are also eligible to apply.

The essential criteria for this role are as follows:

• You must have excellent intellectual and legal ability.
• You must have practical research skills, being able to seek and analyse information to inform decisions based on the best available evidence.
• You will be able to communicate complicated factual and legal arguments both orally and in writing, in a thoughtful and concise way.
• You must be detail-focussed when carrying out research tasks and drafting factual narratives.

Successful candidates will therefore have demonstrated a capacity to work effectively at pace and make effective decisions. These will be assessed in application and interview. These criteria should be considered when writing the statement of suitability.

Candidates should understand that a Judicial Assistant works full-time. It is not possible to conduct professional practice or to devote significant time to external study while working as a Judicial Assistant.

Salary:

The salary offered to successful candidates on a Fee-Paid Worker basis is the pro rata equivalent of an annual salary of £38,661, payable monthly in arrears.

Successful candidates in private practice may invoice for a monthly fee, reflecting the rate paid to those on Fee-Paid Worker basis and an adjustment to reflect the fact that they will not benefit from NI and pension contributions.

A secondment fee equivalent to the rate paid to Fee-Paid Worker candidates will be paid to the employer of successful candidates who are already in employment.

Interview dates:

If you are selected, interviews will be expected to take place during 30 April – 9 May 2025.

Contact information:

If you require any further information about the role, or you would like to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form, please contact the High Court JA Scheme manager by email [email protected].

Applications are encouraged from people of all backgrounds.

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