If you’re a solicitor, an advocate or solicitor-advocate, the courts of Scotland are where you spend much of your working life.
This is your world and here, you’re a hero – representing defendants in criminal cases or clients who find themselves embroiled in civil law.
The courtroom is indeed a fascinating arena, a place where legal knowledge, skill as an orator and attention to the smallest detail can make a considerable difference to the outcome of a trial.
You may have spent your career on the side of the accused, but do you ever think about crossing the floor? Not to the Procurator Fiscal’s side of the courtroom but to the bench itself?
Well, if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to don a wig and sit up there as a sheriff, now’s the time to find out because the head of the Scottish judiciary has launched a new Judicial Work Shadowing Scheme.
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This gives any qualified solicitor, solicitor-advocate or advocate the opportunity to apply to spend up to three days observing the work of a judicial office holder.
The purpose of the scheme is to encourage legal practitioners to consider applying for judicial office.
The Lord President, Lord Carloway, has commented: “I welcome this scheme and hope that it serves to provide an insight into the working lives of a judge or sheriff and demystify what the roles involve.
“In particular, I hope that it will capture the interest of potential candidates well in advance of the date upon which they might consider applying for judicial office.”
So what’s putting you off?
Some of the obstacles identified by the Scottish Judiciary include concerns on how much such a role might impact on their lives and an unwarranted lack of self-confidence.
To help with such challenges, those on the work shadowing scheme will receive confidential advice and guidance from a mentor judge.
They will also be able to establish what skills and experiences are needed to support their application and decide whether joining the judiciary is right for them.
The scheme is also open to existing sheriffs and sheriffs principal, who want to explore the possibility of becoming a Senator of the College of Justice, which would enable them to sit in the High Court as a judge.
If you’ve got experience and an appetite to spread your wings and take your legal career even higher, there’s never been a better time to taking up judicial office.
Whether you’re a legal secretary or solicitor, there’s a variety of Legal vacancies to lift you higher on s1jobs.