Jason Raeburn: Deputy Master of the Chancery Division
“I think what might be particularly attractive to potential applicants is the concept of continuously learning and making a judgment on what might be finely balanced, multi-faceted issues. It is a concept which is very different from advising in private practice and one which is very rewarding.”
Background
I qualified as a solicitor in 2012 and the focus of my private practice is intellectual property and technology litigation. I do a wide range of work, including disputes relating to software and artificial intelligence through to life sciences and complex contracts, to name a few. I have always had a keen interest in English language – I studied law at university and found that I thoroughly enjoyed the process of analysing legislation, case law and precedent. Combining that with my existing interest in deeply technical subject matter naturally led to me gravitating toward intellectual property as a practice specialism.
Early in my career, I qualified as a solicitor-advocate and gained invaluable experience on my feet in the High Court and Court of Appeal assisting litigants in person. That experience, combined with my private practice litigating cases for corporate clients, gave me a real insight into the litigation process. Over time, I became aware of the possibility of sitting as a deputy and felt confident that I had built up the skills and competencies to apply.
The prospect of seeing a different perspective of litigation and ‘working through’ complex legal issues applied to ‘real life’ really resonated with me. The specialist (and widely varied) work of Deputy Chancery Masters’ hearing trials and applications in the High Court was particularly attractive given the role focuses on complex business and commercial litigation, including intellectual property claims, property work and trust work, amongst others.
The role
I have found the role to be extremely fulfilling. I knew the work would be varied and complex, but the reality can only really be ascertained once you start sitting. For me, there is a real sense of gratification in getting to grips with often difficult, or novel points of law, and applying those principles to practical issues. What can be both challenging and enjoyable is finding practical ways to ‘cut through’ issues to reach the substance of a matter, or dispute, between the parties.
The sitting environment is tremendously supportive and inclusive. One of the aspects that has struck me is the real camaraderie that has been fostered with everyone in the team. It means that you have a clear support system and continuously develop as a judge by sharing experiences and discussing legal or practical issues that arise.
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