In your self-assessment, you are asked to give specific examples for each of the five or six skills and abilities. The panel will assess the evidence provided of the skills and abilities required for the role you have applied for.
Below we have included some information on what each skill and ability covers, what strong examples contain in each area, and some prompts which may help you to consider which of your examples will be relevant for each skill and ability area.
Legal skills is about how you make and decide on issues of law, ensuring the decisions are right, fair and legally sound. The panel will look for examples that demonstrate your ability to analyse information and identify the key issues for decision; developing and utilising knowledge in unfamiliar or difficult situations; and ensuring parties receive fair hearings and due process.
Relevant examples do not need to involve judgments made in a court of tribunal. You may, for example, have made decisions as part of a professional board, panel or committee. You might choose more than one example in order to demonstrate a breadth of situations and contexts (some complex, others highly sensitive, for example), but avoid simply listing judgments without providing any contextual information.
Stronger examples focus on complex, sensitive or highly-charged cases or situations, or where you have had to navigate complex legal problems to reach a resolution. The examples should be focused on what you did to address the situation.
Prompts
These prompts may help you to consider which examples from your own experience will be relevant to your self-assessment under Legal Skills. These are suggestions only; you do not need to address these questions in your self-assessment.
- Describe a complicated case or problem you were faced with. What were the issues? Why was it complicated? Was there competing legal arguments that you had to decide on? What were the likely outcomes for your options, why did you decide on the approach taken?
- Describe a situation where you have had to utilise skills or knowledge from one area and apply it to another area. What was it? What skills helped you deal with the situation?
Dealing with information is about how you analyse and assimilate information from a range of sources. The panel will look for examples that demonstrate your skills in assessing large volumes of information and efficiently identify the key decisions needed to be made. They will also be looking for your decision making and the ability to make clear, reasonable and concise decisions, often in complex and difficult situations.
Stronger examples describe how candidates use and analyse information to reach sound decisions. The examples should be focused on what you did to address the situation.
Prompts
These prompts are provided to help you to consider which examples from your own experience will be relevant to your self-assessment under Dealing with Information. These are suggestions only; you do not need to address these questions in your self-assessment.
- Describe a situation where you have had to deal with a large amount of information quickly. How to did you organise it? How did you identify the issues needed for decision? How did you make this clear to the decision maker – whether that is a judge, a panel, or someone else? How did this help you make the decision?
- Describe a situation where you had to make a decision based on competing arguments or evidence. How did you make the decision? How did you use the information to help you? Was the decision contested? What did other parties/people involved think of your decision?
Communication skills is about how you communicate, both orally and in writing, and how you demonstrate active listening, with patience whilst ensuring people get a fair hearing. The panel will look for examples that demonstrate your communication approach in cases, whether legal or in a professional setting such as in a charity, or organisation. They will expect answers which show you can listen to all sides of an argument, consider the arguments and provide a response which is measured and calm, ensuring that an authoritative approach is taken when required, but equally that you can take other approaches when suitable.
Stronger examples will focus on the methods of communication you took in complex, highly-charged situations. The examples should be focused on what you did to address the situation.
Prompts
These prompts are provided to help you to consider which examples from your own experience will be relevant to your self-assessment under Communication Skills. These are suggestions only; you do not need to address these questions in your self-assessment.
- Describe a time when you successful defused an emotionally charged situation. What factors and risks did you take account of when deciding how to approach the situation? How did your style of communication help you achieve a successful outcome?
- Describe a time when you fostered a successful working relationship to achieve a goal. What differences and conflicts did you overcome? How did you maintain the relationship in times of pressure? What was the outcome?
- Describe a time when you needed to significantly alter your usual style or method of communication to overcome some cultural, technological or logistical barrier. How did you decide on the right approach?? How did you involve others?
Personal qualities is about your abilities to remain impartial, independent, and resilient, often in complex and difficult situations. The panels will be looking for examples which demonstrate your ability to remain calm in difficult scenarios, whilst ensuring that you maintain high levels of trusts and standards. They will also be looking for examples that demonstrate your open-mindedness and awareness of your position, often dealing with life-changing circumstances.
Stronger examples will focus on situations where you have had to defend your independence, often in face of fierce resistance, whilst remaining calm. The examples should be focused on what you did to address the situation.
Prompts
These prompts are provided to help you to consider which examples from your own experience will be relevant to your self-assessment under Personal Qualities. These are suggestions only; you do not need to address these questions in your self-assessment.
- Describe a situation where you made a decision which was unpopular or controversial, but which you knew was right. How did you make sure you made the right decision? How did you ensure your independence in the decision making process? How did you maintain your resilience in this situation?
- Describe a situation where you had to resolve a problem which was complicated and led to complications. What was the problem? Why was it complicated? What were the issues to be addressed and with whom? How did you manage to stay calm and resilient in dealing with the problem?
Effective working is about how you plan, prioritise and manage a heavy workload, and how you make the best use of all the resources and support available to you to achieve this. The panel will look for examples that demonstrate your approach to managing your workload: how you prioritise the right things, resolve unexpected problems in order to get things done, and make the best use of technology and the assistance of others.
Stronger examples highlight situations where a candidate has faced an unexpected issue that needed to be resolved quickly, or where conflicting priorities required an innovating solution and demonstrating how the resolution was successful.
Prompts
- Describe a time when, under pressure, you took an innovative approach to managing your workload. How did you secure the cooperation of others? How did you make sure the quality of your work was not compromised?
- Describe a situation where you have used technology to improve your own efficiency or that of others. What was the outcome?
- Describe a situation where unforeseen circumstances put you at risk of failing to meet important commitments. How did you overcome the circumstances? Once you had dealt with the immediate difficulty, what steps did you take to get your work back on track?
For some posts, the JAC looks for examples of candidates’ skills and abilities in the area of leadership. Leadership can mean different things in different posts, and you should look closely at the Judicial Skills and Abilities Framework and the job description for the post you are applying for if asked to give examples in this area.
Generally, Leadership is about how you ensure the efficient and effective discharge of not only your own work but the work of others. This can be within one court or tribunal centre or across a much wider area.
Relevant examples might demonstrate your ability to understand the implications of strategic issues (such as courts and tribunals reform), your ability to lead by example, to inspire and provide direction and guidance to others, and to bring others with you in delivering changes to the way people work.
Prompts
These prompts are provided to help you to consider which examples from your own experience will be relevant to your self-assessment under Leadership. These are suggestions only; you do not need to address these questions in your self-assessment.
- Describe a situation where you identified the need for a change (such as in working practices) and needed to gain the agreement and support of others. How did you achieve this? What conflicts did you have to overcome and how did you do it?
- Describe a situation where you needed to improve the performance of others. How did you deal with those people? How did you make sure the improvement was sustainable?