Lady Justice Sarah Falk: Lady Justice of Appeal

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“There are many things I find enjoyable about the work I do, including the immense variety of interesting and challenging cases, being stretched all the time intellectually and being able to make a difference.“

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Background

I grew up in Hertfordshire, where I attended St Albans High School on a full scholarship before reading law at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. After taking the solicitors’ final exams I joined Freshfields, a law firm in the City of London, as a trainee, qualifying as a solicitor in 1986 and becoming a partner in 1994. In addition to my work as a solicitor, specialising in corporate tax, I was very actively involved in training and mentoring at Freshfields, and played a key role in promoting greater diversity within the firm.

I began my judicial career in 2015, when I was appointed as a fee-paid Deputy Judge of the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery Chamber). I had little experience of litigation when I applied. However, the skills I had gained as a solicitor, such as the ability to work out the legal answer to a problem while under pressure and to communicate advice in straightforward terms, proved highly valuable and transferred well to the role.

The application

After my initial appointment, I sat regularly in the Tax Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal, as well as sitting in the Upper Tribunal. The experience I gained in these roles was enormously helpful in preparing me for my appointment to the Chancery Division of the High Court in 2018. Tax tribunal work does tend to be very technical, with detailed written decisions and High Court judges routinely involved with the Upper Tribunal. That undoubtedly gave me scope to show that I could handle complex work, but I still had to persuade the High Court appointment panel that my skills were transferable outside tax. So I used my Tribunal experience, alongside my experience as a solicitor, not just to demonstrate legal and judicial skills, but also to demonstrate personal qualities and effective working.

The role

In 2022, following my time in the High Court, during which I also sat as a Judicial Commissioner of the Judicial Appointments Commission, I applied and was appointed to the Court of Appeal. There are many things I find enjoyable about the work I do, including the immense variety of interesting and challenging cases, being stretched all the time intellectually and being able to make a difference.

If you are thinking of applying for a judicial role, there are a few pieces of advice to keep in mind. Before you apply, take advantage of any outreach scheme you can. Listen to any guidance available to you, particularly about the most appropriate judicial appointment to aim for, at least initially, and how best to identify the most relevant skills and experience. If you do apply, carefully consider the examples you use to demonstrate the transferable skills you have gained from practice.

Overall, being a judge has been an impactful, fulfilling second career, with first-rate colleagues.

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