Master Stevens: King’s Bench Master

Background

As a child, I had no aspirations to become a lawyer but a keen interest in the world around me, and a desire to contribute something useful in the public sector. My degree was in geography and economic and social history, and within a day or so of graduation I commenced a hospital management role in a central London teaching hospital, with day release for three years to attain my management qualification.

It was whilst handling complaints and litigation on behalf of the health authority and attending the law module of my postgraduate management course that my interest was sparked in law as a career. I cashed in my NHS pension to fund a 2-year full-time degree conversion course followed by the solicitors’ final exams.

During my training contract, I soon gravitated towards litigation, and was particularly fortunate to have a caseload with many injury claims, where I felt I could add value with my hospital background, even though I was so junior in the law. Due to my strong management experience, I was able to climb the law firm ranks relatively quickly, although going part-time to care for a young family did slow me down somewhat – not that I would have missed that experience for anything.

I have been a partner and head of department in two major law firms, before my final position in private practice on the Board of an up-and-coming niche injury law firm, which I led, as CEO, through a period of transformative change, culminating in acceptance in The Times Best 200 law firms listing.

As a lawyer I developed a real hunger for law reform, and was elected National President of a professional organisation, committed to improving the rights and compensation of those who had been injured through no fault of their own. This brought me into contact with politicians and judges for the first time, where my ability to consider complex legal topics and articulate a position, was tested and developed. I was appointed to a voluntary statutory role on the Civil Procedure Rule Committee as a solicitor member, and that helped me to develop my confidence, that I could not only understand the existing rules and spot glitches, but also suggest solutions in front of eminent judges. Working on the committee on the wide-ranging Jackson reforms of civil litigation was really enjoyable. That experience has been foundational in my transition to the bench.

The application

Although I enjoyed my law reform work, I never for one moment considered myself a candidate for the judiciary. I had no real insight as to what it involved, and whilst I had gained confidence in my ability to handle procedural rules, I was unaware that I had any transferable skills that would result in my selection for judicial appointment. Solicitors generally seem to be far more unfamiliar with the bench than barristers who share an Inn with the judiciary from their early training days. Some of the judges with whom I worked in the law reform space were kind enough to instigate conversations with me, recommending that I apply for a part time judicial role. A past Law Society President was also very encouraging.  I confess, I thought for a while they were just being kind, rather than it being a realistic possibility. When I unexpectedly noticed an advert for a Deputy Master position, I was curious to see if I could succeed, rather than confident or dedicated to a career on the bench; it still felt a very remote possibility.

Having a background in HR, I was surprised by the very different kind of paper application process to what I was accustomed to in the JAC recruitment campaign. The information I was asked to supply, to demonstrate various skills, was highly focused, and with a very tight word count. I worked several days full time completing the application form and had no confidence that I had submitted what was required. I did not know anybody else who had completed the forms, and had nobody to discuss the process with.

To my surprise, I was successful in reaching the interview stage on my first application and found the interview a much more straightforward process. I suspect, having heard feedback from others in later years, that my HR background stood me in good stead, as I have been told, and indeed the JAC pre-application information pack advises, careful interview preparation is required.

After five years of part time work, I went through another JAC competition, for a full-time role, and found it much the same as my previous experience.

The role

Both my judicial roles have been challenging initially and surprised me with the level of responsibility from an early stage. But that has been the price of personal growth, which is not a bad thing. I found it reassuring in my training that we were encouraged never to feel ‘put on the spot’, and simply to take a short adjournment or reserve a decision if we did not feel ready to make it. Simply knowing one can do that, relieves pressure, such that normally there is no need to seek a pause.

It is reassuring to know that there is a large security presence in the building, although one rarely needs to call upon it. I was really impressed by the speed of response when I accidentally pressed the wrong ‘call’ button in court; it’s good to know that others have your back.

Not many decisions require a full written, or substantial oral, judgment, and I had never really thought about having to deliver one when I was at the recruitment stage. Developing my own personal style and structure was stretching, as I was more familiar with writing detailed letters of advice to clients, where I sought to minimise complex legal argument, whereas a judgment requires that you demonstrate that you are on top of that argument. However, sometimes shorter form narratives are acceptable.

It is a good feeling when you have a number of judgments under your belt, and can recognise your own progress, both in terms of time taken to produce them, and decisions which do not require such fulsome explanation. I was initially cautious about listing short trials lasting a few days in front of myself, but now it is part of the pleasure of the job to be able to hear such matters, rather than always refer them on.

For the roles I have been appointed to, there has been a very short initial formal training lasting just a few hours, as the focus has been learning on the job with supportive colleagues around who are happy to field questions and discuss problems. There are short annual training sessions, run centrally by the Judicial College, some of which can be accessed online.

Also, each judge has a limited budget to order personal copies of books or publications that they feel they may need. We have a very comprehensive online judicial library, as well as a physical library on the Royal Courts of Justice site where the team are most helpful. As I have developed my judge craft skills, additional areas of specialisation have been added to my repertoire. Each role has definitely stretched me initially, which has been exciting, as I had reached a point in my career where most of my legal work was ‘on repeat’, and I felt I was not learning, but just keeping up to date.

In private practice it is only possible to manage and supervise litigation for one side or the other. I really enjoy managing the whole case and taking the sort of decisions that I was hoping for when I was going into a hearing before a judge myself. What I mean by that is being able to maintain progression, look for ways to achieve swifter resolution where possible, but being realistic about what can sensibly be achieved in specified timeframes, so there is sufficient pressure on both parties to progress; also weeding out poor arguments and distractions as quickly as possible. Although I still love dealing with injury/clinical negligence claims, as I did in practice, it has also been enjoyable to learn new areas. Whilst there is pleasure in taking a journey with a client over many years, to bring their claim to fruition, there is equally something rather pleasing about being asked to consider a case on a snapshot basis, when a significant step is required, and then being able to close the file and move to something completely different.

It is a complete privilege to work in the Royal Courts of Justice, where one truly feels at the hub of things, with interesting, and not infrequently, high-profile work. The staff are dedicated and loyal. Whilst the building maintenance may not match what can be found in many law firms or chambers, there is a certain majesty about the architecture, and our individual chambers are very spacious and peaceful so one can concentrate easily. However, once you step out into the corridor, there is always someone to talk to, so you do not feel isolated.

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