Becoming an Associate for a Judge

By Ella Thomas, Georgia Athanasellis & Kate Pidgeon

We were all Judge's Associate's at the beginning of our careers, and it's an experience we would encourage all law students to consider applying for. It is an invaluable way to learn about the court process (including behind the scenes!) and observe advocacy in several forms. It's also a great way to sit on the other side of the bar table and experience court as an engaged observer. Once you leave the courtroom, listening to your Judge's commentary about a case is also a great way to learn from their expertise and insights.

In addition, you’ll also get exposure to all the people and processes that make a courtroom work, and understanding how the Registry operates will be very useful once you are on the other side of the bar table practising law!

Another real bonus to being an Associate is that you will have an inbuilt network of colleagues at the same stage of their career and looking to network. As an associate, you'll gain access to the 'Associate Social Club' that organises several social events throughout the years. Developing these like-minded connections early on in your career is so important. They are often friendships you will keep throughout your entire career, and it's heartening to be in a position where there is no job competition. All three of us are still in close contact with our network of associate friends we made all those years ago!

The application process

Applying for a position in the District and Supreme Courts is standardised while other courts such as the Federal Court and QCAT are individualised. Applications for the Supreme and District Courts applications open in November/December of your penultimate year and close in January/February of your final year. The application form features some generic personal and academic information that you will need to fill out, in addition to attaching your cover letter. 

The cover letter is your time to shine and writing a strong, yet personal cover letter is very important. Don't be afraid to show your personality, interests and hobbies in the letter and be prepared to discuss them!

It's important to remember that Judges are people too, and they are often looking for someone they can spend a lot of one-on-one time with (including, in some instances, travel as part of the Court circuit to remote regions). You can choose to apply for individual Judges or else to a "pool" of all Judges. You can also submit your application electronically or send a hard copy by post. 

Every Judge does things differently, but a handy tip to remember is that some Judges prefer hard-copy applications and will usually review them as they arrive, meaning you're more likely to stand out that way. Individual Judges will then generally decide on a shortlist of applicants they'd like to interview and then appoint the successful candidate from there. 

Keep in mind that apart from applications opening and closing simultaneously, there are no fixed timelines. Some Judges will interview and appoint straight away, and others might not even look at applications until much later in the year. So, don't be disheartened if you don't hear early on, and keep an eye out for new judicial appointments throughout the year. 

Also, remember there are many Associate positions outside of the Supreme and District Courts in Brisbane – look to apply regionally or QCAT, AAT, the Federal Circuit Court etc.

One final tip...

When sitting in your interview and the Judge asks if you're nervous, don't respond with "Yes, are you?"… Or do! 

Good luck with your applications!