Legal competence
Legal Case Studies
For court appointments, the legal case study is usually the first stage of the interview process.
Alongside your application form and written work examples, it forms an important part of the assessment of your legal knowledge, analytical ability and legal competence.
The exercise involves reviewing and discussing legal material with the legal and judicial members of the panel. Lay members do not assess legal competence. However, they will observe this part of the interview and may consider any evidence relevant to the personal and judicial qualities being assessed.
The format of the exercise varies depending on the competition. In some cases, materials will be provided in advance of the interview. In others, candidates may be given documentation or a list of authorities to consider on the day. Your invitation to interview will explain the format of the assessment and provide any relevant instructions.
You may bring your own notes into the interview. Electronic devices may also be used for note-taking purposes where permitted.
Confidentiality
The content of all case study exercises is confidential.
By accepting an invitation to interview, you agree not to disclose or discuss the content of any case study materials before or after the interview process.
Preparing for the Case Study
You should:
- read all instructions carefully
- ensure you are familiar with any materials provided in advance
- review any relevant legislation, case law or authorities identified in the instructions
- consider how you will structure and present your analysis
It is important to manage your time effectively. You should:
- read all instructions carefully before starting
- allow sufficient time to review any materials provided
- plan your response before beginning your discussion with the panel
- focus on the issues that appear most relevant to the exercise
- be mindful of the time available and ensure your discussion remains focused
The panel will be interested not only in your legal conclusions but also in your reasoning, analysis and approach to the issues presented.
Previous Case Studies
To help you prepare for any future interview, JABS have published examples of previous case studies. We would recommend that anyone considering an application for the offices listed take the time to review these examples.
REMINDER - Change the links to the Sheriff Principal Case Study once I've made them PDFs.
Click here to read the 2014 legal appeal case study
Click here to read the 2014 leadership and management exercise
Internal Comment
I would like to have a video which is a mock up of a typical case study part of an interview - either criminal or civil, doesn't really matter, but showing the pretend candidate giving their oral response and showing some follow-up questions from the panel.