Cover story

Chloe Hubbert: the first female CLE deputy district judge

Chloe Hubbert shares her story on qualification into the legal profession and her appointment to the judiciary with Louise Turner.

About the author: Louise Turner FCILEx is membership development manager at CILEx.

You are the second female CILEx judge to have been appointed to the judiciary, how did you get to where you are today in your legal career?

I started my studies with CILEx when I was 24. I was fortunate enough to be offered a paralegal position in a newly formed, predominately legal aid family and mental health law practice, Oxford Law Group. I spent the next seven years studying in the evenings and working full time. It was a big commitment, but amazing training experience covering a huge variety of family cases and even taking two cases to the Court of Appeal. I took my last exam in 2004 and was admitted as a Fellow in 2006.

I wanted to specialise more in financial remedy and, therefore, moved to a large regional firm now called Blake Morgan. I developed my financial practice and skill set enormously here and became (although now lapsed) an Accredited Resolution Specialist in financial provision and private law children matters. I became an Associate and worked across Thames Valley and into South Wales.

In 2015, I was delighted to be invited to work for and with friends at my current practice, the boutique family law firm in rural Oxfordshire, Selby Lowndes Solicitors. We attract some very wealthy local and London clients, and have interesting cases often involving business and farming assets.

What made you decide a career in the judiciary was for you and that you were ready to apply?

In all honesty, I am not sure that I made a considered decision. I had an e-mail alert from the JAC [Judicial Appointments Commission] that they were running a deputy district judge competition and a couple of people said I should apply. I did not imagine for a moment that I would get through!

What experience did you need first before applying for a judicial role, and how did that help to support your application?

I had been working in family law for nearly 20 years when I applied. I had also had the opportunity to work in multi-disciplinary teams on cases, which I feel was an advantage. However, I think many applicants have significant legal experience; I think the JAC is looking for you to draw on your broader life experiences, and to highlight other roles where you have held responsible posts and had to manage your time efficiently.

How did you go about applying for a judicial appointment, and how did you find the process?

The whole application is online. It is a lengthy, multi-stage process which takes about a year to complete. Initially, there is an application form. You should not underestimate how long it takes to plan your answers for that. I would recommend printing off the judicial abilities framework and then thinking of examples in your own life – work and home – where you can demonstrate that you have used or shown the skills required. You also need to give two referees.

If selected, the next stage is an online exam in three parts. There is some pre-reading required for certain sections. The most difficult part of the exam for me was that it is strictly time- limited, and therefore you have no opportunity to go back and review your answers.

If you pass the exam, you are invited to an interview day which comprises of court role-play exercises followed by a panel interview. There was then a very long wait - some six months - to find out if I had been successful.

With the benefit of experience and hindsight, what advice would you give to other CILEx members thinking about applying for judicial appointment?

I would strongly recommend undertaking some informal ‘sittings in’ at court. This will give you a better idea of what the daily diet of a district judge is and the opportunity to ask him/her any questions you have about the process or the job.

Once you decide you do want to apply, you need to be patient and ensure you prepare for each stage as you reach it. I think it is hugely important to be yourself through the process: there is only so much you can learn; the rest must be your natural instinct.

Now that you are appointed, what training and support will you receive going forwards in your judicial role?

On appointment, you are required to attend a five-day residential training course and a number of ‘sittings-in’ with experienced judges on your circuit.

The course is extremely intense, but also incredibly useful and a great opportunity to make essential connections with other newly appointed judges across the whole country. Their help and support, and knowledge of other practice areas, via our WhatsApp group has been an invaluable resource.

Do not underestimate how much preparation there is to do post-appointment. Prior to attending the course, you are e-mailed the course materials: mine, when printed off double-sided, filled three lever arch files! This, for me, was the most difficult part of the process: trying to juggle family life, my work and case commitments, and read and learn such a huge amount of new law and material in a six-week window.

The sittings in are an ideal opportunity to meet the local judges and staff in courts in which you will be sitting and to get to grips with some of the practical aspects (for example, how to work the recording equipment; call your usher; find the right form for that case; etc). It is also an opportunity to see the unseen side of the job, ie, doing the box work. This is the paperwork that a district judge undertakes in chambers between hearings.

Whilst the general jurisdiction of a district judge continues to cover an enormous spectrum of law, increasingly some aspects are becoming ‘ticketed’ to ensure that the judges allocated to the more complicated of these cases, for example, in the business and property courts and the financial remedies courts, have practice experience and/or further training.

​CHLOE HUBBERT: BIOGRAPHY

Chloe, a Chartered Legal Executive and associate at specialist family law firm, Selby Lowndes Solicitors in Oxfordshire was appointed as a deputy district judge on the Midlands Circuit.

She is a family law specialist with over 15 years’ experience in all aspects of family law including divorce and financial matters, together with private law children cases. She will continue her work at Selby Lowndes.

Chloe qualified with CILEx in 2006 after training at the Oxford Law Group where she worked on mainly child-related cases and family law injunctions. She moved to her current role in 2015 where she works primarily on a broad range of financial remedy cases as well as some private law children work.

At the time of her appointment, Chloe commented: ‘I am very proud to have been appointed to the judiciary and to be one of the first Chartered Legal Executives to take up a [deputy district judge] position. It’s hard work but a great opportunity and I would encourage other CILEx lawyers to consider applying.

‘Selby Lowndes has been hugely supportive of my application and appointment and are very much champions of the progression of Chartered Legal Executives, this year taking on the firm’s first Chartered Legal Executive Apprentice.’

Chloe is the second-ever female CILEx judge, following the appointment of Elizabeth Johnson as a judge of the First-tier Tribunal in January 2019 (see also page 43 of this issue).