JUDGE’S ASSOCIATE & TIPSTAFF ROLES EMMA WHITE Tipstaff to the Hon. Justice Peter Hall, Supreme Court of NSW (2014)
In 2014 I was the Tipstaff to Justice Hall in the Common Law Division of the NSW Supreme Court. I can confidently say that working for a judge is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding employment experiences anyone could ever have, primarily due to the mentoring relationship that you build with your judge.
Why should I apply? If you aspire to work in litigation (either as a lawyer or barrister), being a tipstaff is the best possible job you can accept prior to working as a lawyer. By working as a tipstaff, you will have the opportunity to sit in trials from their beginning to end on a daily basis for an entire year, which will significantly develop your legal knowledge, understanding of procedural requirements, and advocacy skills. It is rare for junior lawyers to be given such an opportunity.
THE BAR
Further, throughout your time at the courts you will be involved in complex and challenging cases, whilst also being mentored by a judge. I was very fortunate to find myself with a judge who would always take the time to explain a particularly tricky aspect of a case to me, and even point out the deficiencies in cases presented by various parties! As a result of learning what judges do and don’t like in the courtroom, your career as a litigator will be very well-served.
Life in the day of a tipstaff
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In my time at the Supreme Court, I sat through murder trials, sentencing hearings, criminal appeals, and civil hearings. We even went “on circuit” to Maitland for a workers compensation case.
However, no two chambers operate in the same way, and the work of each tipstaff will largely depend on the way your judge works (and most commonly, on your judge’s ability to do online research!). The best part about the job for me was that no two days were the same. Sure, there were administrative tasks I had to do every day (such as collecting the mail and getting the judge’s lunch), but the rest of my day was entirely dependent on the judge’s case load. I was regularly asked to prepare summaries before a hearing commenced, manage the evidence handed up in court, conduct research on particular points of law, proofread judgments, and liaise with the parties prior to and during the hearing. I was also lucky enough to have the opportunity to be significantly involved in the drafting of judgments.
Application process Tipstaff positions typically last for one year (a “law term”) and are given to graduates who will be in their first year out of university. Applying for a tipstaff position is not at all like applying for a clerkship, because the application process is determined by each individual judge. This means that, unlike a clerkship, there are no uniform application/ interview/offer dates and no clear guidelines on what is expected in an application. It also means that you will need to apply to each judge individually. Most judges accept applications anywhere from 3-24 months before your intended commencement date, however, I would recommend that you apply approximately 12 months in advance.