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"I was not certain as to whether I would enjoy the role of Recorder, but my shadowing has made me feel very positive and enthusiastic about applying."

Judicial Work Shadowing Scheme (JWSS)

How to apply

Download an application form

Before downloading the application form, please make sure you are eligible for our scheme.

Judicial work shadowing application form (for all judges save High Court Judges)

High Court Judge shadowing
Applications for shadowing a High Court Judge require a brief CV (no more than two pages) in addition to the application form below.

Once completed, please email your application to workshadowing@judiciary.gsi.gov.uk (preferably in Word).

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Helpful hints for completing the form

  • Please ensure you read the form carefully and complete all fields with the correct information (including your membership number of the relevant professional body), since failure to do so will result in a delay in processing your application. Make sure you sign the declaration at the end of form to confirm that you agree with all the conditions if a placement is arranged. This includes a confidentiality agreement whereby you agree that you will not disclose any information about the cases to any third party, during or after the shadowing has been completed. Please sign the declaration if you are submitting a hard copy of the form, or type your name if sending electronically.
  • You can only apply to shadow one judicial office holder per application. When completing the application form please choose one type of judge to shadow, as selecting more than one will delay your application (please see the section on ‘Deciding which type of judge to shadow’). You can shadow the same type of judge more than once, but in this case you are asked to limit applications to one per year. However, after you have completed a placement, you may submit a further application to shadow a different type of judge within the same year. Due to the popularity of the scheme we have to limit placements to three per applicant, per year. 
  • Please also fill out the equality of opportunity monitoring form. This information will be used for statistical purposes only, to monitor and evaluate the scheme. It does not form part of the application process, nor will it be passed on to the Judge, or court/tribunal in which you shadow.
  • If you have any special requirements, please make sure you tell us.
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Application process

For shadowing in the High Court:

  • The Judicial Office will administer all applications for shadowing High Court Judges and arrange placements. Once your application has been received you will receive a letter confirming receipt of your application. We will then liaise with you and the judge’s clerk to arrange your placements.

For shadowing all other Judges: 

  • The Judicial Office forwards completed applications to the relevant HMCS regional office or Tribunals office. The Judicial Office will send you a letter confirming receipt of your application and giving details of a person in the regional office who will be responsible for arranging your placement. Any queries regarding your placement should be directed to that contact in the first instance.
  • The Regional Office will contact you to arrange a date for shadowing to take place. When you are contacted, please try to be as flexible as possible when arranging dates for placements. We also ask that you do not cancel a fixed date once it has been arranged unless it is absolutely necessary. It may not be possible to rearrange a date within a short space of time, and in these circumstances you may need to reapply.
  • Once a date has been arranged, the JWSS administrator will confirm the name of the judge that you will be shadowing. You may be assigned more than one judge to allow greater flexibility or to allow the opportunity to see a variety of cases.

During shadowing

  • Throughout your placement, it is essential that you bring to the court/tribunal your letter from the JWSS administrator which confirms the dates of your shadowing placement together with photographic identification.
  • Please be courteous and respectful towards the judges (and court staff) who give up their time to allow you to gain an insight into judicial life.

After the shadowing

  • It is vital that participants return the judge’s signed form to Judicial Office once the shadowing is completed. This is to ensure that our records are updated and evidence of your shadowing can be provided to the professional bodies in the event that they contact us to confirm CPD hours.
  • We will also send you an evaluation form. It will be very helpful to know what you thought about the placement and to have your comments. With your help, we can keep on improving the scheme.

If you have any further questions about how the scheme operates, please contact the Judicial Office on 020 7073 1630.

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