Legal competence
Legal Case Studies/Critical Case Analysis
For court or Tribunal legal appointments, the legal case study or critical case analysis is usually the first stage of the interview process.
Alongside your application form and written work examples, this forms an important part of the assessment of your legal knowledge, analytical ability and legal competence.
After your response, legal and judicial members of the panel will ask questions about it. Lay members do not assess legal competence. However, they will observe this part of the interview and, along with legal and judicial panel members, may consider any evidence relevant to the personal and judicial qualities being assessed.
The format of the exercise varies depending on the competition. In most cases, advance materials will be provided seven calendar days in advance of the interview. Candidates may also be provided additional information relevant to the case study to consider on the day. Time will be provided for such consideration. 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.
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/Critical Case Analysis
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, making sure you can deliver your response within the time limit advised.
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.
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.