Jo Lewthwaite

I grew up in a small village.  None of my family members were lawyers and I didn’t really know about careers in the law.   However, my interest was sparked probably at about the age of 6.   I remember watching a programme on tv: ‘Crown Court’. This was a dramatisation of a court case, actors presented the evidence as barristers then they used a real jury to come to the verdict (you can still find this on YouTube!).

There was very little information about a career in law at the comprehensive school I attended in the West Midlands although when I started to show an interest in law, my English teacher spent lunch times with me and another pupil working through the material in a basic law course. I went to University to study law still without a clear idea that I wanted to go to the Bar or if it was something that I could do.  I discovered mooting and found that I loved researching and formulating an argument. 

I participated in University moots and national competitions and doing this assisted in developing my confidence to continue.

At the same time I took opportunities to do work experience at a firm of solicitors. I saw a whole range of work, but what I really loved was when I went to court.  I saw a family injunction with the woman represented by a female barrister.  She succeeded in obtaining protection for the woman who had been subjected to domestic abuse.  I wanted that to be me.  I studied the Bar course, was called to the Bar 1990 and obtained pupillage in Liverpool.

I had a mixed practice doing Family, Civil and Crime.  From an early stage in your career at the Bar your work has impact on people’s lives.  You have a real opportunity to make a difference.  You are assisting people at moments of critical importance, it doesn’t have to be the high- profile head line grabbing cases. If you help a father re-establish a relationship with his children and get to spend time with them again, that makes a difference to the rest of the lives of the whole family.   

I had two children whilst working full time at the Bar which back in the 1990s was pretty challenging.  Paid maternity leave was not available as I was self- employed, so I needed to go back to work when each of my children was just 3 months old.  The courts at the time were certainly not set up with facilities for new mothers.

I continued working full time at the Bar for around 10 years and then took the opportunity to start teaching in Higher Education alongside my practice.  I taught the Bar Course for more than 20 years also travelling to lecture in Hong Kong. I continued as a practising door tenant at Oriel Chambers in Liverpool throughout that time.  I love to learn and obtained a teaching qualification and LLM in Legal Education at Warwick University. I also sat as a member of Valuation Tribunal for 5 years.

Following my appointment as a Deputy District Judge in Civil and Family jurisdiction I took the hard decision to retire from chambers as I was moving away from North West.  I continue to enjoy training future lawyers at ULaw.

Don’t think that the Bar is for someone else.  It is an amazingly rewarding job.  You don’t need to have family who have been lawyers or have been to a particular type of school. It is undoubtedly hard work but my career has provided me with a great variety of work which I continue to enjoy. I have never been bored or watched the clock wanting the hours to go by until the end of the day and for that I am very grateful.

Written by Jo Lewthwaite