What was your route into the profession?
I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer. At the age of 15 I had two weeks work experience with a local firm. During that fortnight a partner took me to the High Court, and that was me well and truly hooked!
I returned to that firm (Merricks in Ipswich) every summer, enjoying all the experience they were able to give me. Even the endless photocopying and trial bundle pagination!
I was working there when I collected my A-Level results and while talking to the partners about my options, they introduced me to an alternative route into law, the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) route.
In my youthful impatience, I was keen to begin working in real practice as soon as possible and so the CILEx route appealed to me. The firm funded my studies and gave me great technical and varied training.
I am forever grateful for the time they invested in me.
What has been your biggest career challenge so far?
Getting my work-life balance right is still a challenge to this day. When you want to be the best lawyer, business developer, coach, trainer, mentor, volunteer, wife, mother and ‘self’, it can be overwhelming.
There is so much pressure, both external and internal, to be the best at everything. The younger generation seem to be suffering from more pressure than ever before, especially with the introduction of social media into the mix.
We need to do a better job of putting our ‘self’ higher up on the list of priorities. I’m still not sure I do that very well; perhaps I should add it to my to-do list!
Which person within the legal profession inspires you most?
Baroness Hale is an inspiration to so many in the law, and she does it with such modesty and grace.
I also greatly admire Michelle Obama: she shows that it is possible to rise to the highest level without losing your humanity and humour.
If you weren’t a lawyer, what would you choose as an alternate career?
Teaching. My mother and sister were teachers: I’ve never met a more hardworking profession, doing such important work in difficult conditions.
I’ve always enjoyed coaching and training junior colleagues but having spent several years as a Beaver Scout Leader, I realised that I probably didn’t have the temperament for teaching full time!
Who is your favourite fictional lawyer?
I’ve always had a soft spot for dear old Rumpole; I used to read his books avidly as a teenager.
More recently, my guilty pleasure is to watch Jessica Pearson in Suits, running rings around her colleagues in her fabulously impractical wardrobe.
What change would you make to the profession?
In my 30 years in the law, diversity has moved on tremendously, but there is still such a long way to go.
There are still far too few women at senior levels of leadership, whether that’s private practice or the judiciary.
I hope that my appointment will help to raise the profile of the CILEx route into law. There are many reasons why bright and able lawyers do not follow the traditional route, and it would be a real loss to the profession if these individuals were not able to join the legal community on a level playing field.
How do you relax?
My greatest joy is my family. I have three children, two beagles and one incredibly supportive husband. I’m never happier than when out walking in the beautiful Devon countryside with all my family around me.
Elizabeth Johnson is an associate at Ashfords LLP and the first female Chartered Legal Executive to be appointed to the judiciary
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