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Lady Hale may have "no solution" but in my opinion more solicitors would be willing to apply if it wasn't almost always necessary to begin one's judicial career in a part-time role. For those solicitors working full-time who are not actively looking to change to part-time, the need to combine an initial part-time judicial role with one's existing role (because one quite reasonably wishes to continue working and earning full-time) is a huge disincentive. In the case of solicitors it seems to me to be a recipe for a hugely
stressful life and much more difficult relations with partners or employer, difficulties which barristers (who typically have neither) might not experience to the same degree. With all the excellent training that can be made available to novice judges these days, is it not time to try making available some full-time salaried junior judicial positions open to those solicitors and barristers who are willing to commit to a full-time judicial career at the outset? I feel sure that this step would transform the number of solicitors applying, while also doing more to alleviate the recruitment crisis by resulting in a larger number of full-time judges and requiring less reliance on part-timers.