Almost all Australian courts employ judicial clerks to assist judges with legal research and reviewing draft judgments.
[3] A point of confusion is that, in New South Wales, a judge's personal assistant or administrative secretary is known as an Associate.
Tasks may include preparing research memos to the judge on questions of law, checking draft judgments for accuracy with the record, providing critique on the substance of the reasoning of judgments, assisting with speech-writing and research, communicating with lawyers who contact the judge's chambers, and administrative duties.
The website of the High Court states that competition is "very strong" and that there are sometimes upwards of 200 applications for a single vacancy.
[2] The website of the Supreme Court of New South Wales describes tipstaff positions as "extremely popular and therefore highly competitive" and that applicants are expected to have "a strong academic record".
Mr Taylor, Member of Parliament for Christchurch City said that this practice should be abolished and that judge's associates should be paid a fixed salary instead.