It gives us great pleasure to share news of the appointment of Lisa Nabou, a consultant in health litigation with Hill Dickinson, as a deputy district judge on the Northern Circuit. Lisa has made the bench on her first attempt, aged just 38. The timing of Lisa’s appointment is particularly inspiring, coinciding as it does with the one hundredth anniversary celebrations of Women in Law, in 2019.
Lisa qualified as a solicitor in 2004 and is an experienced lawyer, advising and protecting the legal and reputational interests of healthcare professionals including GPs, specialists and nurses. She has provided advice in a broad range of legal matters including high value/multiple party civil claims for clinical negligence, inquests, criminal investigations (including manslaughter) and professional regulation before Medical Councils. Having worked in Singapore and Hong Kong (and being dual qualified as a solicitor in Hong Kong where she was partner in a law firm), Lisa has also developed a good understanding of the different culture, market and legal systems in Asia. Lisa is praised in the Legal 500 as ‘hardworking, energetic, committed and meticulous.’
Commenting on her appointment, Lisa said: ‘A senior male solicitor once said to me that it was “admirable to try” to become a judge at this stage in my career, which made me temporarily doubt whether I could do it. I could, of course, and did so on my first attempt! This goes to show that anything is possible if you work incredibly hard, prepare well and surround yourself with aspirational peers who intrinsically want the best for you and provide support in the process.
‘My advice to anyone looking to apply is to prepare diligently for each stage of the assessment process, stay focused on the end result, enjoy the experience of the assessment day and, importantly, just be yourself. I encourage other solicitors to apply to the bench and would be happy to support anyone considering this.”
Joanne Hughes, a partner with Hill Dickinson, with whom Lisa works as part of the firm’s health team in Liverpool, said: ‘Lisa’s appointment as a deputy district judge is well deserved and I’m incredibly proud to have her as part of our team and to work alongside her. In this year marking 100 years of Women in Law, her success serves as an inspiration, in particular, to young female entrants to our profession, demonstrating that barriers to progression in law are increasingly being smashed down.’
Lisa will continue in her role at Hill Dickinson alongside her commitment on the bench.