Sheffield solicitor secures recorder appointment

A Sheffield lawyer appointed as a recorder to sit in the civil jurisdiction is believed to be one of the youngest solicitors to be given the role.

Carl Jones, a partner at boutique firm MD Law and who specialises in insolvency litigation, begins his formal induction as a recorder this September and should begin sitting by the end of the year – all before he turns 35.

Carl was surprised to learn of his recommendation for the position after deciding to apply on a speculative basis.

The 34-year-old said: “I am so pleased to have been appointed. I was very surprised to learn I was being recommended for appointment. I’ll be 10 years qualified in September, so I thought it was more a speculative application.

“It’s something I wanted to do, but applying was as much about getting experience and going through the process. To actually get appointed, I was very pleasantly surprised.”

Carl was appointed a deputy district judge in 2020 and the following year was authorised to sit in the Business and Property Courts in Leeds and Newcastle.

He added: “I see this appointment as a recorder as the next step in the judicial ladder. It’s my ambition to become a full-time judge eventually.”

Matthew Dixon, founder and partner of MD Law, said: “We warmly congratulate Carl on his recorder appointment. Allowing our lawyers to pursue their judicial ambitions means they can broaden their knowledge and experience, and that can only help enhance the firm’s reputation.”