We asked Christine Land, who joined the Property, Family and Trust Team over 5 years ago, for her thoughts on working with the Law Commission.
What is it like working at the Law Commission?
I find the work of the Commission intellectually stimulating, and there is a wide variety of work available. In the life cycle of a project (which is usually a number of years) I have engaged with policy officials to set the terms of reference for the project, met with key stakeholders to discuss how the law can be improved, developed policy recommendations, written and published reports, presented at consultation events, analysed consultation responses and have drafted instructions to turn our recommendations into legislation.
What has been your career highlight while working here?
Publishing a report on commonhold reform. I had to grapple with number of very tricky legal and policy questions (such as how leaseholders in a block of flats might be able to turn their building into a commonhold without everyone’s agreement), and it was satisfying to come up with solutions to present to Government. More generally, I have worked with some great colleagues and have enjoyed building relationships with the research assistants that I have line managed over the years.
What opportunities have you been given at the Law Commission?
I have always wanted to work behind the law, to improve the law and make it more accessible, rather than just applying the law, and this job has given me the opportunity to do this. Learning and development is also very important to me, and I have had some interesting opportunities while at the Commission. In particular, I was able to work with office of parliamentary counsel to help draft a Law Commission Bill, I attended a short secondment within a Government department to learn more about policy making and have attended various leadership courses.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in working at the Law Commission?
I think it is important to be yourself and feel confident enough to share your ideas. I feel quite strongly that, as we are working on behalf of everyone in England and Wales, we should also have a diverse range of voices and experiences. Obviously, the academic side is important, but I also think the softer skills should not be underrated. Interpersonal skills are very important when working as a team and engaging with stakeholders and it is essential to be able to explain complicated ideas in a way that everyone will understand.