Joanne Thomas
Senior Clerk
Jo is the embodiment of excellence and experience.
Jo has a long and close association with the law.
Jo started out as the Assistant Secretary to the Clerk of the Justices at Bedford Magistrates Court in 1985. In 1986 Jo joined the newly created CPS. Jo’s interactions with various chambers soon lead to an offer of her first clerking position with a barristers’ chambers in 1987.
Jo’s first appointment as a Senior Clerk took place at the Chambers of Stuart Cakebread Q.C. – a position obtained at a remarkably young age. That set was a common law set.
In April 1996 Jo was appointed as Senior Clerk at 2 Paper Buildings, a set founded by Mark Wyeth. As Senior Clerk in this Common Law set Jo excelled in her post. Working closely with Mark and with a team of three other good clerks they oversaw the expansion and significant increase in turnover of chambers. Jo’s abilities and success got her noticed. It is also fair to observe that it got the barristers noticed too. It is remarkable to observe that from the ranks of that chambers that Jo helped so much, no fewer than four Q.C.’s and four Judges were to be appointed in future years.
In 1999 Jo was approached by the much bigger Furnival Chambers to join as a clerk. The ensuing move now meant Jo was to clerk a young Charles Sherrard amongst many others. Once again Jo created a very favourable impression with her diligence and skill. An impression that lasted long in the memory.
Jo’s appointment as Senior Clerk at WTC in 2020 sees her reunited with barristers who know and value this remarkable and consummate professional.
It is a mark of respect on the part of all of the current members of WTC that these chambers are proud to bear her name.