Joanna completed her pupillage at North Square Barristers, Newcastle, under the supervision of dual-qualified chartered accountant and barrister John Craggs. She is regularly instructed on commercial, property, civil and financial remedy proceedings, private family law proceedings (child arrangements orders, prohibited steps orders, specific issue orders and non-molestation orders) and public law (adoption and care proceedings).

Before commencing her legal education, Joanna was educated at Oxford University and worked extensively as a translator in France, Italy, Germany and Spain. She lectured in two European universities before gaining a First Class LLB (Hons) Degree at the University of Teesside. Winning numerous legal prizes including the Dr Leni Oglesby Award and the Ian Pennock Award for outstanding achievement, Joanna was awarded a full academic scholarship and completed her Master of Laws Degree in corporate law alongside the Bar Professional Training Course at Northumbria University.

Prior to transferring to the Bar, Joanna gained two years of valuable experience in one of Newcastle’s top commercial law firms, passing the solicitors’ qualifying exams FLK 1 and FLK 2. Working with a variety of clients ranging from start-ups and SMEs to charitable trusts, landed estates and football clubs, she became adept at corporate services and compliance. She also has extensive pro bono experience dealing with contractual disputes, landlord and tenant and employment law.

As well as being a qualified mediator, Joanna is a published author on employment and personal injury law, with one of her anti-discrimination articles appearing in the Bristol Law Review. In her free time, she enjoys amateur archaeology, choir, cooking and cricket.