Joanne had a successful career as a barrister and judge before she became an author, representing clints in criminal and civil proceedings and later presiding in forensic mental health cases, special educational needs, and disability rights. She is highly experienced in academic and technical writing, including contributions in specialist law texts; most recently, a chapter on judges and witnesses for the manual ‘Giving Evidence at a Mental Health Tribunal: A Professionals’ Handbook’, published by Routledge in 2025. Joanne is a visiting research fellow in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at University of Brighton and as part of her fellowship, she is leading a series of workshops with students and staff.