Chambers forgot to send me a confidentiality agreement, so I have no idea of what it would entail so I'll keep it all to a bare minimum. Monday- Thursday spent time on a burgarly case with a really nice female barrister. Then on thursday I was invited for "drinks" to chambers. I was advised by friends to only have one drink, however I had a few more than that, as I was left to wander and talk to people by myself without mini pupil master to hold my hand so envitably got around talking to people and the clerks, went out for a fag etc, then talked to my barrister about the case we had just been working on. All seemed well. Left went home, went to bed. Only to wake up and wonder what if I had made a fool out of myself (even though I only had a few drinks the possibility of " relaxing" around other members of chambers, when you have been trying to be really professional all week and a bit uptight) so I wondered if I had made a tit out of myself! Don't think I did.. or hopefully no one would have noticed!!!
Friday - I spent dealing with probation cases, and a barrister telling me not to come to the bar and giving me a very long list of reasons as to why I shouldn't! Probation work wasn't that exciting, however the barrister seemed to have a lot of tales to tell.
Summary: It's all someting to put on my CV, and I've got some pointers as to what to do to make me look "different" when applying to OLPAS which apparently everyone should do at least before they start their BVC. My barrister from Monday - Thursday was soo nice! Really cared about her client, and apparently from what I heard from clerks back at chambers, this attitude brings in the money too! The way to really learn about law, is to get a job as an outdoor clerk, textbook law isn't really what it's about in practice!
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6 comments:
Sounds like you had fun! What do you think about the criminal law in practice then?
Bar of Bust wrote on his blog about the new funding restrictions restrictions affecting outdoor clerking - you might find it interesting: LINK
Glad to see you had fun, LLLS; given that mini's are so unbelievably competetive to get, it seems to me that you've taken a huge step forward! I do hope it's enthused you, and given you a valuable insight as well as an appetite for a career at the bar!
Well what I actually learn was that it was all about evidence and nothing to do with relevant cases on the offence!! I read Bob's account about outdoor clerking hmm, don't know what I am going to do for my summer then!! May try and get more work experience, work for free:)
There's practically no private work going about so it's all legal aid, and the slightly older barrister who I did probation breaches with, said make friends with a lot of solicitors, because you need them to instruct you!(no looking down on them or probably shouldn't de-member myself from "Barristers are better than soliticors in every conceivable way"
Glad I've done a mini! Results in a week, so depending on how well i've done I'll be applying for mini's in different areas!
Hi LLLS,
Apply for lots of minis and work ANYWAY, regardless of your results, because results can always be improved upon!! :))
I think I also forgot to mention I went into the right court, but sat behind a barrister who wasn't my mini pupil supervisor.. all male barristers look the same.. very difficult to tell them apart!
Lost..
Ah yes, drunk on the job- I'm sure they love all of that. Nothing will fix you in the memories of any given set like being horizontal and gibbering. You can guarantee that the other pupils that year will have demonstrated that a 20 minute pupillage interview is an extremely dull prospect. For yours they'll have tins of Stella at the ready.
MiniPs blend into one another I find, and most of the time nobody cares who you are- but you do on occasion meet some really really awesome people.
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