Update: I have secured a reference from MrHRCB, who said that he will just make it up, lovely man giving me a reference after I missed his lecture then turned up 20 mins late to when I was supposed to meet him because I couldn't stop a printer from printing out 70 copies of my CV out of the 3200 it wanted to print. Wtf? Mental Note: make sure your alarm is plugged in and you didn't drunkingly pull it out to charge your phone. Also I'm lining up some marshalling, trying to get some outdoor clerking, applying to a few criminal solictor firms, volunteering at the met's criminal justice unit, doing LAC, and mooting (on contract -f'ing yuck) So will be considerably busier than I have ever been in the whole of my three years of doing absolutely f'all. :)Crikey things have flown past me recently, I've been so busy doing nothing!!
So currently I am going to apply for a BVC Scholarship from middle temple.
A few problems may have arisen such as:
- I've only just really discovered about this in the past week and the deadline is 7th November. (not really an issue if its all about form filling)
- I have no idea of whom to ask for a reference, the guidelines for writing a reference are intellectual ability, motivation towards the bar, potential as an advocate, personal qualities.
- Now the problem with (2) is that I have no tutors past or previous that can get me a sound reference due to the fact that none of them know me very well. I've had three different academic tutors in three years so I'm not particularly close to any of them, except perhaps my 2nd year tutor, however how does he know that I possess certain qualities to go to the bar? Also I'm not the sort of person who dither dathers, sucking up to tutors in order to get a good reference, I do the work, turn up to the seminars occasionally and do alright in the exam. But oh no, now I have discovered that I need to be a complete suck up!
- However I am currently thinking that the references do not have to reach Middle Temple until the first few weeks of January, so if I am lucky, I can persuade Mr Highly Respected Criminal Barrister (now known as MrHRCB) to write me a beautiful reference, as I am going to write him an amazing essay over reading week, and perhaps ask to see him and see if he can give me any guidance to become a criminal barrister. There's that and also I did a mini-pupillage with someone that he did pupillage with, and she seemed to like me so it could all go well.
- Is there a point of asking someone you did a mini-pupillage with to write you a reference? Mini-pupil masters are more likely to know about your ability aren't they then those who teach you, because to be honest, unless I was to get a reference from woman who organises the moots, (which I only did particularly well in, in the first year) then no one is going to know of my practical skills to make it to the bar.
- I could ask my LAC manager, however as I am yet to have undertaken a case, there is no point!
- What is the point of asking for references when I haven't done particularly anything of merit and no-one knows me on a personal level!! How frustrating!!!
- Finally - I'm not sure if I actually have to try and enrol on the BVC before I get a scholarship or is it just enough that I intend to do the BVC?
Links for outdoor clerking are
The Court Clerks
Gio Legal Services
Though Bar or Bust has mentioned that solicitors firms are cutting down on outdoor clerking, what with the credit crunch and all! Balls!
9 comments:
To get your scholarship (if you are awarded one), you have to present some proof of enrolment on the BVC course :)
I may be wrong on this one, but I doubt that any of your mini-pupil masters would be willing to write such a serious reference, because they wouldn't have had a chance to get to know your 'abilities' well enough to comment on them!
I had references from our uni mooting co-ordinator (I was quite involved with mooting then), who's also a District Judge, and Client Interviewing Competition co-ordinator (where I was a semi-finalist), who also gave me a First for my Contract law essay :)
All I can say is - good luck with your application! I do hope that you'll figure something out :)
So do I have to prove that I want to get onto the BVC, or in order for a scholarship to be paid in do I have to show proof, so therefore it can be later on?
Nice references Andro!!
I think I have to make a decision about whether I want to do the BVC straight after my law degree, or take a year out and build up relevant work experience.. hmm
Lost, you have to have a BVC place before you can apply for a scholarship. The season for BVC applications will open shortly (next month I think - look up bvconline) with the first round of places being "awarded" in March. The scholarship season will open after that, with the deadline being the autumn (exactly when depends upon which Inn). There's no harm in applying for both a course place and scholarship on the basis that you will start in Autumn 2009. The worst that can happen is that you defer or reapply for 2010.
Thanks Bar Boy
I think I will try and apply now anyway, and if it all goes to shit then I'll just reapply the next year.
Lost,
You don't have to have been accepted onto a BVC course before you can apply for a scholarship. It is infact actually impossible to do this as you won't get an answer from the BVC providers before the deadline passes!
However, if you are awarded a scholarship (fingers crossed)then it will not be given to you until you have secured a place.
As for references I would not suggest a mini pupil supervisor unless they are a personal friend of yours. I have one from a lecturer who was a very successful barrister and respected academic in his field, and the other from the co-ordinator of the charity that I do the court representation for.
You do court representation for a charity?
Bob you never cease to amaze me with all your extra-curricular activities!!
Thanks for the info!
Lost, I asked the Head of the GDL course I did and a previous employer who for some inexplicable reason thought I did a good job!
I think you will find that the scholarship will be more down to you, and how you come across than the quality of your references.
Good luck with it.
Scholarships has really helped a lot of people who wanted to attain their goals despite the shortage of funds. Money is not really a hindrance to success to those who wanted to get them. I am working now on my free law dissertation topics article.
Post a Comment