To Phd or to not Phd

As I sit here and research abuse of process in relation to RIPA, I wonder whether or not this is the sort of life I wish to live. A life full of constant reading, with a large home library of assorted books on Criminal Justice, Evidence and Human Rights. A desk surrounded by empty packets of crisps and fag packets.

I am at the moment rather tempted to delve deeper into being an academic rather than trying to pursue a career at the Bar and there are several reasons why.

Firstly there has been a complete lack of interest from Chambers when applying for mini-pupillages, I do believe that I would make a good barrister (don't we all) I have a good ability to absorb knowledge, to analyse that knowledge and be critical about it, as well as being a semi-competent advocate which I have learnt from my mooting days. There may have been a small hiccup in the fact that I put perhaps a too restrictive of a date in my covering letter for when I was available, however if chambers were interested I doubt that would have really mattered. By not being noticed enough by which ever young tenant was viewing my application, I wonder how much more there is to be done, so that my CV sparkles with fairy magic glittery Bar dust. I am currently applying for lots of NGO work, however I am yet to hear back.

The amount of opportunities for work related experience of crime and human rights are vast I would suggest, however a lot of internships are unpaid and are usually for a month or so, that is perhaps too much of a period of time where I could be earning elsewhere, the internships are in themselves very competitive.

For all my (our) troubles, the lack of interest from Chambers may be a sign of the times, the Bar is very much more so competitive in terms of sheer numbers than it used to be, Chambers will receive hundreds if not thousands of applications for mini-pupillages, there again your CV really must shine.

There is always the issue of the Bar v Solicitor Advocates, where the work is going and whether or not it would be financially viable to enter the profession in this particular climate. I am told that plans for public funding in criminal trials may reduce by 20%, that is a significant drop in income for those already in practice. The thought of being self-employed and not being good enough to make a decent living is another concern.

After this analysis it may just be simpler to try and apply for a Phd and try to win some scholarship, I would be able to keep teaching criminal law, a subject though despite it needs urgent reform in some places, is quite enjoyable and has enabled me to delve much deeper into the substantive law than I ever did as an undergraduate.

I am young however, may not the youngest blogger by very early 20's, a lot of barrister wannabes come to the Bar later on in life, it would not be such a horrendous missed opportunity if I went to the Bar after a Phd or some time being an academic, this would give me a chance to 'establish' myself. As the criminal Bar will inevitably become smaller and ever more so specialised than it is now, there may be a greater link between academics and barristers, as minute points of law become more important than the general aspects.

There is however the gigantic task of writing the Phd, spending 40 hrs a week for three years, on something that I hope would not be remotely crap, but I would have thought it wouldn't be sufficiently ground breaking. I wonder if by doing a Phd, I would actually just be postponing my real desire to be in Court and say "yes M'Lud, I am obliged, [however I would submit that you are quite wrong on this point].

Difficult choices to make, I think I will keep everything up in the air. I already have a scholarship which I deferred last year from Middle Temple, I don't have a scholarship to do a Phd, though I hope as I teach at the institution they would love to keep me and give me some form of teaching award covering Criminal Law and Evidence. Another 3 years of university can't hurt too much.

Lost

BVC Scholarship

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:

1. 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)
2. 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.
3. 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!
   
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. I could ask my LAC manager, however as I am yet to have undertaken a case, there is no point!
7. 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!!!
8. 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?
   

Apart from that I am going to try and get into outdoor clerking, it seems pretty flexible and I have every Friday off, and can pick to do either a morning/afternoon shift, though how I can juggle doing my 3rd year, mooting and the LAC with an outdoor clerking job seems slightly impractical.
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!

Helpful Links

Here you will find some links that have been most helpful to me organised in various sections with a short description if you so care to visit. This is by no means a definitive list, but all the links that I currently have in my favourite. If you have any more to suggest that would be great, I personally hate trawling the net to find these things!

Also most of my stuff is veered towards criminal law, if anyone has any helpful suggestions for civil, negligence, chancery, admin etc all other links are welcome subject to scrutiny!

Barrister Links

Boost your work experience - lists activities you can do to boost your application for pupillage - also very handy if you are looking for things to do to put on your CV.

Barrister - Mini Pupillages - What they are and how to get them.

CV - No idea how or what to write on a CV for a mini pupillage or pupillage useful site gives an example.

Covering letter example - from same people as above giving you an example of a good covering letter.

Time Tabling - No idea of what you are supposed to be doing and you want to go to the bar? Heres a simple helpful guide from 1st year to applying to your BVC.

Voluntering

Admin for Bar Pro Bono Unit - Want to have a bit of admin work on your cv, maybe get to know a few barristers look at cases or something in the mean time? Try this. I tried it though they never got back to me!

Independent custody visiting association - the police hate you apparently much better to look into being an appropriate adult as you get to learn more about PACE, however this could also be an option if you are a fan of liberty and the upholding of values of criminal justice - we all start out as young liberals!

Pro Bono and volunteering - Probably the juiciest stuff here, however remember that most people will already be doing this stuff, so try out the less well known things that not everyone does to make you stand out!

National Centre for Domestic Violence - if you want some real experience in dealing with people who have suffered abuse who may one day be someone you are prosecuting for then check this out.

Witness volunteering - Want to help witnesses round courtrooms and also want to get to know the insides of courts pretty well?

Youth Offender Panel - with growing crime commmitted by younger and younger people you may want to check out your local youth offender panel, and get some experience in your local community