Being a Swot Pays off!!

Dear Blog Readers,

Just finished my mini-pupillage at a top criminal set. Was very interesting.
The set specialises in prosecuting, so no wonder I spent 4 days with prosecution counsel and one day with defence counsel.

I shadowed very junior counsel, who all told me not to bother with the average criminal barrister warning of "don't come to the criminal Bar". They said that they love their jobs, and if you realise that you won't be earning a shit ton of money then you can succeed at the criminal Bar.

The question of solicitor advocates was brought up, some are good, some are not good so I am told, (but I knew this already) one different aspect was whether they would make good Judges?
Also how isolated some solicitor advocates are, counsel told me that when they have very learned QC's just sitting down the corridor, it would be difficult for solicitor advocates to have that same kind of access to expertise if they need it.

Though some HCA's in some major city firms will be trained by silks, it is unlikely that criminal solicitor advocates will necessary have the same kind of resources to pool from.

In other news, I have just been asked to undertake some paid research on the law of evidence!!
Of course I said yes, I am not stupid enough to turn it down, especially as it is with one of my favourite lecturers, and it will be another booster on my CV!!

I had some marshalling planned, but I never heard back the particular court I applied to. Apparently a judge has been trying to get into contact with me for a long time, but the emails kept bouncing? Career mistake no 1#!!!

Results on the 22nd June, am nervous, I need my 66%. As you all may well know I wasn't a fantastic student in my first or second years, but this year I pulled my finger out and worked my ass off!!

Best of luck to everyone who is also awaiting results!!
Have a nice boozey summer of celebrating the past three years

Lost

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

1st Mini Pupillage - Criminal

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!