University: University of Oxford
Degree: Politics, Philosophy and Economics
Year of call: 2024
Position: Barrister

What made the Bar the right career choice for you, rather than other legal routes?

When considering different routes, I liked the idea of the freedom and responsibility which comes with being at the self-employed Bar: being able to take on your own cases from very early on and shape your own practice. I didn’t feel entirely wedded to a single practice area, and it seemed like the Bar offered the best opportunity to try out different things and maintain an interesting mix in the first few years. I was also conscious of my own strengths and weaknesses, and the sort of tasks I found interesting – I liked the idea of a job involving lots of writing, legal research and some public speaking.

How did you narrow down which chambers to apply to and what mattered most in that decision?

The primary factor was the kind of work available at each set. I knew I wanted to do public law, and I was also interested in trying some competition and commercial law. Even just within public law, there’s a range of different stuff you can do and I tried to get a sense of what was available at each chambers: whether they tend to do more government- or claimant-side work, commercial judicial review, technical regulatory matters or work with a human rights/public interest element. All of the chambers I applied to offered some combination of these.

Did you complete a mini-pupillage? Would you advise other aspiring barristers to try to do one of these?

I did a couple of mini-pupillages before even applying for pupillage, including one at a fairly similar set to Blackstone Chambers. I also carried out an assessed mini-pupillage as part of the pupillage recruitment process for Blackstone. I found these really helpful because before doing any mini-pupillages, my idea of what life at the Bar might look like day to day was quite vague.

Spending a few days with a barrister and hearing about the cases they were working on gave me a much clearer idea of what the job actually involves and which practice areas I wanted to do. When it came to pupillage interviews, I found it helpful to draw on my experiences from the mini-pupillages I’d done to show that I understood the demands of life at the Bar and what it would take to develop a successful practice.

How did you balance your time personally and professionally as a pupil?

My supervisors were generally very careful about ensuring I was only working 9:00am to 6:00pm or 9:30am to 6:30pm each day. Pupillage is an intense experience and learning so much so quickly can be knackering, so I found I really needed the down time. I’d been worried that my social life might take a big hit during the pupillage year, but I definitely still found time to see friends and family, and I think maintaining that side of life helped make the pupillage year manageable.

Talk us through a case you worked on as a pupil – what was your role and what did you learn about advocacy or preparation?

I worked on a case for a large environmental NGO relating to a renewable energy issue. I attended a conference (which essentially just means a meeting) with my supervisor, our solicitors and the client to discuss the issue and to consider whether bringing a claim for judicial review might be an effective way for the client to achieve its goals.

In the conference itself, I took notes and asked one or two questions. I then discussed the case further with my supervisor and produced a first draft of a pre-action letter, together with a short note of advice for the client. Ultimately, the client chose to pursue the issue through policy influencing and a communications campaign, rather than through a claim for judicial review.

It was helpful to learn that sometimes it might be in your client’s best interest not to bring proceedings, and an important part of your role as a barrister may be in helping them figure this out.

Please outline your practice area, and walk us through what a recent working day looked like for you.

At the moment, I do a mixture of public law and commercial law. I spend a lot of the day writing: statements of case, skeleton arguments, opinions, and other types of document which arise in the context of litigation. I might also have a conference with solicitors (and/or the lay client) and I’ll often have calls with other barristers I’m working with to talk through strategy, drafting or logistics. My day looks very different when I’m in court (which at the moment tends to be a few times a month, although this can vary widely during different periods).

What do you enjoy most about your career as a barrister and why?

Every case is so different, and with each one, I get to (/have to!) learn a huge amount in a short space of time about a new industry, social issue, part of the world, technology or niche bit of law. It’s fun to try to become a real expert in a particular topic for a while (and then argue about it).

What’s the most challenging aspect about being a barrister and why?

It can be unpredictable. You might have a sudden development on a case during a week when you already have plenty of other work in the diary. Or something might settle unexpectedly, leaving you with a stretch of time free when you thought you’d be in court. And what happens in court is also very unpredictable – a judge might ask a question or indicate a view which means you need to quickly change your whole approach, or the opposing party might say or do something which requires an immediate response. The unpredictability is part of the fun, but it can also be stressful.

How predictable is your workload as a junior barrister, and how do you manage busy periods?

As I say, my workload can be unpredictable – I’ve learnt that I need to leave plenty of free space for work which might materialise. If I think that I have four days of work to do in the next week, that will usually turn into five, so I should leave at least a day free.  When things do get busy, there’s plenty of support available in chambers, which makes a big difference.

How would you describe the culture at your chambers, and how does that show up in day‑to‑day working life?

People are friendly and interested in the world. Conversations in chambers are never boring and there’s a (maybe surprising) mix of characters and quirky interests. People are also eager to help each other when they can. I can pop into anyone’s room whenever I have a question or issue I’m wrestling with and other members of chambers (regardless of seniority) are happy to talk it through.

What diversity and inclusion initiatives is your chambers involved with?

Blackstone Chambers helped to set up a mentoring scheme for people from underrepresented groups (a scheme which I took part in before I came to the Bar and found really helpful, although my mentor was from one of the other chambers involved in the scheme).

That scheme is ongoing and is supported by Combar – the Commercial Bar Association. Blackstone Chambers also takes part in a number of other schemes that increase access to the profession by offering placements in chambers, shadowing opportunities or mentorship for people from different groups. More information about these schemes is available on the chambers’ pupillage website.

What’re you reading at the moment?

I’ve just finished Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian, which I’d been meaning to read for a long time and never had. It’s unsettling/kind of hostile, but also weirdly beautiful (if you can stomach all the scalpings that take place, or maybe even if you can’t).