University: University of Oxford
Degree: Law
Year of call: 2023
Position: Barrister
Pronouns: She/her
Had you ever had the opportunity to speak to a practitioner prior to deciding to become a barrister?
I was the first person within my family and circle of friends to decide to go down the law route. However, it would’ve been helpful to speak to a practitioner, to be told that it’s not always as glamorous as Silk would have you think. It’s also about lugging three lever arch files onto your hour-long train journey to Northampton on a Tuesday morning or having to manage your own finances. I think a practitioner may have emphasised to me that I must be willing to bear the costs to enjoy the benefits.
What do you think made your application successful?
I believe that I came across as a real person, which helped my application:
- It allowed my chambers to develop an understanding of the person they’d be working and networking alongside and who they’d have representing them at court.
- It allowed my chambers to develop an understanding of who it really was that clients would be meeting.
- It ensured that there wouldn’t be a dissonance between the person I came across as in my paper application and who appeared at in-person interviews.
- It was, I hope, refreshing so I stood out from other paper applications.
I imagine that it’s very difficult for chambers to recruit someone whose personality doesn’t come through in their application. So, excuse the cliché, but be yourself.
What was the most difficult part of the recruitment process/application for you?
I struggled with ‘imposter syndrome’. In my experience, there’s not a lot that can make imposter syndrome simply go away. However, if even a small part of you thinks that this is what you want, you must go for it. Very few people who have obtained pupillage genuinely believed that they’d be successful; please don’t let your perception of yourself as ‘not good enough’ deter you.
How did you balance your time personally and professionally as a pupil?
Balancing your time isn’t as difficult as you may think. I didn’t really work weekends as a pupil and was never made to. But, if there are times when you have to work outside working hours, that’s good practise for life at the Bar sometimes. I enjoy my work so this isn’t necessarily terrible for me.
What was the best way to learn effectively as a pupil?
I hope that this isn’t too controversial, but I regret how much time I spent in court writing a word-for-word transcript, when I learnt a lot more from just watching. I didn’t know this until I was on my feet and realised that what I was trying to replicate was what I’d observed, not what I’d written.
Please outline your area of expertise. What might you do in a typical day?
I’m a family law barrister and appear in court nearly every day. I often meet people who are very distressed, vulnerable, angry or a combination, so I need to explain complicated matters to people who are unable to fully comprehend what I’m saying. It can take patience and I need to remain calm. In court, I make submissions and cross-examine witnesses. I have to gauge the strengths in my client’s case and the kind of judge I’m appearing before, to work out how to put the case most effectively. I go to lots of different places, meet many different people, with many different lives.
What’s the most challenging aspect about being a barrister and why?
Two things I find challenging about being a barrister are that: nobody outside of the Bar really understands the demands of my job; and how unpredictable it can be. My friends wonder why I can’t just leave a piece of work until Monday when I’m working at a weekend; or why my social battery can feel drained after a day of negotiation with two clients. It’s a completely unique job and it’s wonderful, but can feel isolating sometimes.
Life at the Bar is also unpredictable. There are constant last-minute changes to your diary, financial predictability and stability is challenging; you often don’t meet your client until you get to court and need to adapt to their needs; there are cases that are challenging but go well and cases that appear simple and then explode. It is amazing, but it can be challenging.
What advice do you have for budding barristers who are contemplating a career in law?
Do all you can (and I appreciate that it’s easier said than done) to get experience. For me, that would mean a mini-pupillage. There are multi-day, non-accidental injury trials and billionaires’ financial proceedings – but also days of waiting around all day to make a 30-minute application, or when your hearing ends up being adjourned. You have to start at the bottom; mini-pupillages can help to demonstrate that. Also, don’t sleep on judge marshalling! It’s a fantastic way to see a variety of oral advocacy styles.
What’s the work/life balance like at your chambers? How often do you have late nights/work at weekends?
I think that your work/life balance is in your own hands to a greater extent than you may expect. I very often work late nights and nearly always have some work to do at the weekends, because I choose to do as much work as I can as a junior barrister looking to build my practice. I also know barristers who don’t work weekends or late nights. It’s all about being able to manage your diary to have control over your work.
Describe the chambers in three words.
Warm, open and friendly.
What’s the biggest/most important lesson you’ve learnt since being called to the Bar?
One important lesson is that imposter syndrome may not go away, but it does get easier. For example, in family law, if you don’t ‘look like’ other barristers or if you come from the ‘wrong’ background, you may well resonate to a greater extent with some clients and be a better barrister for it. You may make a real difference to others’ lives just by doing what you love.
What’s your signature dish?
I can’t cook at all, but I think I make lovely cookies – if that counts?
