University: Queen’s University Belfast
Degree: Law
Year of call: 2021
Position: Barrister

What attracted you to a career in law?

I’ve always been competent at writing and confident, even if less competent, at speaking. I followed my enjoyment of English and looked initially towards an undergraduate degree in linguistics. After much deliberation, a law degree felt more versatile in the event I didn’t wish to pursue a career in law, and my A levels in English language, law and drama didn’t really equip me for any other degree, so law it was.

I was fortunate enough to enjoy my law degree, but never had much of an appetite for a career in academia. I enjoyed my work experience at solicitors’ firms and on mini-pupillages such that, by the end of my degree, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in law, even if I was unsure at that stage whether it was to be as a solicitor or barrister.

Why barrister not solicitor?

I’m not bestowed with the patience required to be a top solicitor. Before I secured pupillage, I worked as a paralegal for about three years. This experience provided me with an understanding of the demands placed on solicitors, which aren’t necessarily as profound at the Bar. I found the job to have an unwavering intensity. At the Bar, you’re often forced to work enormously long hours, but there are troughs, and I like that. Equally, there’s less of an emphasis on managing the day-to-day running of a case. I found that element of the job tiring in a way that I didn’t, and still don’t, find preparing a case deep into the night. That aside, I enjoy court advocacy. The adrenaline of a trial is exciting, despite its stresses. Overall, being a barrister simply suited my skill set far more than being a solicitor.

How much work experience had you had? Why is it so important?

My work experience was plentiful and varied – and much of it was non-law related. I worked in retail and at restaurants and bars, cleaning dishes and serving drinks. I also spent time working with my dad, who’s a builder. None of that seems obviously relatable to a career at the Bar, but it toughened me up. It forced me to work, and to work hard if I wanted something. I’ve just finished a case in Birmingham in which my client told me that she’d looked on my LinkedIn profile (which isn’t particularly impressive) and was persuaded to instruct me because she knew that I’d be personable and hardworking, because I have experience in retail and have had a fairly long-winded journey to the Bar. It all counts.

What do you think made your application successful?

It helps to have good grades. In fact, you almost invariably need good grades just to get through the door. It’s a difficult reality to face for many aspiring barristers who’ve struggled in their studies. My grades were good but not exceptional. However, I was ranked first in my cohort on the Bar Professional Training Course and that contributed to a significant swing in fortune in my pupillage applications.

Apart from that, I must fall back on my personality. Unlike many, I didn’t have the luxury of saving people from the death penalty in America or other weird and wonderful pre-Bar experiences. My experiences were far less eye-catching and, honestly, pretty dull. However, my applications, at 1 Hare Court in particular, demonstrated my personality. Humour is discouraged because it can so easily be misinterpreted. The line is fine but, if possible, I’d encourage candidates to try to express their personality. Don’t be too stiff and just write what you think chambers want to hear. Remember: you’re likely one of more than 100 candidates fighting for no more than two places. So, don’t allow yourself to be forgettable, but equally don’t make yourself memorable for the wrong reasons.

Please discuss a specific case that you were involved with, outlining your role in the matter.

I was fortunate enough to have a busy and relatively varied pupillage, despite practising at a specialist matrimonial finance chambers. In my first six, I was involved in the preparation of a niche appeal concerning the law applicable to applications to rescind a decree nisi, the first conditional element of a divorce. My role was similar to that of a research assistant. I had to trace the evolution of specific rules from their enactment in 1856 through to the present day; to identify changes and read Hansard, an edited verbatim record of what was said in parliament, as a means of trying to understand the parliamentary intention behind the rule/law change. It was fascinating and great to watch the appeal at court.

What’s the biggest lesson you learnt as a pupil?

You don’t need to be, and you’re not expected to be, the finished article. Equally, don’t pretend or try to persuade others that you are – it’s a sure way to rub people up the wrong way. Your chambers will want to ensure that you have the capacity to be a valued member, both professionally and socially. So, it’s important to have a willingness to work and learn. If you’re punctual, honest with your supervisors and throw yourself into the experience, you’ll rarely go wrong. Don’t take the small hiccups to heart. Bumps in the road are part of the journey.

Please outline your area of expertise. What might you do in a typical day?

I specialise almost exclusively in financial remedies on divorce. I’m typically in court three times a week, which means that the intervening days are set aside to allow me to prepare. If the cases are difficult or paper-heavy, I’ll work most Sundays. On a ‘prep day’, I’d typically get into chambers for about 9:00am and leave at about 8:00pm, but this depends on the demands of my work. It’s not unusual for me to carry on working beyond that.

As much as possible, I try to keep on top of developments in the law by reading cases on the train to and from work. At other times, I’ll use this time to switch off.

Despite the long hours, there are periods when you’re working less, sometimes considerably less, and you can clock off a midday, go for lunch and not come back to chambers. That’s the glory of self-employment, but you must be prepared to work long hours.

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

The hours can be exceptionally long. At times you’ll have to rise early and go to bed late. You’ll have to work weekends and sacrifice personal commitments. But you can also take as much time off as you can afford. More senior members of chambers will take all of August off and probably another four to six weeks during the year. The positive consequence of working a lot as a self-employed barrister is that you typically earn more the more you work.

I find the law governing financial remedies fascinating. One must understand a whole raft of issues which aren’t, on the face of it, ‘family law’. This can include issues involving tax, finance, accounting, companies and trusts. Balancing that with the very ordinary emphasis on being able to comfortably speak to people and put them at ease at a time when they’re almost invariably in distress is a privilege, and one that I thoroughly enjoy.

Where’s your dream holiday destination?

My fiancé and I plan to go to South Africa for a month after our wedding next year. It’s always been a destination at the top of my list. I’m also planning a road trip around British Columbia in 2026, which should coincide with the World Cup. See, there are some perks to self-employment!