University: The University of Law
Degree: Law
Year of call: 2020
Position: Barrister
Pronouns: He/him

What attracted you to a career in law?

After serving as a police officer, I decided to take on a new challenge. It was important to me to leverage the knowledge and skills I’d acquired during my policing career, and the field of law seemed like a great fit!

How did you decide which chambers to apply to?

I applied to 33 chambers across a multitude of different disciplines, which went against a lot of the advice I was given. However, I believe that you’re limiting your chances by being overly selective. Those 33 applications yielded 18 first-round interviews, 11 second-round interviews and three offers (plus two first reserves). Three out of 33. The point being: load up the gun with as many bullets as possible to give you a better chance of hitting the target.

What do you think made your application successful?

Hard work. I treated obtaining pupillage like a full-time job. I crafted applications individually tailored to each chambers and treated any written work as if it were a final exam. Obtaining pupillage is the hardest part of the entire barrister journey. I think the process can be simplified by looking at your CV and appraising it honestly. Where are the holes? Once discovered, address them.

Then, it’s all about being an interesting candidate. There are so many applicants, so it’s easy to just sound the same as everyone else. Everyone has mini-pupillages under their belt and many will have experience as a paralegal. Your first-class degree won’t be enough to make you stand out, so work out what makes you special beyond them. Remember – barristers love a story.

What do you wish you’d known about being a pupil before you started that you now do?

I wish I’d known that most of the things I was worrying about were actually not important. You won’t be judged based on that one conversation you had by the water cooler, and one bad assessment isn’t terminal. Just relax, be yourself, work hard, put your hand up when necessary and accept it’s going to be what it’s going to be. Just make sure, come what may, you give them the best of you.

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

I specialise in family law, focusing on financial remedy and private children work. A typical day involves either prepping for an upcoming case (at home or in chambers) or travelling to court for a hearing. The hearings are varied, ranging from short, half-hour directions hearings to full-day sessions, which could be the first of many.

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

The work/life balance is amazing. Having been employed most of my life, being self-employed and enjoying the flexibility that it affords is a joy that never gets old.

Work as a barrister can be a bit of a rollercoaster, with quiet periods and extremely busy periods. Ultimately, you’re self-employed, so you’ll be as busy as you want to be. Late nights are often a feature, but that often depends on how much work I choose to take on. I never work Saturdays, but sometimes I do work on Sundays.

What skills/strengths do you need to be a successful barrister?

There are a lot of skills required, many of which you’ll have heard a million times as buzzwords for pupillage interview preparation. For me, the single most important attribute is the ability to get to the heart of the matter. What’s this case really about? Not what the client thinks it’s about, or what the million issues being argued are – what’s it really about? Find that answer, and the path to a solution the court is likely to adopt becomes much clearer.

What is the wider culture like at chambers?

The culture at 29 Bedford Row Chambers is supportive and collegiate. There’s a very supportive network, particularly at the junior end, which ensures that we maintain a thriving but manageable practice. In addition, and I may be biased, but I think we have the best clerks in the business.

Describe the chambers in three words.

Inclusive, talented, supportive.

What’s the biggest opportunity you’ve been given since being called to the Bar?

I had the opportunity to appear solo in the high court on appeal. The appeal was successful, which opened other doors and lead to greater success in my practice.

What’re you reading at the moment?

Game of Thrones