Author Marie

Chambers evenings. Men and women in posh suits, a formal event over-flowing with intellect from Heads of Chambers, top-notch barristers, Queen’s Counsels and tenants all in the same room. One of the delightful highlights on many a GDL student’s to-do list, ranking up there with mooting and pro bono. Along with the hundred and one things we try to achieve in our short academic year.

“Just what exactly are Chambers evenings?”, pondered many of us en route to tutorials and in between mid-lecture breaks. “It’s sure to be really formal if we must put on our best suits!” exclaimed one excited peer. “And we must be on our best behaviour! And impress the barristers! And snag a pupillage! And network!” And do everything all at once it seems…..

“Relax…”, said the tutors with knowing smiles, but not giving any details away. Going with an open mind and a professional attitude seemed to be their suggestion. And that’s exactly how a mini army of us clad in a sea of somber dark greys, navy blues and black albeit perfectly coiffed and gelled up hair set off for our very first Chambers evenings at Wilberforce Chambers.  Many armed with emergency lists of potential questions and witty repartee to hopefully impress the barristers.

After a resounding welcome from the Chamber Heads and a short speech about what Wilberforce Chambers was about, it was time to mingle. Or rather for us GDL students to descend upon the barristers and QCs in droves. The strategic plan, agreed many of us in advance, was to pick a barrister you fancied as your “target” and surround him or her. Which was exactly what we did. One can only wonder how the barristers felt surrounded by dozens of eager faces. And they do this every year. In the true calm manner of barristers well-seasoned in court, they were smooth and unruffled by all the attention, politely answering our questions and giving us insights as to what life as a barrister entailed. The juniors in particular, gave us lots of tips when it came to acing that all-important interview and pupillage.  “I definitely want to be like them some day”, sighed many of my peers. So did everyone else in the room.

Chambers evenings...more than just canapés and good conversation! Thanks to Geoff Peters 604 for image.

As the evening progressed, things only got better and better as the ambience grew even more informal and relaxed. The conversation flowed freely and easily (one QC was entertaining us with his recounting of overseas assignments in a corner amidst loud laughter), aided in part by the endless repertoire of wonderfully tasty canapés and fine wine.

“Not bad…”, I thought with relief as my little group moved from one end of the room to the other. Indeed, good food and wine accompanied by excellent company. A rare evening to unwind without coursework and tutorials on our minds. What else could we possibly hope for? Definitely very different from what I had initially visualised. And my fellow GDL students felt the same way.

“I absolutely love Chambers Evenings now that we know exactly what they’re about!”. “Can’t believe we’re talking to these barristers like we’re friends!” But the bonus of Chambers Evenings was as one peer aptly summed up, “We even get some semblance of a balanced life!” (well, for one evening at least) by chilling out with people we hardly talk to even though we’re on the same course!” The ones we give customary nods and the usual “how’s it going?” greetings as we rush through our hectic schedule every day.

And this was repeated at the other Chambers evenings as well. The setting might have been different each time - from the posh professionalism of Wilberforce, to the formal academic setting of One Essex Court with its endless shelves of  journals to the casual and down-to-earth environment of Keating, but the familiar faces of my GDL course mates remained. Giving everyone a sense of comforting companionship. That we were not alone in our search for that elusive pupillage.

Marie Tay is a former copywriter and editor who has just begun her GDL at The City Law School.

Our author, Dola.

Given the financial climate at the moment it’s little wonder that all the chambers evenings directed at GDL students come purely from commercial sets. Legal aid reforms, designed to cut public expenses, have hit the criminal sector hard so when 6 King’s Bench Walk (6KBW) decided to hold a chambers evening I had to attend. A brave invitation I thought by 6kbw, which came with a clear warning from David Herling (Director of the GDL), that only those interested in this field should attend.

Truth is none of us were sure if it was the route to pursue, and what were the reasons for 6kBW inviting us? They were not short of applicants i’m sure. However there is no denying the quality of the GDL cohort at City, a course known for its additional edge of academic rigour in an already intensive (and what many would describe as) painful nine months. The result? Some of the best barristers in England and Wales.

On the evening direct questions about the criminal bar were fired (it may have been the wine)...

How much will I earn? Will I ever be able to leave my parents house? Why is so much emphasis placed on academic ability when we are helping people mostly from working class backgrounds? How does someone with a first class honours and from a middle class background relate to criminals from a different background to their own?

Their answers to these very general questions? They stated that, yes the bar does place great emphasis on intellectual ability because historically that is how it has always been. They acknowledged the problem of being able to relate to clients and represent them to the best of your ability when you are not from the same background, especially in criminal law. Yet they stated they did not rule out people with a high 2:2 who demonstrate other qualities, similarly those with a first class honours with no experience do not just walk straight through the doors. Reassuring advice, I thought, useful to a post-graduate, I was won over already.

6KBW’s website is swarmed with positive reviews from Legal Directories (Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners), and the location of the chambers itself already tells you the history attached to the chambers. No promising criminal barrister would decline an offer from 6KBW. It made me wonder though, what is it about the criminal bar that despite its shortcomings, students still choose it as an area of practice? Are there really that many students who want to work for long hours on low pay just to help people? Because that would have to be your motivation, the rewards are not financial.

It’s touching that students want to work for the greater good and when you ask your peers why they want to be a criminal barrister this is usually their answer. But what makes people stand out in mini-pupillage or pupillage application form to somewhere like 6KBW?

How do you get in the spotlight? Credit: Sarah G...

Well, 6KBW places great emphasis on intellectual ability, proven dedication to the bar through pro bono work and extracurricular activities. You need to be able to pinpoint exactly why you want to be a criminal barrister and lastly, tailor your covering letter to their specific chambers. The most common mistake by students is using a generic covering letter, just changing the name of the chambers for each application. This pointless time-saving device screams out to chambers, particularly when you forget to change some fact or other to suit the appellation in hand. The sad thing is all this effort is wasted, and you rarely know why rejection has landed at your door (few chambers give individual feedback). My advice, yes covering letters are time consuming but it’s worth it, you want to apply to chambers knowing that you did your best to gain a place there.

Within the criminal law sector, 6KBW has a vast range of expertise including international criminal work and fraud. Those on a pupillage will rotate every four months in order to capture the many areas that the chamber covers. 6KBW are very proud of their pupillage training programme which includes an advocacy course entailing mooting, legal ethics training for the crown court, in which you will be representing in by the end of the pupillage.

Both pupils taken on this year were from different professions. One from investment banking, and the other a solicitor from a magic circle firm. I asked the ex-banker about the hours he works and he stated that he is used to early mornings because of his previous employment and that he liked to have that time to gather himself together before his pupillage supervisor came in. The ex-solicitor was tired can you believe, of commercial work. She stated that she had to ‘kiss goodbye’ to her maternity pay package and other privileges which do not come with self-employment, but stressed how the move was important to her and she enjoys her work.

We heard about Sarah Whitehouse, called to the bar in 1993, who was awarded ‘Junior Barrister of the Year Award 2011’ by Chambers and Partners. This demonstrates the quality of 6KBW as well as how hard one works as a barrister. To me, this is an amazing achievement. I think as a student one is worried about what happens when you finally do become a barrister, what happens next, what does one work towards? The award answers this question, I think for me especially it is important to see progress in one's career. 6KBW seems a set of chambers where the work is never short and the prospects of being a successful criminal barrister are not limited in any way.

Dola Ajibade is a current GDL student at The City Law School.

Author Sophie

I was invited to Wood Green Crown Court to shadow on a summer rioters’ case with a barrister I am currently working for. Of course I jumped at the chance of going and watching first-hand what a criminal barrister does in court.

I arrived at court slightly late without eating any breakfast with a bag full of sweets. I do not spot the barrister I am supposed to be shadowing, so I go to the court and look around and realise he is not there. Then I get a phone call to go to reception. When he arrives there are files in one hand and a wig in the other and we proceed to the cells below, where we leave our mobiles, coats and bags behind.

Upon entering my thoughts consist of; there being 15 minutes before the listing time, the information that the judge is somewhat horrible to barristers and underlying unease due to my stomach grumbling for some food. Then I spot the desk and chairs that are bolted to the floor and the panic button beside me, and I wonder what I have got myself into.

I sit there in the cell listening to the client and the barrister; deciding the client does not seem like an awful person, to the contrary he seems nice - soft and well spoken. I proceed to realise criminal law in practice is a world away from reading textbooks where I am able to pass judgements on facts written in the pages without a care.

 After leaving the cells and grabbing my bag and coat, we make our way up to the court where I notice there was a Chinese person staring at me, I walk pass without a second thought. As I sit down I notice a clerk rushing towards me and I think; I am in trouble, I’ve sat where I am not suppose to sit or they’ve mistaken me for a criminal. He gets to me... and asks am I a translator to which I reply no.

I notice we are 45 minutes late, however the court seems to be running late and the prosecution of the current case was getting a dressing down the judge. The thoughts of 'am I sure I want to become a barrister?' are prominent in my mind. However my barrister is soon in front of the judge and the case begins with the formalities, where I sit mesmerised. The case is soon adjourned with a short break so the prosecution can locate witnesses for the case.

We decide to go for a coffee whilst there is a break and as soon as we buy our coffees there is an announcement that the case is being heard. We make our way back up where I hear the case and the judge gives both sides a dressing down and all that's rushing through my mind is a slightly different refrain: Being a barrister IS what I wish to do.

A lucky coffee? Credit: Teo

After the court case concludes we go back downstairs to the client and on the way I begin eating my sweets and finishing my coffee, I feel quite happy that my stomach has stopped making funny noises. As we were leaving the cells I see our client handcuffed and walked away to the cells where I hear another prisoner shout for a cup of tea and he is ignored by the guards. My mind immediately reflects on my own easy consumption - I am glad that I am not in there.

On the way out of the court I hear an announcement for an available defence barrister to go to court number 1, I look at the barrister and he replies that he is not a charity stating 'you will probably not get paid for it' before continuing to the exit.

On my way home, I rethink: is a criminal barrister really what I wish to do? The legal aid cuts have made the prospect of surviving in that practice area very difficult indeed, and I can't shake this from my mind. However one thing I am certain of is that the bar is definitely for me.

Sophie Lau is a first year GELLB student at The City Law School.

Watch this! Credit: JK

There are a couple of useful webinars I've come across recently: the Junior Lawyers Division of the Law Society put out a very interesting panel discussion around Women, Feminism and the Law towards the end of last year. Participants included Lady Hale of the Supreme Court, Vera Baird QC and Harriet Wistrich of Birnberg Peirce solicitors. Elizabeth Forrester, legal officer at the Free Representation Unit chairs discussions about the importance of bringing feminism into your work whatever your role.

Subject of earlier webinars include alternative careers and pro bono.

Another one worth a look is the International Bar Association video interview regarding their recent work on social networking and the legal profession. The project around social networking looked to establish the concerns around this and whether the IBA needed to work with bar associations, councils and societies worldwide to establish global guidelines.

The video involves an interview with Anurag Bana (IBA) and media lawyer Mark Stephens CBE. You can download the February report and learn about its findings.

The excellent Current Awareness blog from the Inner Temple Library has just incorporated a new Classifieds service: offering adverts for the latest Chambers' vacancies.

You can subscribe via email or RSS to be kept updated. This is currently a trial service - so make use of it!

Maria and other JA's with Terry Olson, one of the judges of the Conseil d'Etat, Paris

For the legal year September 2011 to July 2012, I was appointed Judicial Assistant to Lord Wilson and Lord Sumption at the UK Supreme Court.

Judicial Assistants work closely with their allocated Justices so the nature of the role varies, but everyone prepares short summaries of applications for permission to appeal; reads skeleton arguments and authorities, attends hearings and speaks to their Justices about particular appeals; as well as drafting press summaries of judgments. Research is also required for cases and extra-judicial speeches covering topics as varied as the legal history of the wife, the justiciability of foreign affairs in English courts and the treatment of economic torts in Australia.

Highlights of the year included the Assange extradition hearing and sequelae; Rabone, a very sad case concerning whether damages should be available to parents of a woman who committed suicide after release from voluntary mental health treatment and RT (Zimbabwe) in which the Supreme Court held that politically neutral asylum seekers could not be removed to Zimbabwe where they would have to declare allegiance to Zanu-PF.

The role is an extraordinary opportunity to observe on a daily basis advocacy from senior silks on complex and finely balanced points of law. One learns what to do from the best advocates (and, occasionally, what not to do). It is interesting to see how the Justices perceive points: which change minds, which lose cases and which are simply lost in the midst of argument.

I had previously undertaken only a year of legal study in the Graduate Diploma in Law at City University, although many Judicial Assistants have a law degree and/or the BCL. So for me, the opportunity furthered my legal education and understanding. I was exposed to the law of limitation in personal injury, aspects of shipping law, the finer elements of insolvency law and (for an English practitioner at least) more esoteric matters in the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council such as Jamaican land law and that concerning the temporary promotion of Trinidadian prison officers. Not all of this will be directly applicable to my practice – but developing the intellectual stamina and flexibility needed to read into four difficult appeals in a week certainly will, as will the assurance acquired by diving frequently into an unknown area of the law and being forced to rapidly develop an understanding.

The great advantage of the role is that it is hard to be wrong: some learned judge or other has probably taken your point of view on the case’s journey to the Supreme Court. Nevertheless, it is a formidable challenge to be asked by a Supreme Court Justice early on a Monday morning for an opinion, and to have that position challenged. Imagine the most intimidating tutorial you ever had amplified tenfold, although the Justices tend to gloss over one’s less lucid moments more kindly than they do those of Counsel. The confidence that each of us gained from being exposed to such trials and perhaps even managing to make a decent point or two, or at least to survive, is invaluable.

It is a tremendous privilege to spend time with the Justices discussing legal and non-legal ideas. It is also a wonderful insight to see how human the Justices are, although discretion shall be the better part of valour on exactly what we discovered.

There are seven Judicial Assistants appointed each year and one permanent Judicial Assistant. Part of the fun of the job was to meet other lawyers at the start of their careers, to debate points of law amongst ourselves and to see the different perspectives that we had each developed in our previous legal and non-legal careers.
The seven Judicial Assistants were also privileged to experience visits to the US Supreme Court, where we met with Justice Scalia, and the Conseil d'État and Conseil Constitutionnel in Paris; tour Westminster Abbey with the Dean; and have access to the House of Lords library. By July, we were all ready to return to practice and to apply the lessons gleaned from the year to our own advocacy, knowing that both our skills and career prospects have undoubtedly been improved. We are all indebted to our Justices, from whom we have learnt so much.

I would recommend the role to anyone commencing his or her legal career. The only downside is that my only legal anecdotes all start with “when I was at the Supreme Court, Lord X said…” which does sound like shameless namedropping and for which I have been rightly teased. I shall have to develop other legal anecdotes during the rest of my career.

The Judicial Assistant scheme is open to barristers who have completed pupillage and qualified solicitors. Most Judicial Assistants are in their first couple of years of practice. Applications can be made on the Supreme Court website, between the end of February and the end of March. Appointments are made in June/July to commence in September. Do apply!

Maria Roche is a barrister at 1 Crown Office Row with an interest in public law, human rights, clinical negligence and personal injury. She writes regularly for the UK Human Rights Blog, with many of these re-printed in Inforrm, International Forum for Responsible Media Blog.

Our author Yasmin Chawdhery

Life after University

After completing my law degree at the University of Manchester in 2004, the pressure was on to decide which path I wanted to take: whether I wanted to be a barrister or a solicitor or whether I even wanted to pursue a career in law. However, the decision was not so tough for me as I had made my decision about the profession I wanted to go into when I was aged just 14. I knew I wanted to be a barrister and it was my love of advocacy that drew me to the profession.

A Pupillage in London

As soon as I finished my law degree, I applied to do the Bar Vocational Course (BVC - now the BPTC) at The Inns of Court School of Law in London (now The City Law School). Before I had completed my BVC, I had already been offered a pupillage at 14 Grays Inn Square. Based in the centre of London, this was a predominantly family law set with a strong reputation in all aspects of family law. As I knew how difficult it was – and still is – to obtain a pupillage, the assurance that I had already obtained a pupillage gave me an incentive to work even harder during the BVC.

Moving back North

The hustle and bustle and the fast pace of London life is something I will never forget. It was an experience I thoroughly enjoyed and I feel it helped me to grow as an individual. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of living and working in London, I soon began to realize how increasingly expensive the city was. I decided to return to my hometown of Manchester and continue my career as a barrister there. In Manchester, I joined Kenworthy’s Chambers, one of the most sought after barrister’s chambers in the North of England and a leading set in Immigration and Asylum Law. I continued to practice in Family Law and also added Immigration and Asylum Law to my practice.

Life in LA

By broadening my Family Law practice to Immigration, Asylum and International Law, I began to develop a keen interest for world affairs and global political issues. I wanted to experience the legal system in another country. I wrote different articles on world issues but soon found that I wanted to experience a more hands-on approach. I therefore started to do some research on taking a sabbatical year in order to work in another country. In 2009, I came to hear about an extremely impressive firm in Los Angeles, California, called Howarth and Smith. Howarth and Smith offer students from Oxford and Cambridge University a one year internship program in which British lawyers are able to experience American law. As well as this, Howarth and Smith allows British lawyers to stay rent-free in a beach house condo in Malibu. I did not graduate from Oxford or Cambridge University but I nevertheless had the experience of a practicing barrister. Therefore, I applied for a position at Howarth and Smith and I was extremely pleased when I was offered this position.

Living in Malibu

London v Malibu - hard choice?! Credit: 12thSonOfLama

One of the most surreal experiences started soon after I moved to Malibu. I remember waking up early in the morning to go to the grocery store, which was five minutes from the beach house condo in which I lived, and I was on the phone to my father in England.

Half way through the phone call conversation I said to him, “Oh my God, James Bond is right in front of me now at the grocery store buying a pint a of milk!” He replied, “You mean Sean Connery! Sean Connery is there at the grocery store?” I said to him, “no, the other one! The younger one! Pierce Brosnan!” And there he was. Right in front of me.

Pierce Brosnan just casually buying a pint of milk at the local grocery store.

There came to be many more experiences like this in Malibu and I came to realize that the area in which I lived in Malibu, Point Dume, was a private property area in which many celebrities lived.

LA Law and Howarth and Smith

As well as the surreal experience of living in an area in which many celebrities lived, I had the great opportunity of working at Howarth and Smith. The partners at Howarth and Smith, Don Howarth, Suzelle Smith and Paddy Glaspy, were all graduates from Harvard University. As well as this, Don and Suzelle would regular fly to England to lecture at Oxford University.

Whilst working at Howarth and Smith, I was stimulated by working on legal cases which involved Californian Law. It took time to grasp the American legal system, but, similar to London, LA did not wait for anyone and so this often meant researching the law after work in order to keep up with work at the law firm.

Attorney Retreat in LA

Working in the law firm consisted of working on many high profile cases; conducting legal research for the Partners in the firm; preparing various legal documents, including pleadings and legal memoranda, and preparing attorneys for appearances in court and at depositions. One of the most interesting cases I assisted the attorneys on was a case against the Iranian Government for $28 million.

As well as the interesting case work, the Partners in the firm arranged for us all to go on a Summer Attorney Retreat Program in Palm Springs California for three days which enabled us all to get to know the Partners in the firm on a more relaxed and personal level. The previous year the Partners had taken all of the attorneys to a Retreat Program in Paris. It was a great experience.

The biggest and best surprise

Once the sabbatical year was over, I returned to Kenworthy's Chambers in England and continued my practice as a barrister. However, during the time in which I lived in America, I did not only experience major changes in my work life but also in my personal life. I met my husband, Dr Elias Hanosh, in America. Kenworthy's Chambers were so good to me that they gave me time off to go and visit America as often as I could to go and visit my husband. After a lot of flying back and forth in between America and England, we both decided that America was the best place for us to settle since his practice is in America. I decided that I would still pursue my job as a lawyer but that it would be out here in America and not in England.

Attorney-at-Law

Living in America, I continue to pursue my interest in International law. I have taken the Bar exam out here in the States. As well as this, I keep close ties with legal events in England. In 2011, I came across an email from Carol Harris at the Bar Council of England and Wales in which both the Family Law Bar Association (FLBA) and the Bar Council were offering a grant of £2500 to two barristers who were interested in attending the International Bar Association Conference in Dubai. I applied for this grant detailing all of the international legal experience I had so far. I was delighted to find out a month later that I was awarded the grant and was able to attend the conference in Dubai. This year, I also attended the American Bar Association (ABA) Conference in New York. The key speaker was the Hollywood actor Michael Douglas who is a Messenger of Peace for the United Nations. Attending the conference gave me a chance to mingle with so many interesting people at The Bar.

Though my life is nothing like the surreal experience I had whilst living in Malibu, and nothing like the hustle and bustle and fast pace of London city life, I am happier than I have ever been now. I did not plan any of these changes but I took chances and risks in order to experience new things. I feel that my education opened doors for me that I could never have imagined to walk through had I not studied hard and obtained the grades that I wanted to. I have made so many friends along the way and continue to stay in touch with the barristers and the clerks at 14 Grays Inn Square, Kenworthy’s Chambers and the attorneys at Howarth and Smith. Every day I feel like I am creating more ways to follow my dream.

Yasmin graduated from the BVC (now BPTC) in 2005.

Google Campus

Alex Aldridge of Legal Cheek hosted a well-attended panel discussion around the future for young lawyers on December 5th. Whether people were drawn by the varied panel or the exciting venue (Google Campus in Tech City) or like me, a combination of the two, remains to be seen, but the emphasis on technology made it an enjoyable evening.

Panel members included:

Jonathan Rose from Artesian Law
Jill Marshall, City lawyer turned academic at Queen Mary, University of London
Susan Cooper, founder of Accutrainee
Jonathan Lea, solicitor specialising in advising tech start-ups
Adam Wagner, Barrister at One Crown Office Row and founder of the UK Human Rights Blog
David Allen Green, media lawyer and legal correspondent of the New Statesman

The event kicked off with David Allen Green telling the audience how blogging changed his life, transforming him from a 'journeyman lawyer'. Most know of the beginnings of David's blogging ascent; starting up a blog he named 'Jack of Kent' after a folklore hero, David's posts attracted a couple of hits a day until he began writing about libel law. He spoke of the Simon Singh case as the touch paper - a case which would have only attracted a couple of lines in The Telegraph's Mandrake column previously. David, inspired by science writers, wrote about the law in a way that non-legal people could comprehend, adding links to the authorities he relied upon and opening up comments.

Adam Wagner likened young barristers to start-ups; stating that those who want to do well in chambers must see themselves as a small business and market themselves. A comment that if you don't get yourself involved in big cases, you won't get a role in big cases drew many nods of agreement. Wagner drew parallels between blogging and lawyerly skills: both source-based, quick and to-the-point presentation of the issues and an attempt to be objective. The UK Human Rights Blog is a fantastic source, as the two million hits illustrate and all for only £250 over 2 years!

The crowd

Adam and David both spoke of their motivation in blogging to add something to the public debate that wouldn't otherwise be there, bringing legal decisions into the political space, particularly when there are so few legal journalists out there.

Discussion moved onto the reduced overheads in new models of legal practice with Jonathan speaking about how his practice has done away with expensive premises. His documents are scanned onto the cloud by admin staff and he accesses them straight from his iPad.

Susan Cooper's Accutrainee offers law graduates the opportunity to work at multiple locations for their training contract. She spoke of the inflexibility of the training contract model and how much upfront investment is required by firms.

Alex asked Jonathan Lea about his practice. Jonathan is now self-employed after previously working in association with Bargate Murray. His competition are the big firms like Pinsent Masons and Taylor Wessing, but he also draws attention to their overheads, speaking of how alien paying to speak to ask advice from someone face-to-face is, to those start-ups running web-based businesses. David Allen Green backed this up, stating that law is only attractive to these start-ups when they see the legal fees as being cheaper than the potential losses consequent from whatever they are seeking to protect.

Me and the host Alex Aldridge

Blogging again took centre stage and discussion moved onto the risks involved. Adam spoke of the minefield that comes with being an independent advocate trying to argue both sides of an argument - particularly tricky when you represent the government, as Adam has done frequently. He described his internal conflict around the Teresa May 'Catgate' episode, deciding he must blog because he 'had to be able to call out complete rubbish for the general public'. Adam noted how lots of civil servants read the UK Human Rights Law Blog and respect the fact that a line is not taken.

What was reassuring was that even these hugely influential bloggers get scared sometimes about being called out on a point - probably the one thing that prevents more young lawyers from getting involved.

Alex summed up the evening by describing the situation for young lawyers as "More broke but life's more interesting". What do they think I wonder?

“NOT a Barrister? NOT the end of the world!”

Michael and Thomas at Legal Futures event

On 30th January, four former City Law students discussed their career paths following graduation. The evening commenced with former City GDL and LPC student, Jo Joyce, who generously gave the audience an insight into her weekly routine at commercial law firm Shoosmiths. “Urgent corporate support, burning client problems, new customer checks” and so on all sounds quite orthodox in a life of an up and coming solicitor. Early starts to the Monday morning that don’t end until 3AM on Tuesday, did not really shock anyone. Neither did Wednesday’s exhausting off-peak journey to Birmingham for a pressing meeting!

But it was not until she mentioned her initial craving to become a Barrister that the audience was suddenly all ears. It was right then, in that specific moment, when the audience and undoubtedly I, myself started to panic. Is it not obvious that we spend a fortune on education and accommodation as students? Why should our careers take a completely different route to what we initially aspired? Still, our many questions regarding the justice of this remain rhetorical.

Nevertheless, she states that you have to be “prepared to let yourself be moved in different legal careers”. Explaining that it was through her work experience that she completed at Shoosmiths that opened doors and allowed her to excel. Although it was not what she initially set out to do, perseverance rewarded her as she was then offered a Training Contract in 2007 (when law firms were still capable of splashing cash!). She ended her talk leaving us spectators with a lot of food for thought:

“Think where you are going and keep yourself focused. Be prepared to embrace change because not everything follows through and you can’t plan everything.

Ed Harman who is a Financial Ombudsman [watchdog and financial adviser] then took to the stage by introducing how he ended up in a completely different career sector then what he primarily set out to be: a solicitor. A politics graduate from Durham University and then a GDL student at City, the audience could not help but feel sympathy for Harman as he mentioned the “countless rejections” he received from Law Firms when applying for the Training Contract.

Fortunately, Grietje Baars then offered the audience relief by initiating her speech with a light-hearted brief of her law posse from University. She described the wide range of different careers they are now following after graduating law school.

After completing her GDL Grietje qualified as a solicitor and also worked in the commercial firm, Bird & Bird. Combining her academic work with several years of legal practice in the Human Rights and international humanitarian law field; she then completed an LL.M in Public International Law at UCL. She chose to work on an academic side, teaching and guiding undergraduate students.

No evening complete without a freebie!

In her speech she depicted a discussion with a law undergrad that all of us can probably relate to: a student who enjoys technology and students who love social networking sites. Her message is short but brilliant: If you're ‘technology crazy’ then why not aspire to work as a lawyer for ‘Apple’? Moreover, if you like spending your day on Facebook then why not go into the legal sphere of the social media?

After all, Jo Joyce’s journey to Birmingham was actually because of an IP infringement case concerning social media just like Facebook! Social Networking is an exciting new world, which means it’s a massive growth area for legal disputes!

Tip: Imagination can sometimes be more important than knowledge.

In my opinion, the mood of the night changed dramatically when Charlotte Proudman, a Barrister at 1 Mitre Court Buildings took over the stage. Her speech was about why to choose this demanding but ever so rewarding career path. The catalyst to her journey was really when she dealt with Iranian and Kurdish rights concerning forced marriage, as well as working in the HR Commission in Pakistan where she rescued women. A graduate of both City University and Cambridge, Proudman is a specialist in Family Law working for “the best interests of child[ren]” which to her is a great relief as she is also reviewing cases which deal with child abduction scenarios.

Her words formed concise points. Her message was beyond stimulating.. “Find a niche area of expertise and define yourself as an expert”. She advised the audience to get involved with as much Pro Bono work, internships and volunteering on a wider level as possible in order to become better rounded individuals. I am adamant that this is definitely advice, which our LLB books do not mention often enough. Expanding ourselves is just as important as the required reading for our lectures!

Overall, the several alternative careers for Legal Graduates is something that every Law student is entitled to take a long thought about. In the words of Hardman, once you stop “wasting time” and stop “blaming the universe” by following a path that might not always be most suitable for you then “weight will lift off your shoulders”.

After all: “Tough times don’t last forever.”

Thanks to Michael for this review of the Legal Futures event held at The City Law School on 30th January. Anyone interested in finding out more about Charlotte Proudman can read the Lawbore interview with her in September 2011.

Credit: nasirjumani2008

A room full of female barristers and solicitors networking over delightful canapés and wine without the men. Not a sight you often see given that women in the legal industry tend to juggle multiple roles balancing work and family life.

Amidst the clink of wine glasses, the female alumni of City Law School were gathered for an evening centered around women’s rights and the law as well as sharing their experiences as women in legal practice.

Charlotte Rachael Proudman (BVC 2010), a barrister at 1 Mitre Court Buildings and author with a commitment to human rights, social justice and equality opened the evening with a powerful address on her experiences in the Democratic Republic of Congo where she established the country's first free legal advice centre.

Speaking about battered women and victims of domestic violence, one particular topic stood out – that of forced marriages – a social issue affecting women in many parts of the world. It is thought that there are over 8,000 forced marriages every year in Britain alone. A forced marriage is likely to become a criminal offence soon and this will send out a strong message to the public that victims will be better protected and deter perpetrators and their relatives although not all favour criminalisation.

In Pakistan, where Charlotte also visited, it emerged that the battered women were counselled by men and leaders reluctant to change an age-old custom that was ingrained in their society, and thus there was little to help the women. Even the women themselves were afraid of openly defying the traditional custom of forced marriages, fearing that their family members could be jailed or discriminated against within their own community.

On a more positive note, it seems that there are gradual changes to improve the situation. Schools all over the world are now focusing on education and support groups in a more concerted effort to reach out to women. And with time, the public message that forced marriages are socially unacceptable may gradually lead to a change in attitudes.

Charlotte’s address successfully broke the ice among the women and soon almost every female in the room was joining in the discussion. It was an insightful experience to have been able to hear the different views of those present.

As the evening progressed, the women took turns to share their different experiences and anecdotes from diverse aspects of the legal field. They offered much invaluable advice and insight to young trainees and barristers. As Reader in Law Katherine Reece Thomas puts it, “who better to understand the problems and issues faced by women in practice than their peers and their more experienced alumni?”

This feeling of female support and companionship was what drew the female alumni of City Law School together on a cold winter’s evening and made the CLAN event truly memorable. Many thanks to the event organisers and Katherine from City Law School for this enjoyable evening.

Read the Lawbore interview with Charlotte from 2011, where she speaks in depth about her pro bono work as well as her experience of pupillage.

Thanks to Marie Tay (LPC student at The City Law School) for this review of the CLAN event.

His Hon Judge Michael Hopmeier and winner Nick Scott

The 2013 City Law School Moot for Part-time Students has been won by Nick Scott (right), shown receiving the trophy from the Moot Judge, His Hon Judge Michael Hopmeier (left). The Finals took place on Friday 10th May, and all contestants are to be congratulated on their performances.

The Runner-up was Joel Wallace, and the other worthy competitors, Jamila Bernard-Stevens and Max Archer, achieved a high standard all round.

It is excellent to see the work and achievement of these dedicated postgraduate students produce such polished performances.

We extend our warmest thanks to our very learned Moot Judge, who made the proceedings both realistic and fun.

We are kindly sponsored by

The Incorporated Council of Law Reporting, whose prize is: a year's free subscription to the whole ICLR database for the winner, and a year's free subscription to the WLR via the database for the runner-up; and

Oxford University Press who offer to the winner one copy of either Blackstone's Criminal Practice or Blackstone's Civil Practice.

In addition, the winner will receive £500 from the City Law School.

The Pupillage Advisory Service (PAS) at The City Law School is running an all-day workshop for those seeking pupillage. There will be the opportunity to take part in group and individual mock interviews from 9 to 12.30, and again between 3-6pm (in Room 10 AB), as well as an all-day drop in CV clinic run by the Careers Service in the Careers Room, Princeton Street.

The rest of the programme as follows:

9.30 – 10.15
How to Research Chambers for Interview
Rowena Macrae-Gibson

10.30 – 11.30
Jackson Reforms
Prof Stuart Sime

12.30 – 1.30
Answering Questions in Interview on Legal Ethics – the golden rules
Robert McPeake

2.00-3.00
What to expect in Interview
Keith Simpson

3.30 - 4.30
Princeton Street Workshops
Criminal Advocacy (Bail applications and Plea’s in Mitigation) - Robert McPeake (PS)
Family - Ronnie L (PS)
Employment – Andrew W (PS)

This is open to current BPTC students, CLS alumni and students on academic programmes who are due to start their BPTC in September at City. To book your place please call Laura or Helen (student advisers) on 020 7404 5787.

Lord Neuberger speaking at The Institute for Government

This month has been packed full of interesting events and debates for those of you lucky enough not to STILL be doing exams like my poor GDLs.

On Tuesday 18th there was Lord Neuberger at the Institute for Government speaking on Judges and Policy: A delicate balance. @ifgevents tweeted the whole event and the speech is available via the Supreme Court website.

Lord Neuberger's lecture covered a range of subjects; staying in the EU, the changes brought in by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, devolution, the flood of legislation and need to improve ethnic representation within the profession. Lord Neuberger also spoke on legal aid:  flagging up that the cost structure involved would push out the best lawyers and makes the grave mistake of rewarding for longer trials. He warned that it must be appreciated that a knock-on effect on the courts was inevitable.

You can view the whole lecture via YouTube.

Joshua Rozenberg's Law in Action programme centred on the legal aid cuts, entitled Lawyers in Revolt and this debate continued with Legal Aid Question Time in Westminster, hosted by the Bar Council.

Panelists included:

• Lord McNally, Minister of State for Justice, responsible for legal aid
• Andy Slaughter MP, Shadow Justice Minister
• Steve Hynes, Director, Legal Action Group, and
• Maura McGowan QC, Chairman of the Bar.

You can check out any tweets relating to this event via #legalaidqt but there are a number of bloggers who have given their views on the event already. @danbunting has also made available his extensive notes.

Save Justice

JonMack

cOunse1

Gemma Blythe

Those of you on the Pupillage hunt will have plenty to fill your diary in the coming months but here are a few events being held at The City Law School shortly.

Introduction to the Pupillage Advice Service - Wed 18th and Thursday 19th @ 11am (LT/AB)
Read more about the work of the Pupillage Advisory Service.

Thinking of Pupillage at the Chancery or Commercial Bar?
Where: Great Hall, College Building, Northampton Square
When: 3rd October @ 6.30pm

City Law School and the Chancery Bar Association have organised this event where three barristers will from the CBA will discuss their careers and experiences. They will also discuss applications for Pupillage at Chancery sets. All three graduated from the City Law School and include:

Leon Pickering - Ten Old Square (traditional Chancery)

David Welford - Selbourne (Commercial Chancery)

Jamie Sutherland - Falcon (Property)

Time for questions at the end!

Refreshments provided

Researching Chambers for Gateway and Interview
Speaker: Rachel Scott-Halls, Law Librarian
Where: Lecture Theatre
When 7th October @ 6.15

Being in the Business of being a successful Barrister
Speaker: Silvia Van Den Breul, 11 Stone Buildings
Where: Princeton Street
When: 5th November @6.15
BPTC only
Read Ins and Outs of a Pupillage at 11 Stone Buildings. More Good than Bad on Legal Half Hour.

A talk with Q & A from Georgina Wolfe, 5 Essex Court and Alexander Robson, Littleton Chambers - authors of The Path to Pupillage.

Where: The Student Common Room, Grays Inn Place
When: 2nd December @ 6.15
BPTC only

 Want to keep up to date with Pupillage Events?

Keep informed of pupillage happenings via Twitter @CLSPupillageAdv - Keith and Ffyon will be flagging up lectures to help get you ahead on pupillage interview via #hottopics

Follow @CLSPupillageAdv

The annual Chancery Bar Careers Fair will give you some insight into what a career at the Chancery Bar entails, shedding light on the different areas of work (Charities, Commercial Litigation, Intellectual Property and many more) and let you have the opportunity to meet those already working at the Chancery Bar.

The day will include talks on pupillage in chancery chambers, traditional chancery practice and company and insolvency practice. The day will kick off with a Q & A on on the pathways to qualification.

Check out the flyer for full details - sign up via the Chancery Bar Association website.

The CBA have produced a booklet 'Careers at the Chancery Bar' which is available online.

Need someone to cast an eye..?

Are you looking to refine your CV - check it ticks all the boxes?

As a BPTC, LLM or LPC student, there is a great opportunity coming up to have your CV looked over by the Careers team at City.

It's first-come, first served so make sure you get to the Student Common Room in Atkin Building, Grays Inn Place on 22nd October between 1.30 and 4pm.

Find out more via the event flyer.

Lecturns at the ready!

To moot or not to moot? Apparently this is not a question we on the GDL should even be pausing to think twice about, according to Ben Wood, barrister at 4 New Square and organiser of tonight’s mooting workshop. He grabbed our attention last week with the frankly thinly-veiled threat that he personally wouldn't consider a pupillage application if a CV made no mention of mooting. Gulp. You’ve got our attention, Ben. A mooting workshop in a week’s time? Where do we sign?!

But I shouldn’t paint the mooting introductory talk in a negative light. Clearly Ben’s impassioned speech about all the benefits mooting will bring to your lawyer-brain as well as your career prospects did not fall on deaf ears – at least not judging by the amount of us GDL-folk who were spotted dutifully wearing our suits throughout the day’s lectures, in keen preparedness for the evening’s mooting fun-tivities.

I don’t think the phrase “baptism of fire” would be too dramatic here. With an array of problems to contend with before we even said a word to the judges, including emailed instructions vanishing in the ether, skeleton arguments that refused to print, and crossed wires as to which side people were on – not to mention zero mooting experience - it’s fair to say that as a group, we were boldly going where none of us had gone before.

The problem was described as an “elementary” issue in the law of contract; it centred on whether Best Store’s advertisement for a sale constituted an offer or merely an invitation to treat. Elementary perhaps, but still sufficient to bring out a few pangs of anxiety from those of us yet to have the pleasure of our first contract law tutorial. I wonder if we could try to implement a revolutionary bonus point system in mooting for “subject knowledge gleaned against the odds”?

So it was that armed only with a twin-pack of David Herling’s lecture notes, a list of mooting tips hastily scribbled down from lawbore's learnmore site and a nervous half-smile, we turned up to find out what the evening would have in store.

It turned out Ben must have been using his powers of persuasion once again back at 4 New Square as he managed to bring well over twenty members of chambers with him to judge a group each. 4 New Square – we salute you! Turns out, my group was to be judged by a barrister of 35 year’s call. Who happens to be a QC. Who also happens to be a recorder in the Crown Court. It’s fine. It’s absolutely fine. What could there possibly be to be nervous about? *gulps repeatedly* This does mean I’m going to count this as my first ever go at mooting being in front of an actual judge. Oh yes, I’m counting this. He may even get promoted further in subsequent drunken re-tellings of this story – who knows?!

So it turns out mooting is pretty nerve-wracking. Well, certainly the first time anyway. Perhaps it will all get better in moots to come. But for today it was just us, the moot judge, a room full of expectant ears and a big fat silence to fill. Someone in Group H put it best when, upon seeing the wine on offer afterwards, held a glass aloft and declared “Thank god for this!”.

The tips I was given, for what they may be worth to you, were to outline the facts “as if you were telling your mate down the pub…just without the expletives” and to number each of my points with integers (“judges don't like subsections”). I think a target I might need to set for myself is to refer to the judge correctly. Has anyone read the passage in “1066 and all that” where the authors tie themselves in knots with the names of the pretenders Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck? They call them every combination under the sun, from Lambert Warbeck to Perbert Warnel. That was a bit like what came out of my mouth tonight. The poor barrister found himself being referred to as “My honour…. Your honourship… My lordship… Your lord”. Just say “My Lord”, Imogen. I’ll write it on my hand next time.

My verdict is that whilst I can see why people were saying it was ‘a kind of agony’, I think it just might be the kind of ‘agony’ which you are really glad you experienced as soon as its over. A kind of “this-will-make-a-good-memory” agony. Perhaps even a “when-can’I-try-this-again?” agony.

First moot completed? Check. Slightly improved lawyer-brain? Check. Mooting in front of a real judge? You bet! Adrenaline levels returned to normal? It’s a moot point.

Thanks to Imogen Proud for this fab insight into first-time mooting - Imogen embarked on her GDL at The City Law School in September 2013.

Merrow in action.

This past year I represented The City Law School, along with Philip Aspin, in the University of Hertfordshire/Blackstones National Criminal Advocacy Competition. In contrast to your traditional moot, where the focus is on points of law at an appellate level, the competition hones in on the practicalities of first-instance advocacy at the Criminal Bar. The experience was incredibly positive, providing a rare insight into what trial advocacy is like prior to commencement on the BPTC.

The competition was divided into two sections. The first consisted of two preliminary rounds. The second was the ‘Finals Weekend’, where the top ten scoring teams from the preliminary rounds are invited to a residential weekend at the University of Hertfordshire, and during which the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final all take place.

The first preliminary round required participants to deliver or oppose two pre-trial applications. There was a bad character application and a bail application. Having had experience of moots, for which you must prepare the relevant case law or legislation which supports your position and usually bundles for the judges as well, I felt comparatively footloose. All you needed to know was the procedural law governing the applications (in other words, what you could or could not apply for) and the facts of the case.

It was then a matter of persuading the judge that your position was correct. This may sound more straight-forward, but it shifted much more of the focus to one’s advocacy skills - eye contact, tone of voice, structure and content of submissions.

Philip Aspin persuading the court

The second preliminary round consisted of a mock trial - with all the trimmings! This involved opening and closing speeches, examination-in-chief and cross-examination. The witnesses were willing friends and family. We had no prior experience, and I will admit that preparations for it mainly consisted of racking my brain for what I had seen on mini-pupillages and/or tv court-room dramas (although it should be noted that the competition guidelines are incredibly useful in setting out what to expect at each round). All I can say is that the best way to learn is through practice. I had a much better idea of how to structure my examination of witnesses, once I had experienced being utterly dumbfounded when a witness just will not say what you want them to.

The finals weekend really was an incredible experience. We arrived on the Friday and were given an advocacy training session with Mr. Kenneth Aylett from 4 Breams Buildings. This was a brilliant opportunity to hear gems of wisdom from a practitioner of 40 years call. The next morning we went straight into the quarter-finals, which in essence was a repeat of the two preliminary rounds. There was an added element of reality to this, as the result of the pre-trial applications would obviously affect what evidence could be used in the following trial.

The University of Hertfordshire offered incredible facilities for the competition. Most of the advocacy during the weekend took place in their ‘courtroom’ which was a very impressive model of a Crown Court courtroom, with a real dock, jury box, and witness stand. In fact, the room is so realistic that it was used for one of the episodes of Silk on BBC. We were given wigs and gowns to wear and there were court ushers who would monitor the runnings of the court.

It should be mentioned that teams are judged on a points-based system, rather than on a knock-out round. In fact, we progressed to the semis with both teams that we had competed against in the prior rounds, and this produced a very friendly atmosphere.

There was a dinner on the Saturday evening for all those taking part in the competition, during which we heard Sir Anthony Hooper give an insightful and passionate talk about the Legal Aid cuts. For the semi-finalists, it was then straight onto preparations for the next day - with a whole new set of case papers, and only an evening in which to prepare!

Posing along with the other finalists (& winners) Nottingham Law School

For the semi finals we delivered pre-trial applications in front of HHJ Bright QC, Lou Sharman JP Chair of the Hertfordshire Magistrates’ Association and Gavin Collett from Rougemont Chambers. There was an added layer of complexity to this as the applications which each team member gave were linked, meaning the success or failure of one would likely impact the other. We were very excited to hear that we were successful in reaching the final round, but this gave us roughly just over an hour to prepare for the trial.. The final was in front of HHJ Peter Murphy from Blackfriars Crown Court, Stuart Trimmer QC from 4 Breams Buildings and John Cooper QC from 25 Bedford Row. Although we came second, it was a brilliant experience (especially the chance to deliver a closing speech to a packed jury box). The winners were Joy Lewis and Sophie Warren-Evans from Nottingham Law School and it was very much deserved.

All in all, I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to take part in the competition. I cannot stress enough how much I learnt from the experience, and how much it inspired me to further pursue a career at the Bar. Special thanks should go to Emily Allbon for organising the City Law School team and to the supremely energetic Neal Geach from the University of Hertfordshire who organised the whole competition.

Many thanks to Merrow for writing up the experience! Merrow is currently a BPTC student at The City Law School, after completing her GELLB in June 2013.

Image credits: Pete Stevens

Credit: opensourceway

Professor Michael Lerego QC, will discuss what lay clients and professional clients expect from their barrister's advice, how that advice should be presented on law and fact, and what the advice should not contain.

When? Thursday 17th October, 6.15pm

Where? Lecture Theatre, Atkin Building

The talk will be followed by a Q & A

Professor Michael Lerego QC is former head of Fountain Court Chambers and Recorder in the Crown and County Court.

Register for this event at cls-gip-events@city.ac.uk

Come along and meet one of the many exhibitors at The City Law Fair on Wednesday, 16th October 2013 - 1.30 - 4:30pm

Sponsored by Macfarlanes, The City Law Fair gives students the chance to meet with a wide variety of organisations and find out about their application processes and what they are looking for in candidates. This includes the following, amongst others:

Bar Council, Inns of Court, Blackstone Chambers, Chambers & Partners, City's Amnesty Society, Civil Service Fast Stream, Free Representation Unit (FRU), Landmark Chambers, 11 Stone Buildings, Monckton Chambers, South Square, The City Law School, The Cooperative Legal Services

Find full details about the event via the Career and Skills Development Service booklet

Venue: The Great Hall, Main Campus [ map to venue ]

Ensure you plan your questions in advance to make a good impression.