Originally, my first steps into a potential career in the law was towards the bar, and towards the path of becoming a barrister. To find out more about what this career would consist of, I undertook a week of work experience at a set of chambers based in London. This article will take you through what my responsibilities were during this mini-pupillage, what I learnt from it and what I would say to those who are unsure about which legal path they want to take.
As my first ever legal work experience, I was very unsure as to what I was going to be doing, after all, what would a reasonable supervisor entrust someone who is completely inexperienced to do? I was however, pleasantly surprised with the amount of work that I was able to take part in, of course, all under the approval of my supervisor.
I was lucky enough to find that the week that my mini-pupillage fell in was a week wherein my supervisor was making a court appearance. Most of the work that I was helping with was therefore related to making sure that all the i’s were dotted and the t’s crossed in readiness for the court date. I helped with bundling, listened to calls between my supervisor and his related counsel, and read over skeleton arguments. Something which surprised me the most about the mini-pupillage was that the skeleton arguments actually had to be provided to the other party! I found it very interesting to read both parties’ arguments and, in my head, come up with a conclusion as to what I thought the eventual judgment would be.
During the mini-pupillage, I found myself being more interested in the role that the solicitor that was advising my supervisor was playing, rather than the actual role of the barrister itself. I enjoyed the advisory role that the solicitor played, in giving the “ammunition” to the barrister that they would use to put forward the most potent, convincing argument possible. Additionally, when I actually met the solicitor during the court hearing, he was a friendly and approachable person who was willing to talk to me about his career path, as well as other cases that he was working on, as far as his non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) would permit. Meeting the solicitor definitely convinced me to move from pursuing a path to the bar, to a path towards the LPC and life as a solicitor. Additionally, this change was not too difficult to make, as I was still early in my career journey, so I did not have to backtrack too much.
Other than the court date, I was also able to sit in on a client conference and listen to them discuss their legal issues with my supervisor. This case was still very early in its development, so I was able to understand the issues at hand without too much difficulty. Meeting the clients really gave the work that I was doing a personal edge and it made me feel like what I was helping with actually had value. This conference, although it was probably the longest one I had ever been in, lasting for 3 hours, was probably the high point of the whole week as it made me feel like my efforts actually mattered, even though I was completely inexperienced.
Conclusion
So if I was asked whether I would recommend a mini-pupillage or not, I definitely would. Given that most of those reading are still likely to be early in their career, I would encourage you to be as open as possible. Trying everything and hence having a wide range of experience will give you an edge over other applicants who have potentially been hyper-focused on one thing. Furthermore, the time I spent shadowing a barrister also taught me many useful skills that are transferable to sectors even outside of law. These skills included the ability to: analyse cases; produce incisive summaries; and develop client relationships. Finally, I would say that all legal work experience is useful. Even if you currently believe that you want to be a solicitor, I would certainly advise against turning down opportunities for mini-pupillages. All experience shows an interest in the law and a commitment to putting in the necessary time to discover more about the sector that you want to work in.
Comments