Day in the life
Pupil barrister
The final step on the road to becoming a barrister is completing a year-long pupillage with a set of chambers. But what does being a pupil actually involve on a day-to-day basis? We asked former College student and current pupil Estelle Dehon (pictured right), to take us through a day in her life…
08:50am
I arrive at Chambers a little early so I can pop into the clerks’ room to say hello and check whether I have any mail – though this is more in hope than expectation! The clerks are responsible for running the business activities and administration of the chambers, and are the main interface between barristers and solicitors (in fact, as a junior barrister you really rather rely on the contacts the clerks have formed in order to get work). The relationship between barristers and clerks is one of the more mysterious aspects of practice at the bar, and it’s useful to start to get a feel for how it works.
9.00am
I’m at my desk in my pupil supervisor’s room by 9am. Chambers has a strict rule about working hours – in at 9, out at 6, and no work at home until you start taking your own cases in the second six months of pupillage. While it’s been a relief to be spared the almost competitive long-hours culture that I know some of my colleagues are experiencing at other chambers, having to finish all my work during the day has its own pressures – especially since that was not how I worked when I was a student!
I have a quick look through the papers for the immigration appeal hearing in the Court of Appeal later in the morning. I am currently sitting with a barrister who has a very busy public law practice, and he’s often in court on appeals or for judicial reviews. A couple of weeks ago, he gave me the bundles of papers for today’s case, and asked me to prepare a skeleton argument. A skeleton is the main document in trial advocacy, sketching the legal issues involved, and giving an outline of the barrister’s arguments. When I was done, we discussed how I had approached the case, and the similarities and differences with my pupil supervisor’s skeleton. It’s a huge thrill to see some small remnants of my work in his skeleton, though I have to say that it’s still quite a rare occurrence.
9:30am
Time to try and squeeze in a bit of work on the new bundle of papers I was given yesterday – in such a busy practice there are always several cases on the go at the same time, and it’s sometimes rather intimidating to see how many lever arch files are on my desk! The new piece of work is drafting an opinion for the court on a complicated question about social security appeals. I hadn’t even heard of an ‘opinion for the court’ when my pupil supervisor asked me to write one, so there was a bit of preliminary research called for (I discovered that it is a cross between a skeleton and an opinion which sets out all the aspects of the argument of both sides of the case, as well as telling the court what you think the correct answer is).
10:10am
My pupil supervisor and I walk over to the Royal Courts of Justice, and meet up with the solicitor involved in today’s case. This is an exciting time, usually full of discussion with both my pupil supervisor and the solicitor about how we think the hearing will progress, and what our approach will be.
10:30am
Court rise! The appeal gets underway, and I settle in for a session of furious note-taking. It’s great experience listening to submissions on a case that I am very familiar with, and hearing how the judges and barristers approach the issues I have been grappling with. Though sometimes it can be a bit excruciating – I often want to jump up and make submissions myself!
13:00pm
Happily, the hearing only took the morning, and I’m out of the Royal Courts of Justice in time to join my two co-pupils for lunch. We’ve developed an unhealthy habit of going to Inner Temple Hall. Well, in winter you need a warm lunch (and the food is fantastic!). It’s also an invaluable time for us to catch up, share our experiences, and give each other a bit of mutual support.
14:00pm
Back in Chambers, and I settle in for an afternoon of legal research for the social security appeal opinion.
16:00pm
A break from legal research, in the form of a ‘con’ (barristers’ lingo for a ‘conference’, or meeting). As my pupil supervisor and I head downstairs to the conference rooms, he tells me about the case, which is a judicial review of a healthcare trust. We are representing the Department of Health as an ‘interested party’, and so meet with the solicitor from ‘TSol’ (the Treasury Solicitor’s Department) and with the actual client (members of the Department of Health). Conferencing is another very new skill for a junior barrister, and it’s hugely important to see how it’s done – and especially how to give practical advice on the way forward. Maybe today will even have an impact on the way future health policy will be drafted!
17:30pm
Back at my desk, I wrap up a bit of work on the opinion, and pop an entry of the day’s events into my pupillage diary. With all the paperwork that the Bar Council requires from pupils, it’s useful to have a record of what I’ve done, and when I did it.
18:00pm
A nice end to the day – chambers drinks! These are held every fortnight, and in such a big chambers are a very useful time to meet members I might not otherwise see. It’s also good to hear what other barristers have been working on, and to get the inside track on cases that will probably be making the current legal news lists in a few weeks. We’re also fortunate to have a serious (and generous) wine buff in chambers, and with any luck some special, slightly dusty bottles of wine will appear a little later…
Estelle is now practising from 4-5 grays inn square
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