Page 6 - No.5_Pupillage_Brochure_2021
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WHAT OUR FORMER PUPILS SAY










                                                     L O IS  N O R R IS                                                                                                   A N N I E  T O W N L E Y


                  Prior to pupillage, I had worked in the personal injury  I started second six during the Covid 19 pandemic             My pupillage experience at No5 started and ended in  I was always invited to chambers social events
                  sector for several years, and therefore I was eager  and  the  first  lockdown.  I  had  the  opportunity  to          tears; tears of happiness at being offered pupillage  whether it was one of the many chambers’ Christmas
                  to join a set who were well established and widely  shadow juniors prior to  the lockdown starting and                 and equally happy tears at being  offered tenancy!   parties, informal trips to the pub (all pre covid!) or
                  respected in the field. I’ll never forget the pinch me  before my first case, I rang a member of chambers              A lot happened between these two points, but it was  virtual group quizzes during the various lockdowns.
                  moment when I got the offer: I think my mum rang  to talk through it all. My first trial was by Skype and              an incredibly  rewarding  experience and I couldn’t  I was really made to feel a valuable part of No5 right
                  everybody in her phone book.                I realised  that being  on my (virtual) feet was not                       have asked for a better pupillage year. There were  from the start.
                                                                              as  scary  as  I  had envisaged,                           a few steep learning curves but
                  I had heard pupillage described                                                                                                                                                    Towards the end of my first six
                  as  a  yearlong interview,  but                             because  I had learnt so                                   everyone at No5 was so warm                                 I shadowed some of the junior
                  at No5 it never felt like that.                             much and because  there was                                and welcoming and I always felt                             members  of chambers  which
                  Firstly,  it  is  clear  you  are  not                      always support on hand. Since                              as though everyone  genuinely                               gave me a chance to see more
                  in competition  with your co-                               becoming  a tenant I have had                              wanted me to succeed which                                  of the type of work I  would
                  pupils. Secondly,  the process                              the opportunity  to build  up my                           helped me to push through the                               be doing in my second six.
                  is transparent. My supervisor’s                             own practice and to junior  for                            tougher moments.                                            It was quite a relief to go from
                  work  was  reflective  of  her                              senior members of chambers in                              Pupillage  is a demanding                                   very complex  matters that my
                  substantial  experience  and  to                            a variety of fields.                                       and rigorous year with lots of                              supervisor of 15 years call was
                  attempt to draft pleadings  at                              I moved from a tiny town up                                worries about how you are                                   working  on to a claim  about a
                  her level was nerve-wracking                                North for pupillage to  live in                            getting on, whether  you really                             burst water pipe and thinking
                  at the start. However, each time                            Birmingham. Prior to lockdown,                             are cut out to be a barrister and                           that I might be just about able
                  I did, we sat down afterwards,                              I had lunch every day with the                             whether you will be taken on at                             to do that sort of case! It was
                  she showed me  her draft,  she                              barrister I  was shadowing,                                the end. Thankfully, the process                            also great to get to know the
                  re-assured  me  that  my  first                             I regularly spoke to the clerking                          at No5 is really transparent;                               juniors in chambers who had
                  week as  a    second six  pupil                             team and I attended balls and                              I had regular reviews at 3 month                            been through pupillage recently
                  would  not involve work at                                  dinners and drinks. I also had a                           intervals  where  my supervisor                             and knew exactly how I  was
                  this level, and my pleadings and nerves improved!   brilliant relationship with my co-pupils in Chambers               wrote a report against a set criteria and I met with the  feeling. I was nervous at first about being on my feet
                  Every three months I would  receive a report prior  and on the Midland Circuit. During lockdown,  of                   pupillage committee to discuss the report and how  in my second six but I am so glad that my pupillage
                  to sitting down with the pupillage committee. It set  course there have been  zoom quizzes, but there                  I was finding pupillage. I was told what I needed to  had a practicing second six. There is no substitute
                  out what work I had been doing, areas where I had  have also been face times, zooms and virtual drinks.                improve on at each of these reviews so that I had  for taking on your own cases and getting in front of a
                  performed to  a  high standard and opportunities to   For me, No5 provided the perfect platform to start my            time to work on any issues before a decision  on  judge. It also meant that I started my first few weeks
                  improve. Of course, pupillage is rigorous, you have to   career as a barrister. Whilst we may be the biggest           tenancy was made, rather than those issues being  of tenancy already 6 months ahead of most of my
                  work hard and you worry (about almost everything!)   set in the country, the collegiate spirit of chambers             brought up for the first time as a reason not to offer  peers when it came to real court experience!
                  but the transparency and structure help immensely.     made me feel a valued member of chambers from                   me tenancy.
                  I was able to shadow barristers of ranging seniority,   the very start.
                  in a variety of fields.
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