Page 7 - No5 Barristers' Chambers Pupillage Brochure
P. 7

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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