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Year of Graduation: 2018, Degree: Law (with French Law)
Current Position: Pupil Barrister at Landmark Chambers, (Year of Call: 2023)
Areas of practice: Property
Daunting – the word that springs to mind when thinking about pupillage. Who would not cower at the thought of a year-long interview, which involves multiple assessments, all judged by some of the best legal minds in the country?
That is why your choice of chambers is so important, and why Landmark is, in my view, a cut above the rest.
Pupillage has two purposes: to assess your suitability for tenancy, and (more importantly) to prepare you for the whirlwind that is life at the Bar. Self-employment means that the buck stops with you. You need the ability, skills and confidence to deal with those pressures. At Landmark, there is an unmatched emphasis placed upon that preparation. It is a constant two-way street of feedback. You work on live cases, supporting each of your supervisors; each piece of work is reviewed and appraised; and you are given bespoke advocacy training. Twelve months is short. Solicitors train for double that time. You do not need to be faultless by the end of pupillage, but Landmark provides you with every opportunity to reach that goal.
Equally, whilst self-employment ultimately means you have no boss, that does not mean you lack support. There is a distinct collegiality to Landmark, which runs from the bottom to the top. Since taking on my own cases, I have been assisted every step of the way by members of Chambers (from juniors to Silks) and the brilliant Practice Management and Administration Teams. At Landmark, you very much feel like you are never on your own.
Chambers’ reputation across all three of its core practice areas (and in many more areas) speaks for itself. If there is an important case in any of those areas, it will inevitably have at least one member of Chambers involved, if not more. Just take a look at Manchester Ship Canal Co. v United Utilities Water (sewage undertakers discharging foul water into watercourses); Fearn v Board of Trustees of the Tate Gallery (when overlooking becomes a nuisance); Aviva Investors Ground Rent GP v Williams (landlords’ discretion to amend tenants’ share of service charges); R ((AAA) Syria & Ors) v SSHD (challenge to the Rwanda policy); and the Post Office, Infected Blood, Grenfell and UK Covid inquiries. And, because of that excellence, your experience as a pupil is unique. I have attended hearings in the First-tier Tribunal, County Court, High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, as well as planning inquiries. You are very much part of the action.
Finally, Landmark is the definition of a progressive set. I am part of the LGBTQ+ community; attended a comprehensive school; and went to neither Oxford nor Cambridge – and neither did my brilliant co-pupil. Not once have I felt out of place. The Bar has a long way to go, but Landmark is making every effort to effect change.
