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Year of Graduation: 2016, Degree: with Law with Law Studies in Europe (France)
Current Position: Pupil Barrister at Landmark Chambers, (year of Call: 2018)
Areas of practice: Planning and Environment, Property
I am reaching the end of my pupillage at Landmark and about to begin life as a junior tenant. I began the year filled with stories about pupillage being hugely stressful, difficult and exhausting (the list could go on). I pre-emptively warned my family and friends that they might not see much of me over the coming 12 months. However, my experience at Landmark could not have been more different from my expectations.
There was certainly a steep learning curve but I was really well supported along the way. I was never expected to stay in Chambers late or come in on weekends (my first supervisor described weekend work as illegal!) and on the very few occasions where I did work late members of Chambers checked up on me to make sure everything was ok.
The friendliness of the people at Landmark (staff and members) has really helped to combat the natural anxieties that come with being a pupil. There is a well-established open-door policy and both junior and senior barristers are very happy to discuss an issue and answer questions or lend books as required. Monday cakes are also a great way to meet people in a more informal setting and people often ask me what I’m working on and offer tips or anecdotes from their own cases.
I have had four, three-month seats across Chambers’ main practice areas and throughout I have been given a range of tasks from drafting pleadings, to writing advice, to conducting legal research. This has almost always been “live” work and it has been really useful to compare my drafts against my supervisor’s final product. I have also attended a wide variety of court hearings and planning inquiries with barristers in Chambers including a trip to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg! There has been a good mix between time spent in
Chambers working on papers and attending hearings or conferences with clients.
In my second six I started taking on a few small cases in my own right. The Practice Management team have been excellent at judging which instructions are appropriate for my level and I have established a great support network in Chambers to discuss any concerns.
I can honestly say that I have enjoyed pupillage at Landmark thanks to the friendliness of the people in Chambers and their genuine care and support for their pupils.
For more information on Pupillage at Landmark Chambers, please see our Pupillage brochure.
