The key information is:
Your class of degree. I'm really sorry to say this but if you don't have an exceptional reason for your result then a 2:2 is no good. Yes, it's unfair. Yes, Megarry VC got a 3rd. But if you had to read 300 forms and throw 285 away and you could get rid of 190 by adopting this approach you would, wouldn't you?
Your geographical home if applying to the provinces. Local candidates still tend to get preference. If you come from Wales, why do you want to practice in Leeds? It's not as if our sheep are any more attractive surely?
What you want to do at the bar. Just on a personal note - if you want to be an advocate that's fine by me. It isn't necessary to specialise in contract law to get damages for someone who's had a crap holiday - although there are some snotty solicitors who say it is. What are their hourly rates? But you should have some idea as between crime/civil/family. Obviously, the more specialist the sets you are applying to, the more this information will have to be precise.
Why you want to do it at the type of Chambers to which you have applied. Don't be put off by the fact that the form is general. It's what fortune tellers call a cold reading - "you will get a tax bill from the Inland Revenue". So, "a mixture of practices means I can preserve my options as long as possible". Or, "I have wanted to ensure that as many armed robbers as possible walk the streets of Manchester since my Uncle Jimmy went inside".
Whatever makes you stand out from the crowd.
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I promised them - whaddya gonna do?
A Successful Get Away from the Judge...
It does what it says on the tin.
Contact
simon dot myerson at netserv dot net
I am told that spelling it this way prevents spam. Feel free to get in touch.
I am told that spelling it this way prevents spam. Feel free to get in touch.
Posts - The major posts are listed first. They are the meat of the site and are updated regularly.
- An Introduction
- The Mini Pupillage
- The Application
- The Interview
- If At First You Don't Succeed
- A Pause for Thought
- Final Speech
- An Excellent Prospect - Or Not
- All Beginnings Are Difficult
- Becoming a Solicitor First?
- Sermon
- The BVC - Infallible Tool, Necessary Evil or Total Crap?
- What Type of Law Should I Do? (Part 1)
- What Type of Law Should I Do? (Part 2)
- What Type of Law Should I Do? (Part 3)
- What Type of Law (Part 4)
- What Type of Judge Will I Get (Part 1)?
- What Type of Judge Will I Get (Part 2)?
- Some Issues for the New A-G
- M.A.s and Other Further Academic Degrees
- How Was It For You?
- The BVC - Again
- Countdown
- Blawgs
- BVC Redux
- The, "Does My
ArseEgo Look Big In This?" Competition - Deferral of Call
- New Term, New Beginnings
- What Is A Good University (at which to read Law)
- Poll Results
- Root and Branch
- Have You Got What It Takes?
- The Size of the Bar
- Mature Entrants
Links
- Bar or Bust (Another Hopeful enters the Lists and isn't frightened to express his/her views)
- Bloody Relations (Family Law knowledge Based - Good for Students)
- Ruthie's Law (Knowledge Based/Bizarre)
- Defending People: The Art and Science of Criminal Defence Trial Lawyering
- The Pupillage Chronicles
- The Ramblings of a Paranoid Pupil (Oxbridge Pupil in Commercial Set. Does the BVC work?)
- Publawyer (Knowledge Based)
- Liadnan (General)
- Legal Beagle (Barrister)
- John Bolch (Knowledge Based)
- Martin George (Knowledge Based)
- Nearly Legal (Student/Knowledge Based)
- Geeklawyer (Discursive)
- Charon QC (Discursive)
- Legal Lass (Student)
- Barrister 2 Be (Student)
- Josephine Blogs (Student)
- Law Minx (Student)
- Scholarships and Sponsorships
- Useful info about scholarships - from Solicitors to promote harmony (ah)
- Olpas - the boring but necessary bit
- Baili - Free Cases!
- N E Circuit
Your Chance to Express Yourself...
The Myersonettes
I promised them - whaddya gonna do?
I am a barrister practising on the North Eastern Circuit - which is obviously the best in the country. I was suitably prepared for life at the bar by the constant, grinding, ceaseless and unremitting study of law.
I graduated in 1984, married Nicole in 1987 and moved from London to Leeds at the same time. Since then I have developed some sort of a practice, had 4 children (all girls as you can see above. And is that a CUTE photo or what?) and put on 2 stone and (according to my family though I can't myself see it) another couple of chins. I feel that I now conform to the public ideal of my profession, although I don't recall being an evil parasite who is only interested in bankrupting the Treasury. I simply strive towards four weddings and a bankruptcy.
We have a dog called Sally who is an outstanding example of the Heinz breed.
For my sins I support Leeds United - if you are tempted to laugh just remember that I sit as a Recorder, so I can send you to prison. The consolation used to be that the rest of my family is bound to Middlesborough AFC, which conclusively proved that every cloud has a silver lining. Now Middlesborough have been in Europe (and there wasn't even a war) there is no consolation - no wonder people turn to religion.
In keeping with my commitment to modernity, the website is relaunched as a Blog - only about 2 years after blogs became what everyone has. For the legal profession this is lightening fast. Truthfully, the need for rebirth is because I forgot how to update the website, lost all the passwords and began to feel that the site was losing what relevance it had.
You are reading this because you want, you mad fool you, to be a barrister. There are no guarantees but this will, I hope, help. Field testing suggests that it does - hence the strapline above which Ronseal (who do not pay me) should take as a compliment. If they sue I will post an appeal for a fighting fund.
I have included some useful links below and some less than useful jokes below that. The excuse is that it is everyone's job to wring as much pleasure from life as they legitimately (important word that) can and thus there should be the minimum possible divide between business and pleasure...
About Me
A Successful Get Away from the Judge...
Barrister Jokes
Please do not crack these in interviews and expect to get a Pupillage.
What's the difference between God and a Barrister? God doesn't think He's a barrister.
What's the difference between a barrister and a broken watch? Neither of them work - but the watch is right twice a day.
What's the difference between a BVC student and a mobile phone? A mobile phone comes with a plan.
What's the difference between a pupil and a mushroom? No difference, they're both kept in the dark and have loads of shit shovelled on them.
How many barristers does it take to change a lightbulb? How many can you afford?
The Barrister wakes up after surgery and asks; 'why are the curtains drawn?' The nurse says, 'there's a fire across the street and we didn't want you to think the operation was a failure.'
Why can't barristers have sex with their clients? To prevent double billing.
What happens to a barrister when he takes viagra? He gets taller.
What's the difference between a barrister and a duck? Once in a while the duck will stick its bill up its arse.
Why do surgeons love barristers? Because they're easy to operate on: gutless, with no organs except lips and arseholes - and those are interchangeable.
Barrister chat up line? 'I'm a barrister. I'm trained to get you off'.
Why did the barrister cross the road? To sue the chicken.
How do you get 100 barristers in a Mini? You make 1 a High Court Judge and the other 99 will crawl up his arse.
What do you get when you cross a barrister with a demon from hell? A barrister.
What's the difference between a barrister and a trampoline? You take your shoes off to jump on a trampoline.
What's the difference between a cat and a barrister? One is an arrogant creature which will utterly ignore you unless you can do something for it. The other is a pet.
On holiday with their respective families Joe meets Max who he hasn't seen for years. 'What are you doing with yourself these days' he asks. 'I'm a barrister' whispers Max, 'but don't tell my wife. She thinks I'm still a pimp'.
What's the difference between a barrister and an onion? You cry when you cut up an onion.
A client comes to Chambers for a conference and is told that her barrister has died. The next day she comes back and asks to see that same barrister. The receptionist says 'He's dead and you know that. Why are you asking to see him?' The client replies, 'I just love hearing it'.
A pupil was sent to a far-away town to represent a long-term client accused of robbery. After 3 days he won the case and the client was acquitted. Excited about his success, the pupil texted his pupilmaster "Justice prevailed." The pupilmaster replied in haste: "Go back in and ask for permission to appeal."
A London Silk goes shooting in Yorkshire and kills a pheasant, which falls into a field on the other side of a fence. As he climbs the fence, an elderly gentleman asks him what he's doing. The Silk responds, “I shot a pheasant and it fell in this field, I’m going into retrieve it.” The old farmer replies, “This is my property, and tha's not coming in.” The indignant Silk says, “I am in Chamber's Guide and the Legal 500. If you don’t let me get the pheasant, I’ll sue you!" The farmer smiles and says, “Tha' don’t know how we do things 'ere in Yorkshire. We settle disagreements like this wit' Three-Kick Rule.” The Silk asks, “What's that?" The Farmer replies “Fust I kick thee three times, then tha kicks me three times, and so on, back and forth, until one of us gives up.” The Silk quickly decides that he can easily take the old farmer and agrees. The farmer slowly walks up to the Silk. His first kick plants his heavy work boot into the Silk’s groin and drops him to his knees. His second kick nearly wipes the man’s nose off his face. The Silk is flat on his belly when the farmer’s third kick to a kidney nearly causes him to give up. But he summons every bit of his will power and manages to get to his feet and say, “Okay, you old bastard, now it’s my turn.” The old farmer smiles and says, “Nay lad, I give up. Tha can have t'pheasant.”
What's the difference between God and a Barrister? God doesn't think He's a barrister.
What's the difference between a barrister and a broken watch? Neither of them work - but the watch is right twice a day.
What's the difference between a BVC student and a mobile phone? A mobile phone comes with a plan.
What's the difference between a pupil and a mushroom? No difference, they're both kept in the dark and have loads of shit shovelled on them.
How many barristers does it take to change a lightbulb? How many can you afford?
The Barrister wakes up after surgery and asks; 'why are the curtains drawn?' The nurse says, 'there's a fire across the street and we didn't want you to think the operation was a failure.'
Why can't barristers have sex with their clients? To prevent double billing.
What happens to a barrister when he takes viagra? He gets taller.
What's the difference between a barrister and a duck? Once in a while the duck will stick its bill up its arse.
Why do surgeons love barristers? Because they're easy to operate on: gutless, with no organs except lips and arseholes - and those are interchangeable.
Barrister chat up line? 'I'm a barrister. I'm trained to get you off'.
Why did the barrister cross the road? To sue the chicken.
How do you get 100 barristers in a Mini? You make 1 a High Court Judge and the other 99 will crawl up his arse.
What do you get when you cross a barrister with a demon from hell? A barrister.
What's the difference between a barrister and a trampoline? You take your shoes off to jump on a trampoline.
What's the difference between a cat and a barrister? One is an arrogant creature which will utterly ignore you unless you can do something for it. The other is a pet.
On holiday with their respective families Joe meets Max who he hasn't seen for years. 'What are you doing with yourself these days' he asks. 'I'm a barrister' whispers Max, 'but don't tell my wife. She thinks I'm still a pimp'.
What's the difference between a barrister and an onion? You cry when you cut up an onion.
A client comes to Chambers for a conference and is told that her barrister has died. The next day she comes back and asks to see that same barrister. The receptionist says 'He's dead and you know that. Why are you asking to see him?' The client replies, 'I just love hearing it'.
A pupil was sent to a far-away town to represent a long-term client accused of robbery. After 3 days he won the case and the client was acquitted. Excited about his success, the pupil texted his pupilmaster "Justice prevailed." The pupilmaster replied in haste: "Go back in and ask for permission to appeal."
A London Silk goes shooting in Yorkshire and kills a pheasant, which falls into a field on the other side of a fence. As he climbs the fence, an elderly gentleman asks him what he's doing. The Silk responds, “I shot a pheasant and it fell in this field, I’m going into retrieve it.” The old farmer replies, “This is my property, and tha's not coming in.” The indignant Silk says, “I am in Chamber's Guide and the Legal 500. If you don’t let me get the pheasant, I’ll sue you!" The farmer smiles and says, “Tha' don’t know how we do things 'ere in Yorkshire. We settle disagreements like this wit' Three-Kick Rule.” The Silk asks, “What's that?" The Farmer replies “Fust I kick thee three times, then tha kicks me three times, and so on, back and forth, until one of us gives up.” The Silk quickly decides that he can easily take the old farmer and agrees. The farmer slowly walks up to the Silk. His first kick plants his heavy work boot into the Silk’s groin and drops him to his knees. His second kick nearly wipes the man’s nose off his face. The Silk is flat on his belly when the farmer’s third kick to a kidney nearly causes him to give up. But he summons every bit of his will power and manages to get to his feet and say, “Okay, you old bastard, now it’s my turn.” The old farmer smiles and says, “Nay lad, I give up. Tha can have t'pheasant.”
Count the Omer
And Counting...
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12 comments:
This may be slightly off topic, but perhaps you can help anyway, never mind if not, the rest of the blog is incredibly useful, thanks! I'm intending to apply for a scholarship from an Inn of Court and have been informed that even with a 2:1, there is little point in applying, as the criteria is 'outstanding' academic merit. Just wondered if you had any opinion on this?
Hmmm - that's a new one. I would be surprised if that meant a 1st, firstly because there are such a lot of awards and secondly because I know people who have a 2.1 (and whom I would not regard as academically outstanding) who have an award.
It may be that the particular scholarship about which you have enquired has different criteria. That should be ascertainable with a phone call.
Otherwise I would go for it.
I have a 2:1 and was awarded quite a large sum of money, so I wouldn't pay too much attention to any rumours putting you off. Beware of scaremongering fellow students also applying for scholarships: it's in their best interest to minimize competition!
And besides, the range of scholarships is so broad that even if you only get a small one to cover the cost of your membership fee or call it helps a little towards the massive financial burden of the bvc fees, as well as giving you something (else) to put in that 'awards, prizes and achievements' box. After all, if you don't try you'll never find out and if nothing else, it's all good application and interview practice in the end :)
I have made some enquiries at the Inns. Will post if and when I get a response.
Hi there, i have extremely poor A Level's and GCSE's, and everytime i attempt to have a glance at a Pupillage application form, the thought of Chambers placing my form firmly in the nearest bin, automatically comes to mind.
Am i just living in a dream world, or is there any real chance of me succeeding at the extremely competitive Bar?
I am currently on a 2:1 degree, and am hoping to push my grades up to a First, but even then, is there any chance of me getting my foot in the door?
I am also worried about not getting considered properly due to poor A level and GCSE's results. I have valid reasons for them, but do Chambers take the time to look at the the reasons?
Hi,
I've heard that once a chambers has rejected you once they are unlikely to consider you for a pupillage again. Is this true? I have certain chambers that I would really love to join but am wondering whether it would be better to wait until after the BVC before applying, so that I have a better chance with them, therefore? What's your opinion?
Thank you for your time.
P.S. This website is great!!!
I've got 2.2 from a rather average university.
English is not my native, I am an immigrand and I've been living in this country for 6 years.
I don't have daddy's connections, which would help me to get a mini-pupillage or mingle with big B's on a barbecue party.
The list of I don't can be rather leangthy actually.
I won mooting competition in my average university, I was awarded with a scholarship from the inn, I do quite a bit of a volunteer work. Does it all matter? Frankly, after a number of applications for the M-P - I doubt it. The only one I've got was due to some connections I actually managed to establish. I suspect this is how generally M-Ps are obtained.
Do I have many chances to get a pupillage? No. In fact they are around 1 or 2%. What I do know, however, is that if I don't try to do everything I can to achieve it I will never be able to say to myself: "At least I tried..".
I applied for pupillage now and waiting for the results. Why? Because I do have a hope somewhere very deep inside that there is always someone first who actually breaks the code and becomes "how did he manage that? that was impossible!".
Thank you for your interesting blog, Simon.
immigranT - sorry, was in a rush
I have a 2.2 from Oxbridge does this make any difference in reality, or am I barking up the wrong tree? I have had interviews and second rounds at some good sets but when I haven't made the cut initially theny haven't re-interviewed me the next year.
I have a 2.2 from Dundee University and yes I accept your point that it's not good enough by itself I then went on to attain a Very Competent for the BVC and in fact graduated in the top 25 students of my year. There are reasons for my 2.2 degree which I will not post on here. Surely the VC has to count for something?
Hello there everyone. I read this blog and it gives my old heart a lot of hope. I received a miserable 2.2 from a not very good university but there were good reasons why I did so badly and also reasons why I only applied to that university and not to the red brick down the road. I am also over 40. Nevertheless, I have achieved a very substantial (although not enough to pay all my BPTC fees) scholarship from Middle Temple (love you MT) and a place at a London provider, the one and only place that I wanted to go. I have also just heard that I have been offered a mini-pupillage at my first choice set after spending a whole year sending out applications. Next month I also have been invited to a black tie dinner at the House of Lords as well as the scholars dinner at MT. I should not have really achieved any of this but I stuck to my belief that I can be a great advocate and the 2.2 will disappear from my memory when I pass my BPTC. Do not let anyone put you off your dream of becoming a barrister by scaremongering you into believing that you do not have what it takes. Do not by shy! Go to the courts and talk to the barristers there, they are a font of knowledge and willing to talk but only in times of lunch/tea/coffee/fag breaks. Try not to accost them just out of court or the robing room, they will not thank you for it. Alwats state your particular area of interest especially if it is a smaller area of the law that you want to practice. Good luck everyone and please, just believe in yourselves xxx.
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