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Year of graduation: 2013
Degree: History
Current position: Pupil Barrister (year of Call: 2022)
Areas of practice: Planning, Property, Environmental, and Public Law
There is no escaping it. Pupillage is a challenging year. What you hope is that you are well supported, exposed to a variety of stimulating work, and provided with enough opportunities to present yourself in the best light. Thankfully, this was my experience of pupillage at Landmark.
I have had four, three-month seats across Chambers’ main areas of Planning, Property and Public law. I completed a range of tasks such as drafting pleadings and skeleton arguments, writing advice, conducting legal research, and helping my supervisors prepare for hearings in a range of tribunals and courts. The focus was very much on learning and honing your craft, and my supervisors were always clear that they would be looking at my performance across the seat rather than focussing on any one piece of work. There was a written assessment at the end of each seat, followed by a detailed feedback session with the Pupillage Committee. Chambers also organised advocacy assessments to ensure I was ready to undertake Court work in my second six, and to demonstrate that I had met the required standard by the time of the tenancy decision. During my planning seat, Chambers arranged for me to spend three days marshalling with the Planning Liaison Judge in the High Court in a case concerning one of the most significant energy infrastructure projects in the UK.
Chambers’ excellent reputation means that I have been involved in high quality work, often high profile cases featured in the national press. This included: two Supreme Court hearings, one concerning the determination of land compensation in relation to HS2; environmental challenges to the grant of planning permission for exploratory gas drilling; and a judicial review highlighting widespread failures in the operation of the asylum support system. I was given several pieces of work to complete for other members of Chambers, including senior Silks and even a former Justice of the Supreme Court.
Since being offered tenancy, I have been working mostly on my own cases, although the extent to which you do your own work during the second six varies. I am currently instructed in the Covid-19 public inquiry. The excellent Practice Managers are helping me gain invaluable advocacy experience in the County Court, Magistrates’ Court and specialist tribunals. Although each day throws up new challenges, I know I can rely on my former supervisors and a network of talented juniors to answer any queries I may have. I feel fortunate to be able to develop my career here.
