Since commencing pupillage with Becket Chambers on the 1st of October 2025, the first month has been fascinating, demanding, and eye-opening. The work I have undertaken so far has largely consisted of taking verbatim notes of conferences and hearings, composing attendance notes for clients, as well as assisting in drafting orders and case preparation. I have attended court almost every day of pupillage so far, and by the 24th of October already written over seventy thousand words of notes.
My first day attending court as a pupil barrister was in familiar territory at the Brighton County Court, where I shadowed a case before a Judge I knew from my previous role as a County Court Advocate. Ever since however, my pupillage has taken me to new courts, such as Canterbury, Dartford, Folkestone, and Margate/ Thanet. Exposing me to new areas of civil practice, as well as further consolidating areas I know well. My interest has particularly been sparked by cases relating to condemnation and forfeiture, as well as boundary and property disputes.
Seeing mediations has provided me with new insights into negotiation methods, allowing me to better understand the various contextual and practical solutions to disagreements. Attending the home of a client was excellent, as I was able to physically view the client’s contention as to where the boundary line ought to be, as opposed to only reading their witness statement and seeing photographs. I was also able to see various maps surveyors had created to better understand their findings.
I have also already been provided with a strong foundation to my knowledge of family matters. I observed a four-day public law final hearing where the local authority succeeded in securing care and placement orders, allowing me to better understand the process first-hand and learn integral methods in managing expectations. I also saw, a two-day private law fact-find hearing where there were various allegations of abuse, largely towards children. This experience was particularly interesting, as I was able to see the client’s case expertly put, resulting in the Judge finding in the client’s favour for nineteen out of the twenty allegations.
I would say the best part of pupillage so far however has been meeting new people, whether they be members of Chambers, clients, or opposition counsel. Everyone I have met from Chambers has been kind, welcoming, and enjoyable to talk to. I attended the annual Kent Law Society Junior Quiz this month, which was fun (despite our team coming third). I enjoyed the structure of the quiz, especially the round where we had to work out which criminal offences were being committed in the lyrics of songs, resulting in a debate as to whether Bob Marley had committed murder or attempted murder in ‘I Shot The Sherrif’.
The first month has been brilliant. I will be attending further social events with Chambers, such as the Kent Law Society Charity Ball in November, where I am looking forward to meeting even more new people.
