Michelle Stevens-Hoare, barrister and deputy adjudicator, Hardwicke Building
Aged 13, with images of barristers from TV in my head, I hit on the idea of being a barrister. Why? A love of arguing a point for the sake of it (even when I didn’t believe it), a fascination with people and what they do (ie nosiness) and always being accused of trying to cross-examine. As I learned more about the reality I knew I had hit on the right career. Being told I should not even try by teachers and careers advisers caused my bloody-minded streak to kick in: decision made.
Obstacles to becoming a barrister
There were many obstacles, such as a lack of money, pressure to become a solicitor instead (they said the Bar would be gone within in five years!) and a perception from all around that I did not have the right background. The hardest obstacles were the lack of contacts and the assumptions made about the type of work I would do because I was female. Even if you have no contacts to start with you will acquire them along the way if you look out for them: for me, making use of any type of contact I could paid off. Resisting the pressure to do family work was not easy. Ultimately, a refusal to read the Children Act 1989 got the message across that I would not be doing family work any more.
Deciding which direction your career as a barrister should take
You have to make decisions and specialise early to build the best career you can. What you enjoy studying is a small part of the choice. Is the subject matter something that will sustain your interest? Will that area involve the right balance of advocacy, drafting, research and client handling? Are the clients and practitioners you will be in contact with people that you are happy to spend your working life with?
