A day in the life of a mini-pupil

9.30 am

My day started with a High Court visit. The barrister I accompanied was easy-going and explained the case thoroughly to me; he was also keen to find out more about me as a person. Rather than having to watch from the public gallery, he invited me to sit alongside his junior so that I could discuss any points that were raised and share all of the documentary evidence. However, before the case could start there was a last-minute dash to locate a new authority that the opposing counsel planned to rely on. I ended up knocking on the nearest office door and explaining my predicament; they took pity and allowed me to use their phone!

10.30 am

With the authority sent over from chambers, the case got under way. From my privileged position I felt I was part of the action and the team. Both the lead counsel and his junior made sure I could follow all the points and that I had free access to the evidence and authorities being cited so that my understanding was complete. It was a shame that when the lunch break came I had to return to chambers for my assessment on contract law.

2.30 pm

I made a few last-minute tweaks to my assessment answer, which concerned misrepresentation and duress in a contract between Krusty and the Burn’s Nuclear Company and featured the most reliable of witnesses, Homer Simpson. It really helped to have an accessible problem, in which a complex issue was lightened by a humorous context. This made the assessment far less daunting than those I have previously encountered.

4.30 pm

My assessor put me at ease instantly and it was a pleasure to talk through the issues and my opinion on them. I did not think that it would be like this and had been secretly dreading it. Not only did we discuss the elements that were requested but we went on further to explore other issues within the contract, such as damages and punitive clauses. After this was completed my assessor asked me questions about myself and my background, and offered useful advice for a life at the Bar.

6.00 pm

Returning to my supervisor for the last time of the week, we talked about my time in chambers and he offered helpful feedback and guidance for my future. Then I was invited by the clerks and barristers to have an end-of-the-week drink in the clerks’ room, which was a fantastic way to round off my mini-pupillage experience.

Kedra Goodall, 26, did a mini-pupillage at Monckton Chambers. Kedra has a degree in experimental psychology from the University of Oxford (2001).