Becoming A Barrister: Choosing The Bar Route

Pictured: Kareena Talwar

A recent 2021 law graduate from Durham University, Kareena Talwar, details her journey on going down the barrister route. Now a Legal Associate at Richmond Chambers LLP, where she works directly under barristers in immigration cases and a casework volunteer at Advocate, the official pro bono charity for the Bar of England & Wales - in this exclusive article she walks us through her pursuit in the Bar route.

What made you want to be a barrister instead of a solicitor?

The first, and perhaps most common reason why I chose the Bar route, is my desire to represent a client in court. I find the prospect of being ‘on my feet’ and arguing my case in front of a judge thrilling. The second reason is the self-employed nature of the Bar. My ideal career is to have the flexibility to choose when I work, and to also choose the types of cases I work on, as it means I have control over the direction of my practice. 

Once you knew, how were you able to supplement this decision with relevant work experience and/or extracurriculars/hobbies?

At secondary school I was involved in my debating club which instilled a key trait to become a barrister, the confidence to argue for your point.  It helped me to think creatively, but most importantly, I became comfortable with public speaking. I also gained work experience at a solicitors’ firm, where I witnessed the pre-litigation stage of a case, and subsequently the process of how solicitors instruct barristers. 

During the summer after my graduation, I completed various mini pupillages to get a better understanding of the profession and the areas of law I found appealing. This was important for me to get an insight into the work at the self-employed Bar. It is worth noting that obtaining mini pupillages are extremely competitive, particularly after the pandemic where there has been a backlog. Also, most chambers would prefer students to have gained some legal knowledge through their studies (around your second year LLB, or GDL year) before applying. In addition to this, I also completed an internship with the Government Legal Department to experience the employed Bar, and how representing one client differs from working at chambers. 

In the background, I have volunteered at Ealing Law Centre, which is part of the Law Centres Network, set up to assist those entitled to Legal Aid on social welfare issues. This experience improved my interpersonal skills, as I dealt with a diverse range of clients, many of whom had vulnerabilities. Given that the Bar is a client facing profession, the ability to deal with a range of people is essential, as you will be dealing with people such as judges and experts, to distressed clients. I was then appointed on to the Board of Trustees to assist in the direction of the centre. In my spare time, I have partaken in essay competitions to improve my writing skills and have been successful in publishing my most recent two. This was essential for me to do, as drafting submissions as a barrister is equally important as the oral advocacy.

At university, were you able to actively explore this field? Were there any hindrances/difficulties (when it came to finding out more in the specific field of being a barrister)?

At university, I joined the pro bono society to gain first-hand experience alongside my legal studies. I was a part of the Durham Access to Justice group, where we drafted appeals for inmates who maintained their innocence to the Criminal Cases Review Commission. This provided the opportunity to apply the research skills that I gained during my LLB, into practice. I also participated in university moots and was successful in mock trial competitions hosted by the Durham University Bar Society. This entailed reviewing witness statements, preparing speeches, and thinking on my feet when conducting cross-examinations on the day of trial. 

An obstacle I faced was the lack of information and networking events for careers at the Bar at the University, compared to the funding and range of dinners hosted by corporate law firms. With the stress of workload and juggling career plans, having events that I could attend would have made access to the Bar easier. This includes learning about various aspects of the Bar, such as the expenses incurred whilst qualifying, and the relevant experience needed. In my final year, I was elected as President of the Durham University Bar Society, and ensured there were various panel talks, mock trials judged by former Supreme Court Judges, and Inns of Court events for not only myself, but for students in earlier years to understand the profession. However, it is worth noting that I still did my own research using the plethora of sources available online and found answers to most questions, such as scholarships available from the Inns of Court for the Bar Practice Course (the postgraduate qualification to be called to the Bar). 

After graduating university, what have you been doing to guide you onto the next step of becoming a barrister? How do you plan to move forward in the future?

After graduating, I wanted to gain ground experience through employment, before commencing the Bar Practice Course. I was successful in becoming a Legal Associate at Richmond Chambers LLP, where I work directly under barristers in immigration cases. I have learnt invaluable skills during the early stages of my career, such as conducting legal research to identify evidence required and creating bundles, taking client witness statements, and assisting in drafting legal submissions. I am also a casework volunteer at Advocate, the official pro bono charity for the Bar of England & Wales, which finds free legal help from barristers for those unable to afford legal help. This has helped with my written advocacy, as I summarise client applications and case documents on areas of law that I have had no previous knowledge in for barristers to review.

My next steps in pursuing a career at the Bar are to complete the Bar Practice Course, and subsequently apply for pupillage at a chambers, which is the yearlong final stage of training.

What are your top tips for those interested in going down the barrister route?

My top tip would be to try and apply for mini pupillages at chambers that specialise in different areas of law. They are a great way to not only understand life at the Bar, but also how it differs depending on the practice area. It will give you a great insight into areas that one could not imagine existed. However, mini pupillages are not the be all or end all, thus I would recommend gaining experience where you are advocating for an individual in some form, such as volunteering at the Free Representation Unit, and I would also recommend engaging with people of all backgrounds, which could be working at a retail store.

My other top tip would be to engage in activities that involve public speaking. This may be through your university or external moots or mock trials. There are also other various avenues to practice public speaking and being confident in doing so is a valuable skill to have.

By Kareena Talwar

Read ‘A Prosecutor’s Perspective’ by Jonathan Ingram, a lead Crown Court Prosecutor on his journey as a barrister together with his perspective.