FIVE PERSPECTIVES ON SPONSORSHIP
Five Perspectives on Sponsorship Alice Byron, paired with Cassie Williams of Bank House Chambers in Sheffield: I felt that Middle Temple and the Sponsorship team took particular care and interest in matching sponsors and students; I was thrilled to be paired with a practitioner local to the North Eastern Circuit. Cassie has been an invaluable resource for me throughout the duration of my Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), checking in on me and providing moral support, and is continuing to offer her help throughout these unprecedented times. Although I was initially nervous when I contacted Cassie, as I was unsure how to introduce myself and what to expect from the Sponsorship Scheme, Cassie has always been happy to assist me with any queries and questions I had, however insignificant they may have seemed to me. This is the first opportunity I have had to get the opinion of a practitioner, and I have found it incredibly helpful to have the insight of someone who has been through the Bar Course and understands the pressures of both the course and finding pupillage. Further, Cassie was of immeasurable help during pupillage applications, reviewing my draft applications and assisting me in elevating my answers to present my previous experiences in the best light and potentially stand out from other candidates.
Kitan Ososami, paired with Shannon Revel of Furnival Chambers: During our first meeting my sponsor was extremely frank about her journey to the Bar. I have always known that it was not going to be an easy ride but hearing Shannon speak of how satisfied she was with her choices reaffirmed that it would be worth it in the end. She reassured me that she would do all she could to
74
help me on my way and she certainly has. Shannon has dissected my pupillage application forms, provided advocacy training and interview preparation, utilised her connections on my behalf and provided me with pro bono opportunities above and beyond the call of duty. One thing I have especially been grateful for was her honest, tried and tested advice for effectively managing the intensity of studying the BPTC whilst navigating the pupillage recruitment process.
Alexander Bradford, paired with Christopher Bates of Lamb Building: What separates the Inn’s scheme from a university careers services is how the Inn places you with newly qualified barristers in your preferred practice area. As a result, my sponsor was able to give me valuable advice on what to really expect when applying for pupillage, attending pupillage interviews, and practising at the junior end of the Bar. It is true that some of those topics are covered in various talks and panel events on how to secure pupillage. However, what made my sponsor’s advice particularly valuable was how it was specific and tailored to my situation. It went far beyond the generic advice I had received at the pupillage talks and events I had attended.
Emily Kay, paired with Jason Searle at St John’s Buildings Chambers in Manchester: After our initial emails, my sponsor invited me to his chambers to introduce himself and to show me around. On the day of our meeting, my train broke down. I felt a rush of panic as I did not want to set a bad first impression but when I rang chambers and explained my situation Jason could not have been more understanding.
2020 Middle Templar
I was given a tour of St John’s when I arrived – the chambers is beautifully decorated and felt like a maze, as each corridor led to another. I was led into a conference room and suddenly I felt like I was in a job interview. However, Jason was immediately so friendly and welcoming. He did not fit the mould of what I deemed to be a stereotypical barrister and his story of how he became a barrister was not a ‘traditional’ one. He gave me an insight into his life as an employment barrister and the types of cases he worked on. He offered me a lot of advice that day, from finding something interesting to make me stand out on applications to telling me to keep an open mind when thinking about areas of law to specialise in, as you never know where an opportunity may arise. In February, I undertook a three day mini pupillage with Jason and I cannot stress enough how valuable those three days were. The case was extremely intriguing, I had the opportunity to see first-hand how important client-barrister relationships are, and watching Jason skilfully cross-examine the claimant was an invaluable experience which gave me an insight into real life advocacy well beyond what can be taught on the BPTC. Each day, I looked forward to lunch so I could ask endless questions about the case, the profession and pupillage. He assured me that not obtaining pupillage on the first round of applications is not the end of the world and offered advice as to what to do in the meantime, for instance considering joining the police or an advocacy company such as LPC Law. However, he warned that a lot of applicants follow the advocacy route and I needed to do something that stood out. Jason told me that it was never too early to start building relationships with solicitors which would be an asset to my future career. After each day in court, we went back to chambers and Jason
