Pauline Walker, academic manager at ULaw and former barrister, shares her insights on the key skills aspiring barristers need and how students can set themselves up for success on the Bar Practice Course
After a decade at the bar, Pauline Walker made the jump to legal education — swapping the courtroom for the classroom. Now an academic manager at The University of Law (ULaw)’s Nottingham campus, she brings her wealth of experience to aspiring barristers, helping them navigate the challenges of pupillage applications, advocacy training, and the all-important Bar Practice Course (BPC).
In this Q&A, Walker shares insights into her career journey, the skills aspiring barristers should focus on, and her top tips for succeeding on the BPC. She also gives us a glimpse into life at ULaw Nottingham and how the law school supports its students in preparing for life at the bar.
Can you walk me through your career journey so far, and what initially attracted you to law?
I actually came to law as a mature student after I’d been working in an administration department in a university. I admit, at the time I was feeling disillusioned with my role, and I decided it was time to challenge myself and see if I could achieve a degree. For me, the obvious choice was law — I had always been fascinated by how it pervades every area of our lives whether we realise it or not. I was also intrigued by the wigs and gowns! After graduating from my law degree, I went straight into the Bar Vocational Course and eight months after completing it, I started my pupillage.
What were the biggest challenges of moving to legal education after being a barrister for 10 years?
For me, the biggest challenge was going from being my own boss to being an employee and having my working life governed by someone other than me. I had moved from a situation where once I had finished my court work for the day, I could decide what I wanted to do with the rest of my day — shopping, go for a coffee, home to watch TV or back to chambers to do admin. Once I made the move to legal education, I was an employee — someone else controlled my time from 9am to 5pm Mon to Friday — and that took some getting used to!
What do you enjoy most about teaching?
I enjoy watching the progression of students from the point of starting the course to the end, watching them develop and improve, and seeing their confidence in their own abilities increase. It really is very satisfying to know that you perhaps had a small part in that progression. It is also lovely to hear that your students have obtained pupillage and to celebrate that success with them. I am also always touched that students feel that they can approach me if there is a situation beyond the course that is impacting their ability to engage with the course and with which they need additional support.
On the Nottingham campus, what are the most attractive features of the law school for ULaw students?
We are fortunate at the Nottingham campus that we have a fantastic building and facilities for the students to enjoy, both in the classroom and the student social areas. We are a small campus and there are many benefits to this. We get to know the students and their circumstances rather than perhaps them feeling that they are just a number. As our cohorts are smaller, we can build up relationships with the students and can offer support if and where needed.
Having a decade of experience at the bar, what do you think are the greatest skills that aspiring barristers should build for a successful career?
It goes without saying that the academic side of the law is hugely important, as is language; words are the tools of a barrister — whether written or spoken. Therefore, my advice would be to start developing your written skills and advocacy as soon as you start the Bar course. Legal documents such as opinions and statements of case require a particular style that students have not usually encountered before and are very different to writing an essay at undergraduate level.
Similarly, the oral skills of witness handling and making submissions in court are hugely important. Pupillage interviews will quite often include a written or oral exercise as part of the process, and you want to be able to impress chambers with your skills in these areas. Working on and developing these skills from early on in your legal career will stand you in good stead as you move into practice.
How does ULaw Nottingham support students to build this skillset?
As students on the Bar Course, you will be assessed in the skills areas of witness handling, advocacy, opinion writing and drafting, therefore you will be taught these throughout the course and given opportunities to practice them to aid with your development. After each of these opportunities, students are given individual feedback to assist them in improving going forward.
We also offer extra-curricular activities such as internal and external mooting competitions, negotiation competitions and additional exercises to practice written skills that students can choose to undertake.
What are your biggest tips for students hoping to succeed on the Bar Practice Course?
Be organised. Understand what is required of you to be called to the bar. Try to have all (or as many) of your mini-pupillages and qualifying sessions completed before you come onto the bar course, as taking time off from the course to attend these can be damaging. The bar course is intensive and fast-paced, and it’s really difficult to catch-up if you miss sessions.
Secondly, take on board what you are told at the start of the course — you need to be studying towards the centralised assessments from the moment you start the course. Keep revisiting the areas that are covered in the teaching sessions as you go along.
Finally, the litigation syllabuses are enormous, so take advantage of all the practice opportunities you are given for the skills that are taught on the BPC — practice makes perfect!
What is one piece of careers advice you think every law student should hear?
If at first, you don’t succeed — try again! Be resilient. There are many students who won’t secure pupillage at the first attempt and will have to try again.
The University of Law Nottingham will be hosting ‘Secrets to Success Nottingham — with Shoosmiths, Gateley and ULaw’ TOMORROW (Tuesday 25 February), 4pm to 6:30pm. Apply now to attend.
View this post on Instagram
About Legal Cheek Careers posts.
