Name: Simon Atkinson Chambers: Wilberforce Chambers Location: London University: Melbourne University Undergraduate degree: History and chemistry
Pupil rotation Pupils at Wilberforce rotate through pupil supervisors every two to three months so that they can experience the different areas of law in which the set practises. Simon points out that it is rare for pupils in the second six months of pupillage to spend much, if any, time on their feet, with the expectation that pupils are there to learn from their supervisors. That said, there is still plenty of live, paper- based work for them to get stuck into. “I think I was on my feet only perhaps once or twice while I was still a pupil,” he recalls, “but you are given a variety of work – both what we call ‘dead cases’ – cases which your supervisor has previously worked on but are now finished – and live work. In my first week of pupillage I was charged with doing a first draft of an application for specific disclosure in a live matter. There is a great sense of responsibility that is put on you, because you are trusted to get the work right, but you are always given sufficient time to do so. I found that the level of responsibility increases as the year progresses. So even though you may not be on your feet, you will be working on live matters with your pupil supervisor.” Those keen to secure pupillage at a set specialising in landlord and tenant, or property law more generally, should be able to demonstrate an awareness of how recent political and economic developments might affect the area. “Property law, and landlord and tenant law in particular, is readily affected by wider economic issues – for example, the global financial crisis and Brexit. These issues can have a big impact on how the property market is developing,” Simon points out. “When I first started out in practice in 2011, commercial leases were coming up for their five or 10-year rent reviews in a very different set of financial circumstances from those in which the leases had been originally agreed. There was therefore a lot of court litigation – mainly by
tenants seeking to prevent their landlords increasing the rents payable under the lease.”
He continues: “It is definitely worth prospective members of the property Bar keeping an eye on wider economic, political and social developments, because they have a very real impact on how people deal with their property interests.” It is definitely worth prospective members of the property Bar keeping an eye on wider economic, political and social developments, because they have a very real impact on how people deal with their property interests As a final piece of advice, Simon warns that when he first came to the Bar he underestimated the sheer amount of hard work involved and the strength needed to deal with it. “You need stamina,” he insists. “Obviously, people will tell you that you need to have good academic grades and advocacy skills, both written and oral; this is absolutely true. But it’s equally important to be aware that, if you’ve got a two or three-day trial or you’re in court back to back on various matters, you will frequently be working late and getting up early; you’ll be thinking about the case for days in advance, potentially; and it is very physically and mentally draining. It is very rewarding, but it is a taxing job. Because you’re self-employed, you need to have the drive and determination to put in the hours and the hard work necessary to make sure that you are prepared when you stand up on your feet. So I would say that one of the most underrated strengths at the Bar, particularly in an advocacy-heavy area like landlord and tenant, is stamina.”
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