Name: Ralph Morley Chambers: 7 King’s Bench Walk Location: London University: University of Cambridge Degree: Classics
may well tick those boxes. If you’ve done something related to one of the sector- specific areas we work in – for example, a module in shipping or international trade law, a job or placement with an insurance company, training as an accountant, or even something like a sailing course – that can be helpful, but it’s not essential.” It is safe to say that it is not an easy industry to break into – “patience is key,” says Ralph, as well as “using university careers services and mentoring services. A lot of the time, you can see that somebody has good material in their CV but they are let down in terms of how they present it – simple things like spelling, grammar, language and getting the name of the chambers right. That’s where a university careers service can be helpful. Also, some of the Inns of Court, such as Middle Temple, offer mentoring schemes, which are invaluable if you don’t know anyone who works in law. A mentor will help you to approach pupillage applications with more of an understanding of what is being looked for.” In terms of the skills necessary for working as a barrister in shipping law, Ralph reiterates that the nature of this area of practicemeans that it is important to enjoy and be good at research and writing. Further, “clients want people who can break down the law and explain it. In shipping law, advice is often read by commercial managers who are not legally qualified and for whomEnglish is not a first language. Being able to explain simply and concisely what effect complicated case law has on their position is an important skill, as is being able to identify what they really want and what a good outcome looks like for them. Commercial people usually want to know how a case will impact on their business’s bottom line.”
in particular ones which include arbitration, have flexible deadlines: “Arbitration is a consensual process, so deadlines can get moved more commonly than in court. You can find that you’ve planned your year on the basis that there’s going to be an arbitration hearing one month, only for your opponents to ask to move it to another point in the year, which may be much less convenient for you. The fact that cases are so big, and can run on for some years, can mean that something will crop up unexpectedly on an existing case just when you’d least like it to. If it comes to Friday afternoon and you get a letter from the other side that suddenly requires your attention over the weekend, it can be quite wearing.” In addition, when considering key issues facing the profession over the next five years, Ralph highlights questions that arise in terms of “how we attract people from a range of backgrounds and interests to be barristers. Being a barrister in shipping – or any other area of commercial law – isn’t about looking or talking a certain way. It’s about having the skills to analyse and argue cases. But commercial law as a whole needs to do more to say so and to encourage a broader range of applicants in our direction. At 7KBWwe’re giving a lot of thought to that at the moment, which I’m hopeful will bear fruit.” Patience is ‘quay’ Having developed his practice at 7KBW, Ralph is now part of his chambers’ mini-pupillage committee. He shares his thoughts on what a good application looks like: “We are always impressed by people who have worked hard and got good academic results. We also like to see candidates who really understand what skills are needed for shipping and other branches of commercial law. Our areas of practice require a willingness to read and digest lots of information, an ability to write well and the flexibility to deal with diverse questions of law and fact. Good applicants relate their experiences to those skills: if you’ve done a dissertation, for example, that
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