degree. She comments: “I provided advice on housing law, landlord and tenant issues, claims for disrepair and welfare law. When it came to applying for training contracts, I was able to talk about some of my experiences at CAB – for example, when asked to discuss how I dealt with a difficult situation, I referred to an incident at the CAB involving a client with Alzheimer’s. I would certainly recommend CAB work because the training is excellent: you are trained in all the areas that they expect you to advise on and in how to use their files to find information. It teaches you how to apply the law in reality and hones your interview and advice skills.” Even a few weeks at the CAB could work to your advantage. Like Maxine, you will be able to include the experience on your CV and then talk about it at interview. Court work Court work is another option. Marshalling involves spending time with a judge to see the litigation process from a judicial perspective. You will read the skeleton arguments and papers before the court and then watch the trial unfold. The process is immensely useful: you quickly learn which advocacy styles are effective and which to avoid. When it comes to applying for pupillages, marshalling experience will help you to answer those standard interview questions, such as ‘What makes a good barrister?’ Marshalling is a good introduction to court, the roles of the advocates and the ultimate aim of advocacy as a barrister – persuading the judge. Free Representation Unit Other options include volunteering for the Free Representation Unit (FRU), a charity that provides free legal representation to those who cannot afford it. FRU trains you to represent its clients at tribunals. Lots of
experience you have will build your knowledge and transferable skills – it’s how you then choose to make it work for you on your application form that counts.” Puneet Tahim at Rare Recruitment agrees: “Non-legal work experience can be incredibly valuable to students in terms of developing their wider skill sets. Where they can sometimes let themselves down is not really thinking about using it in their application forms to sell themselves. Rather, they need to take the time to explain what they were doing, the skills they developed and how these will be useful to them in a career in law.” Andy Creer, barrister at Gatehouse Chambers, adds: “We recognise that people have different opportunities according to their socioeconomic backgrounds. It is therefore more important to demonstrate what you have got out of your work experience, than what you have done per se .” Alternative work experience in the business world can also help you to build your commercial awareness, as Matthew Parker QC, barrister at 3 Verulam Buildings, points out: “Non-legal work experience is very useful if it involves skills that are important at the Bar, such as public speaking, collecting and presenting information or dealing with clients. For the commercial Bar, it is often very helpful to have had some experience in a business environment, which will help develop commercial awareness and enable you to engage with clients’ concerns on their level.” Citizens Advice One option is to volunteer at your local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB). Maxine Cole, a senior crown prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service, volunteered for about a year at the Barking and Dagenham CAB following her master’s
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