[pine]

Hello and thanks for reading! I've just seen the other post about mini-pupillages and I'm also in my first year, so I really hope you could help me...
I have just accepted 5 mini-pupillage offers for my 4-month summer holidays, and each will last two weeks. 2 of them will be at good sets, while the remaining will be with quite new barristers...
Would you say that I should accept my remaining offer at a famous criminal set? If I do I'll have only 2 weeks of holiday, and like hazelnote in the other thread I'm not sure if doing minis/interns for the whole summer almost non-stop would be too tense and bad for the state of mind before commencing year 2...
The thing is I don't know how it might feel like doing minis non-stop, and I don't know whether doing that lot of minis would actually help me get better ideas of the procedures.
Thank you so much for your kind advice!

[TakeTwo]

I would suggest cutting them all to a week - it's incredibly rare for mini-pupillages to be two weeks in length. Taking another mini can never hurt - especially if it is a set you may consider applying to in the future. In my experience, unassessed minis aren't stressful at all, so even if you can't cut them to shorter lengths - still go ahead. You won't get holidays when in pupillage and practice so need to get used to it at some point!

[pine]

(Original post by TakeTwo)
I would suggest cutting them all to a week - it's incredibly rare for mini-pupillages to be two weeks in length. Taking another mini can never hurt - especially if it is a set you may consider applying to in the future. In my experience, unassessed minis aren't stressful at all, so even if you can't cut them to shorter lengths - still go ahead. You won't get holidays when in pupillage and practice so need to get used to it at some point!

Oh thanks for that! So may i ask if you think that a full summer of law would affect my ability to relax and concentrate in year 2?
Im worrying because my parent and also a new barrister said "have some holiday, or it will affect your academic performance" while I get some different views from others...
:P sorry for the trouble.

[andymt]

It will be very tiring - I came back very tired from each day of my minis. Doing so many in a row will be difficult and to my mind I have heard of no one who has done what you are planning to do. I question why 5 is necessary (especially during one summer). Personally I did 0 in my first summer, and then did 6 spread out accross the whole of my second year (two each holiday).

I am surprised that so many sets offer 2 week minis...I thought one week was the max, and for good reason: I often find that 3/4 days even is enough to learn as much as i need about a set. I agree with TakeTwo's suggestion of cutting them to a week - although I would check out their policy first: perhaps 2 weeks is what the offer is, made on a take it or leave it basis.

I cant say whether or not it will affect your academic performance; this will have to be a matter for your own judgement. Speaking for myself, as i said I didnt do any minis in my first uni summer, but I did go on holiday a lot etc... and didnt do much academic work.

[ForKicks]

Take the ones most relevant to what you want to do. If you don't know yet, take a selection of the best ones from different areas. If you are really keen about the law, you don't need the whole student summer holiday..really Remember though, you should only put 3 or 4 on your CV, the rest are for your benefit (or to mix and match based on CV)

[pine]

(Original post by andymt)
It will be very tiring - I came back very tired from each day of my minis. Doing so many in a row will be difficult and to my mind I have heard of no one who has done what you are planning to do...I am surprised that so many sets offer 2 week minis...

I cant say whether or not it will affect your academic performance; this will have to be a matter for your own judgement. Speaking for myself, as i said I didnt do any minis in my first uni summer, but I did go on holiday a lot etc... and didnt do much academic work.

(Original post by ForKicks)
Take the ones most relevant to what you want to do. If you don't know yet, take a selection of the best ones from different areas. If you are really keen about the law, you don't need the whole student summer holiday..really Remember though, you should only put 3 or 4 on your CV, the rest are for your benefit (or to mix and match based on CV)

Thank you very, very much for the heads up! I will phone them up to cut them, hope one of the clerks won't be agitated-I already rescheduled the mini with her chambers :P
Thanks...
xoox