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The Pupillage Interview/Acceptance/Rejection Thread 2016

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Original post by Nordic
What is your question?


Your opinion on my situation, perhaps?
Reply 541
Original post by Philissimo14
Guys, no trolling, just advice and opinions, please. I left school with bad GCSEs due to depression and bad attendance. That, therefore, resulted in the next four years of my life being a hard time doing a few basic jobs and battling my problems. However, at 21 I went to college and did an Access to HE: Law and Criminology Diploma and went to Birmingham City University. I graduated with a First, got a scholarship to do an LL.M at Warwick and just missed out on a distinction there. However, I now feel that, even though I am now 27, my past is going to prevent me from securing a good career. This is, again, making me feel down and is giving me the feeling that I have wasted my time. Any opinions, guys? Many thanks for reading.


You'll do good captain. Composure and see a specialist for depression. Pm me if need be. 100% get on to your GP. Not to be harsh but this isn't a health blog.
Original post by Tiny92
You'll do good captain. Composure and see a specialist for depression. Pm me if need be. 100% get on to your GP. Not to be harsh but this isn't a health blog.


Thanks for the reply. The post was quickly written so possibly does not reflect what I was actually trying to say. I was more so asking for opinions on my career options etc.
Reply 543
Original post by Philissimo14
Your opinion on my situation, perhaps?


You'll need to elaborate. Are you trying for a career at the bar? If so, what areas? What else have you done? London or provinces? It will be hard to form an opinion if we don't know what your end goal is.
Original post by Nordic
You'll need to elaborate. Are you trying for a career at the bar? If so, what areas? What else have you done? London or provinces? It will be hard to form an opinion if we don't know what your end goal is.


My question is do you think I would have a chance of pupilage with terrible GCSE's and no A levels? Ok, I have a reason why but it could be a safe bet to opt for someone who has performed consistently academically, right? My concern is that even though I have overcome my issues and done well, my past will prevent me from doing as well as I could have done, if I didn't suffer from depression 10 years ago.
Reply 545
Original post by Philissimo14
My question is do you think I would have a chance of pupilage with terrible GCSE's and no A levels? Ok, I have a reason why but it could be a safe bet to opt for someone who has performed consistently academically, right? My concern is that even though I have overcome my issues and done well, my past will prevent me from doing as well as I could have done, if I didn't suffer from depression 10 years ago.


A barrister I know who is at a prestigious set has bad GCSEs and no a levels. So don't worry yourself. I see you've posted the same "quick" essay in about five other threads. You'll be grand. Head up.
Original post by Tiny92
A barrister I know who is at a prestigious set has bad GCSEs and no a levels. So don't worry yourself. I see you've posted the same "quick" essay in about five other threads. You'll be grand. Head up.


Thanks for that! Yep, the quick essay got copy and pasted into other popular threads as I'm looking for a lot of opinions. I feel really demotivated at the minute as I feel others are better on paper than me and I can't change that. It pretty sucks, especially because it was so long ago.
Original post by Philissimo14
Thanks for that! Yep, the quick essay got copy and pasted into other popular threads as I'm looking for a lot of opinions. I feel really demotivated at the minute as I feel others are better on paper than me and I can't change that. It pretty sucks, especially because it was so long ago.


There are tons of people with unusual academic backgrounds at the Bar. No-one cares about your GCSEs and A levels -- at least, not where you've shown a clear change in trajectory after that stage. Don't worry about it.
Original post by Philissimo14
Thanks for that! Yep, the quick essay got copy and pasted into other popular threads as I'm looking for a lot of opinions. I feel really demotivated at the minute as I feel others are better on paper than me and I can't change that. It pretty sucks, especially because it was so long ago.


I'm a bit concerned that you have managed to complete a degree and then an LLM with seemingly no idea what it is that you want to do or how to go about achieving it. How is it that you haven't considered this before? Do you have any legal work experience - minis or vac schemes?
Original post by Forum User
I'm a bit concerned that you have managed to complete a degree and then an LLM with seemingly no idea what it is that you want to do or how to go about achieving it. How is it that you haven't considered this before? Do you have any legal work experience - minis or vac schemes?


It's not necessarily about not knowing what I want to do, it's more about my chancing of being able to pursue it. I have done two placements in a high street immigration firm as that was all I was able to get. Do you know how hard it was to get placements with crap GCSEs and no A levels. I imagine my application was scrapped pretty quickly. Obviouslyconfidence with my qualifications is my issue.
Original post by Philissimo14
My question is do you think I would have a chance of pupilage with terrible GCSE's and no A levels? Ok, I have a reason why but it could be a safe bet to opt for someone who has performed consistently academically, right? My concern is that even though I have overcome my issues and done well, my past will prevent me from doing as well as I could have done, if I didn't suffer from depression 10 years ago.


Im 32, I have bad gcses and no a levels. I enrolled in my degree at 26 thru an access course when I was on the dole. My parents brought me up on benefits and we lived in a council house. I was never head girl, I hardly even went to school because I struggled so much. My dyslexia wasn't picked up until I was 28!

Most sets are only interested in what's relevant, I.e. What you've done since your decision to pursue a legal career.

You'll be able to tell the sets apart from doing your homework. Look at the past members, the application method - some sets want to know gcses, some sets don't. I was actually advised from one set in its interview feedback to omit completely my gcse results the following year as it let me down! I didn't take her advice, instead I now just say I got grades A-C. I don't even have my certificates, let alone recall my exact grades so whose to know.

It is possible, it's just harder (this is my fourth year in applying and I'm only just getting decent interviews - which is probably because of the hard graft I've done on my non academic achievements since I've graduated).

Please PM me rather than responding on the thread if you want advice.
I must agree with Tiny92 - the majority of people on this thread would be happy to give you advice, but not if you hijack the pupillage thread. Related topics are accepted by most on here, such as BPTC applications or Inn scholarships, but advice on an individual's chances and state of mind is going a bit far, unless it relates directly to pupillage, which it appears your posts don't. Start a new thread, and then you might get more responses. Good luck
Francis Taylor Building anyone?


Posted from TSR Mobile
From Twitter: "Maitland hires 3 Stone Buildings head of chambers as exits mount"
thelawyer.com/maitland-hires…

Apart from the use of "hires" this and the other exits mentioned in the article might explain why they aren't looking for pupils for 2017.


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Best guppy
From Twitter: "Maitland hires 3 Stone Buildings head of chambers as exits mount"


I noticed last week that a couple had gone to Serle Court. And yes, does seem likely that they are about to go the way of 11SB.
Original post by Best guppy
From Twitter: "Maitland hires 3 Stone Buildings head of chambers as exits mount"
thelawyer.com/maitland-hires…

Apart from the use of "hires" this and the other exits mentioned in the article might explain why they aren't looking for pupils for 2017.


Original post by Forum User
I noticed last week that a couple had gone to Serle Court. And yes, does seem likely that they are about to go the way of 11SB.


Agreed. Slightly odd too that 2 of the sets on SB have dissolved within a year.

Also, has anyone heard anything from Quadrant following the test set?
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by LadyLaw23
Agreed. Slightly odd too that 2 of the sets on SB have dissolved within a year.

Also, has anyone heard anything from Quadrant following the test set?


I have not heard anything from them yet, but they said they would let us know about the outcome on Monday, 22 February, I think.
Original post by Pupillagebound
I have not heard anything from them yet, but they said they would let us know about the outcome on Monday, 22 February, I think.


Fair enough, thanks. Thought it might be something like that :smile:

Also, has anyone else had a 2nd round at Wilberforce, and if so, how did you find it?
Reply 558
Original post by LadyLaw23
Fair enough, thanks. Thought it might be something like that :smile:

Also, has anyone else had a 2nd round at Wilberforce, and if so, how did you find it?


I did - I found it really enjoyable. Oddly enough the guys at Wilberforce and at Maitland have been the most lovely interviewers I've experienced, despite their high reputation. I found the legal problem relatively basic (especially contrasted with Maitland round 2) which meant that it was more about being clear with structure etc. than coming up with some ingenious legal argument - I guess we'll see, I'm not sure if I did that well. They're getting back to us tomorrow, right?
Original post by Tomfish
I did - I found it really enjoyable. Oddly enough the guys at Wilberforce and at Maitland have been the most lovely interviewers I've experienced, despite their high reputation. I found the legal problem relatively basic (especially contrasted with Maitland round 2) which meant that it was more about being clear with structure etc. than coming up with some ingenious legal argument - I guess we'll see, I'm not sure if I did that well. They're getting back to us tomorrow, right?


Same here - oddly so for a 2nd round at a top set, as you say. Congrats on Maitland and good luck :smile: I didn't get an interview there but it was one of my most enjoyable minis by far.

Edit: Wilberforce post-2nd round rejections out by email
(edited 8 years ago)

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