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General pupillage questions Flashcards

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1
Q

What initially sparked your interest in pursuing a career as a barrister?

A

Attended a talk by Phillippa Kaufmann KC in the second year of my LLB. She described some of the cases she has worked on throughout her career. She didn’t sugarcoat the profession and spoke about some of the challenges involved in a career at the Bar. However, the overarching message I took from that talk was that a career at the Bar sounded really exciting. After that, I decided to try out mooting and I really enjoyed that and did better at it than I thought I would.

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2
Q

Reflect on a barrister you admire. What specific qualities make them stand out to you?

A

Philippa Kaufmann - worked on a case she was instructed on at Leigh Day, and saw her on her feet in court on a different case. Admire her straightforward, candid advocacy style and

Simon Cox - SIAC case,

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3
Q

How do you handle uncertainty, and how will you navigate uncertainties during pupillage?

A
  • minimise uncertainty
  • try not to stress, acceptance
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4
Q

Give an example of where you have demonstrated leadership within a team project

A
  • gathering evidence for LBMA jurisdiction defence
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5
Q

If you could create a new law, what would it be?

A
  • Law controlling children’s access to phones/social media
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6
Q

Argue in favour or against implementing AI technology in legal research.

A

In favour: time savings; avoid pitfalls through understanding; safeguards against human error. Against: limits detailed understanding; technology not perfect; omits human element

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7
Q

Why do you want to become a barrister?

A
  • Exciting and varied
  • Advocacy
  • Challenging
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8
Q

When did you decide you wanted to pursue a legal career?

A
  • Choosing law for undergrad (wanted hard and practical degree)
  • Talk by PKKC
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9
Q

What are your main strengths?

A
  • Good at connecting with different kinds of people
  • Take pride in work, want to do the best for clients
  • Attention to detail
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10
Q

What are your main weaknesses?

A
  • Self doubt e.g., mooting, LD
  • Entrusting work to others
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11
Q

What do you think is the most important attribute for a barrister? What experience do you have which demonstrates that you possess this atribute?

A

Clarity in communication - communicating complex legal arguments to a judge, legal arguments to lay clients vs professional clients, instructing solicitors; LASP (communicating with clients and court)

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12
Q

What aspect of a pupillage do you think is going to be the most challenging for you?

A
  • First weeks of second six
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13
Q

What are your career aspirations?

A
  • Build a strong reputation for myself
  • Form good relationships with solicitors so that they want to instruct me repeatedly
  • Help clients to defend their interests
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14
Q

Where you do you see yourself in five years’ time?

A
  • Developing my practice and finding areas of specialisation
  • Comfortable on my feet
  • Building good relationships with solicitors, getting instructed repeatedly
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15
Q

Tell me about your LLM dissertation.

A
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16
Q

Tell me about your LLB dissertation.

A
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17
Q

Which course have you enjoyed the most throughout your LLB and LLM?

A

TGC: ICL; GC: environmental law; DS: international law; 1PC: RLPL

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18
Q

Tell me about a time when you used your initiative to take action.

A
  • Handbook during Clive internship
  • Keeping track of statements for FNC response
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19
Q

Do you handle criticism well?

A

I think so. I appreciate clear and constructive criticism, don’t need 2 stars and a wish

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20
Q

Tell me about a recent judicial decision which you disagreed with. Why did you disagree?

A

ECHR case against Belgium

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21
Q

If you could change one law, which would it be and why?

A
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22
Q

What would you do if you had a client who disagreed with your legal advice?

A

Explain the advice as fully and clearly as I could; seek to understand the reasons for their position; explain the implications of their position; if I was unable to convince them, then act on the basis of their instructions (so long as they were lawful)

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23
Q

What approach do you use for conducting legal research?

A

(1) Review the materials and identify the legal issue(s), (2) practitioner texts, (3) case law, using Westlaw search functions, keeping a note of cases (4) other materials

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24
Q

How well do you work as part of a team?

A

Well e.g., FNC challenge LD

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24
How would you handle a situation where your personal beliefs conflict with your duty to represent a client?
- Personal beliefs shouldn't come into it, Cab Rank Rule, accept instructions irrespective of your views on the client or their behaviour - Unless it undermines your independence or creates a conflict of interest
25
How would you adapt your advocacy style to connect with diverse juries, considering their background, education, and experiences?
26
Describe how you would explain a complex legal issue to a client with no legal background.
27
Can you identify any emerging legal fields or trends that could impact our practice areas, and how would you recommend adapting?
AI
28
What has been your greatest challenge?
ECHR
29
What has been your greatest achievement?
LASP
30
What has been your greatest failure?
Not being able to establish date of incident with LD client
31
Tell us about a time you’ve demonstrated resilience.
Continuing LASP work while working at LD
32
If you could invite one person, dead or alive, to dinner, who would it be?
33
If you could have one person's phone number, dead or alive, who would it be?
34
Tell a joke.
35
What is the best piece of advocacy you have observed? Why was it good?
Closing speech by defence barrister in GBH trial, structured around three or so adjectives that the prosecution was portraying the defendant as being, and setting out the evidence undermining that
36
Tell us about a time where you saw a barrister in court whose advocacy was poor. What would you have done differently?
Counsel on disclosure - issue was whether it was proportionate to require the defendant to disclose more documents, junior barrister presented the numbers in slightly misleading way, this was immediately called out by opposing counsel, junior got very muddled explaining figures, ended up agreeing with opposition counsel. Situation where clarity was paramount, shouldn't attempt to spin facts.
37
What do you think the biggest challenges of a career at the Bar are?
- Manageable workload - Steady income - Work/life balance, shutting off
38
How do you deal with failure?
Take stock, reflect on what happened and why it happened, consider what I can learn from the failure, move on
39
How do you deal with rejection?
Take stock, reflect on what happened and why it happened, think about what I can learn from the rejection, recognise huge amount of luck involved in most things, move on
40
Give an example of effective legal research you have conducted.
ECHR Art 9 case
41
Give an example of a time that you have conducted legal research using a variety of sources.
Fordham, High Court procedure guide, case law
42
Give an example of a recent case which you think was decided correctly.
Finch v Suffolk County Council
43
What is the best bit of advocacy you have ever done?
LASP; engaging with others face to face; asked questions about AA sponsor; judge wasn't convinced; submitted that an AA provides social support over and above that which a friend or family member could offer, and they have experience helping people recovering from addiction with all sorts of things; awarded 4 points
44
Give an example of a time you have worked effectively in a team.
LD FNC evidence
45
Give an example of a time you made a mistake. How did you rectify it?
Law on time limits for finalising EHCP
46
Give an example of a time that you diffused a tense or hostile situation.
Phone call with rejected LD client.
47
Have you ever had to argue for a position that you didn't agree with?
Arguing for the court to uphold and apply R v Brown in moot.
48
Give an example of an ethical issue you have faced and how you resolved it.
Trying to establish date of injury with client.
49
Do you think that diversity at the Bar is important?
50
Do you think that DEI is important? Should we follow the US's lead in cutting back on DEI?
51
What in your opinion is a significant development of the law in the last 5 years and why?
52
Give an example of a time that you persuaded someone else to agree with your point of view.
LASP case re
53
Give an example of a time that you influenced someone to change their behaviour.
54
What other careers have you considered? Why have you chosen this one over those?
55
What do you do in your spare time? What do your hobbies say about you?
56
Tell us about something non-law related that you are interested in.
57
Tell us something about you that we do not already know from your application.
58
Which of your previous experiences do you think has prepared you most for a career at the Bar?
59
Give an example of a time you have had difficulty working in a team.
60
What do you think of the concept of merit?
61
Which historical figure would you like to be featured in an exhibition in a London museum?
62
Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
63
Should drugs in sport be legalised?
64
Do you agree with the Cab Rank Rule?
65
What do you think of the Lawyers are Responsible movement of refusing to represent fossil fuel companies and prosecute environmental protestors?
66
Give an example of a time you have failed at something.
67
Give an example of a time that you have overcome adversity.
68
What makes you different from everyone else we are interviewing today?
69
Why do you want to be a barrister and not a solicitor?
70
How have you demonstrated your commitment to access to justice?
71
What will you do between now and pupillage?
72
What do you expect a typical day as a pupil to look like?
73
If you could be anything other than a barrister, what would it be?
74
How do you manage stressful situations?
75
How do you separate work from your personal life, particularly when the work is emotionally taxing?
76
Give an example that demonstrates your ability to work effectively under pressure.
77
Give an example of an achievement which best demonstrates your drive and commitment towards a career at the bar.
78
Give us an example of a time when you have had to assimilate a large amount of information quickly.
79
Give an example of a time that you have broken the rules.
80
What would you do differently from Mark Henderson?
81
Why did you do the Bar Course straight after your LLB?
82
How has the work you've done since doing the Bar Course prepared you for pupillage?
83
Do you remember what you learnt on the Bar Course?
84
What would a successful first year of tenancy look like to you?
85
What other areas are the sets you have applied for in?
86
How would your friends/colleagues describe you?
87
Example of when you've had to argue something you didn't believe in

Interview Questions (8 decks)

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