Getting experience seeing barristers in action is essential to developing your knowledge of the profession and the areas of law you hope to practise. The most common way to get this experience is through completing a mini-pupillage.
However, mini pupillages are a) competitive; and b) do not run all year long. Whilst you wait for a response to your mini pupillage applications, what else can you do to get experience watching real life barristers in action?
Well you could attend court yourself and I thoroughly recommend you do so, especially if you want a criminal practise. However, it is 2019 and technology has (in some ways) revolutionised the concept of ‘open courts’.
Watch your favourite Judge on YouTube
The UK Judiciary now has its own YouTube channel where they live stream cases out of the Court of Appeal (Civil Division). The UK Supreme Court also has their own channel and you can watch the bench hand down judgments for proceedings heard in the highest court of the land.
Learn as you listen and watch
I spent the other day listening to a case as I went about my daily tasks and it was great to see barristers work and take pointers to improve my own advocacy performances on the BPTC.
So there you have it, you can attend court from the comfort of your own bed. Subscribe to the UK Judiciary and the UK Supreme Court on YouTube so you don’t miss out!
Make sure you have a notebook and pen on hand to take notes on anything that inspires you as you watch. Enjoy!
Ps, Don’t forget to watch the BATB GDL and BPTC VLOG with LawCareers.Net on Youtube! Link here: (http://bit.ly/BATBYT) and follow BATB on Twitter! (@batthebar)
