One year ago, my brother and I were brainstorming…
I can’t believe BLESSING AT THE BAR is one year old already!
This blog started as an idea from my little brother who was 11 at the time. He thought that it would be cool to show people what my process of becoming a barrister is like. I agreed and also thought it would be good to give people following the same path help and advice.
Getting online
I’ve always wanted to use social media for something helpful and positive, it never had any appeal to me for any other reason. I thought about how complicated the process of becoming a barrister is and how since I decided I was going to become a barrister when I was about seven (yes really…), it became increasingly apparent to me that very few people understood the process, what barristers do and how they could begin the journey to become a barrister too. I’m glad I now have a space online where I can share my story, help other people and do something good.
Thank you for the love, support and opportunities
I’ve received so much love from people over the past year about my blog and I’ve also received some amazing opportunities. I want to thank LawCareers.Net for offering me the opportunity to produce a vlog with them and the BLESSING AT THE BAR GDL series was so successful this past year that I’ll be continuing with a BPTC vlog series. They also gave me the opportunity to share my thoughts on their LCN Says series on their website after reading my blog and my post ‘As BAME aspiring barristers, the odds of success are against us…but why?’ was published this month. To top it all off, they invited me to take over their social media for the first #LCNThursdayTakeover as well!
The blog has also allowed me to network with barristers, solicitors and other legal professionals working for legal organisations. I’m grateful for every opportunity that has come and will come as a result of running this blog.
Whatever I set my mind to, I can do
I also feel proud of myself because I’ve proved that if I set my mind to it I can do it and that’s been the theme of this past year. This year has definitely tested me more than anything else that’s ever come before me. Part of the motivation for having the blog was that I wanted to give myself no choice but to succeed. I wanted myself to be an example of someone who despite previously having full-on exam anxiety, being the first in my family to pursue higher education in the UK and is from ethnic background which is underrepresented at the Bar I could, can (and will) make it through the GDL, BPTC, Pupillage interviews and have a career at the Bar.
Shout out to my GDL friends
Everything that I have shared in this past year has come from my own personal experiences and knowledge. I’ve never shared anything I didn’t feel was relevant and necessary. I write posts that I wish I could have read when I needed them and that will always be how I use this space. I’d like to shout out my course mates on the GDL for supporting me, contributing to the blog and being an amazing source of friendship, inspiration and banter whilst we were in the trenches this year.
Stay tuned for the Law Blog
This year also saw me have my first-ever journal article published and so the blog now has a new ‘Law Blog’ where I’ll be sharing my thoughts on new and interesting developments in the law that fall within my areas of interest. I’m hoping to draw from the same vein as my ‘Wokeness and Wellness’ series on YouTube and produce fresh, different and interesting takes on the law with a view to encouraging people to stay engaged, have critical conversations and stay woke.
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Here’s to another successful year!
Thank you for reading, sharing and supporting me for this past year. Here’s to another year of BLESSING AT THE BAR as I embark on the next stage of my journey, the BPTC!
Love,
Ps, I set myself a goal to have 10,000 hits on the blog in 2018. Guess who has had over 10,000 hits on their blog?!
