Raising the Bar

Meet the Barrister: Sarah Gerrard

Have you ever considered being a Barrister and working in the Army? Do you know what it is like to be an employed rather than self employed Barrister? How does being a self employed Barrister differ?

Tune in as Alana find out this and more in her chat with Captain Sarah Gerrard about her path to the Bar and life as a Barrister in the armed forces.

Neurodiversity at the Bar

In this episode our new AGIS Publicity Officer and podcast host, Nia Marshall, speaks to Oliver May and Jack Boswell about their new initiative – Neurodiversity in Law.

It seems that around 15% of society have some form of hidden attribute under the umbrella of neurodivergence. Nia finds out more about what it means, how to manage it and how the new group can assist.

For more information have a look at their website www.neurodiversityinlaw

 

Undertaking Pupillage and Tenancy during Covid-19

2020 has not turned out to be the glowing start to a new decade that we had hoped, and for those starting pupillage or becoming a junior tenant it has been a very different experience from the one their colleagues and mentors have experienced. So just exactly what has it been like? Alana chats to Joe Tarbert and Fazeela Ishmael about their experiences of 2nd sixth and starting tenancy during Covid-19.

Meet a Naval Barrister: John-Paul Fitzgibbon

Do you love the law and the sea, or more specifically, the Navy, and wondered how you could combine the two? What does a Military Law Barrister do and how does one become one?

In this episode Alana speaks to John-Paul Fitzgibbon who spent 13 years in the navy as a Warfare Officer, navigated ships in the Carribean and more about his career in the Navy and how he came to The Bar while in the Navy.

Tune in to hear about a very different path to The Bar.

Everything you need to know about Scholarships at Gray's Inn

Scholarships – always a burning question for students looking to join the Bar. In this episode Elena speaks to David Forsdick QC, Chair of the Gray’s Inn Scholarships Committee and Tony Charles, Director of Education at Gray’s Inn.

How important is academic background?  What does a good scholarship application look like? What are the chances of being awarded a Gray’s Inn Scholarship? How important is the application form? Have you heard about the Gray’s Inn Residential Scholarships? Who sits on the interview panel?

Tune in for the answers to these and other questions about the Gray’s Inn Scholarships. More information can be found on the website https://www.graysinn.org.uk/scholarships

Meet the Barrister: Mary Prior QC

In this episode Alana chats to Mary Prior QC, an advocate for social mobility and diversity at the Bar, about her practice in homicide and serious sexual offences and her journey to the Bar.

Find out why Mary believes law is a marathon not a sprint and  what you can do to help yourself in this exciting journey.

A long journey to pupillage

Pupillage – a nerve wrecking journey that can sometimes take years. In this episode Alana chats to Markus Findlay  and Oliver Haswell.

Markus was recently been offered pupillage after 5 five years, and explains how having a Gray’s Inn mentor – Oliver Haswell – has been instrumental in his success. Oliver speaks of the benefits of both being a mentor and having a mentee. Inspiring listening if you are looking for pupillage in these challenging times.

Meet the Barrister: Prudence Beaumont

In this episode Alana Hughes chats to Family Law Barrister Prudence Beaumont in Manchester. Despite a keen interest in the law Prudence did a Masters in Education before pursuing a career at the Bar. Find out why Prudence chose this route and what transferable skills she gained from her experiences.

How Gray's Inn has changed and modernised

Laurence Cooper’s ideas on how he imagined Gray’s Inn to be like were largely as a result of a certificate which included the words “To the degree of an utter barrister” on the wall of his late fathers study. 

In this episode Elena chats to Laurence, a future pupil, about what Gray’s Inn is actually like (from his perspective of course!), how the Inn has changed and modernised over time, and how it has been using technology to continue to serve it's members in the current circumstances.

Meet the Barrister: Zehrah Hasan

In this installment of our "Meet the Barrister" series,  Alana Hughes speaks to Zehrah Hasan on her path to the Bar.

Zehrah was awarded various scholarships from Grays Inn and has previously worked at a number of non-profit organisations, including Liberty and Southall Black Sisters. She has given oral evidence in Parliament as an expert witness and briefed the Joint Committee on Human Rights among other things. She is a pupil at Garden Court Chambers and currently sits on the Executive Committee of the Human Rights’ Lawyers Association.

Tune in to hear about her interesting journey so far.