Pupillage: A day in the life
Iona Gallagher is a first 6 pupil at 5 Pump Court undertaking a common law pupillage. Her current supervisor specialises in family law. Iona sets out below a flavour of her week at Chambers so that prospective pupils can see what type of work they can expect to be doing.
Monday
Travel to Kent to meet my supervisor for a financial remedies case. We meet early to discuss the case and my thoughts on what order I think the judge will make. Meet with the client and take a note of the conference and the hearing. Speak with my supervisor when we leave court about what happened / any questions I have. I then return to Chambers to have a go at drafting the court order before looking at the papers for the case tomorrow.
Tuesday
Today’s hearing is a remote Pre-Trial Review hearing in a private children matter. I have read all the papers and drafted a Position Statement for my supervisor to review. This is a remote hearing so I speak with my supervisor on the phone before the Zoom conference with the client and instructing solicitors. I take a note of the conference and then the hearing begins at 10am. I take a note of what is said in court, and in the client conference after the hearing. After the hearing, I go into Chambers and say hello to the Practice Managers and members who are in before starting some research for an article I am writing with a member of Chambers.
Wednesday
Attend East London Family Court early and meet with the client and her legal team before the hearing. I am assisting the Head of Chambers with a complex public law children case where all parties have a KC and a junior representing them. Attend pre-hearing discussions to take a note. I have spent some time reading for this case (as the core bundle is +3,000 pages!). After the hearing, I sit with the Head of Chambers to discuss his thoughts on the case and he recommends some key documents in the bundle I should familiarise myself with. I tidy up my note and send it to the barristers before the end of the day.
Thursday
Meet my supervisor at court for a trial. We discuss the impact of the busy court list and my thoughts on the case before the client arrives. Due to the court delay, there is lots of time for discussions with the other side’s counsel and suggestions on how to effectively case manage if the case cannot go ahead today. I discuss with my supervisor what further directions might be needed and draft the court order. Unfortunately the court does not have time to hear the case today so we have to manage the client's disappointment, agree directions with the other side and ask the court to agree the order.
Friday
Arrive in Chambers for 9am and sit in the pupils room. I have some research to do and a conference to attend in the afternoon. Some members of Chambers pop in throughout the day and ask about how things are going. One of the newest tenants is in and we go and grab a coffee and have a catch up. I go to Inner Temple library to look at a particular practice book (the library is a 4 minute walk from Chambers which is so handy and such a great resource). After lunch I head back to Chambers for the conference where I take a note of what was said. Once it has ended, I speak with my supervisor about any questions I have and start drafting the attendance note.
Each week is different but I will typically be in court at least four times a week. There is always something interesting to see and I get a lot of opportunities to draft order, position statements, and do research. This, alongside the weekly Chambers training, makes me feel prepared and excited to begin my second six!