Thread by @SimonFRCox

I don’t know how Karen became the excellent human rights barrister she is.

I do know if I’d taken this advice, I’d never have become a barrister, let alone a human rights barrister.

https://twitter.com/younghrla/status/1061247168068177925

When I was applying for pupillage (1992) self-identified human rights lawyers were rare - but spaces for would-be ones were rarer.

There’s lots more spaces now but everyone tells me competition is fierce - it seems fiercer.

At pupillage fair, at the stand of a rare “human rights” chambers, they explained they were looking for pupils who would “fit in”. Made me queasy at the lack of awareness about bias. I applied anyway. I didn’t get in. >

I used two different CVs - both true - but one which played my political activism right down. Sent it by accident to a “straight” set. They interviewed me so they could ask “could you represent a client who isn’t a sooooocialist?” Oh, such a laugh.

50 applications. 15 interviews. 1 offer. And that *wasn’t* because I said “human rights”. My pupil master did nothing like that. But with that foot in the door, I was doing human rights cases. And 26 years later I still am.

Now most pupillage applications are on the same form. But if you’re not in the minority of human rights would-bes who get a pupillage in a human rights set or with a specialist, does shouting “human rights” help you get your foot on the ladder? I’m doubtful.

And if a pupil’s priority is paying off debts (say they don’t have an account at Bank of Parents) maybe they’d like a few years in a commercial set, rather than running up more debts doing low paid work?

And then try and build a human rights practice.

There *are* people for whom Karen’s advice works. They have amazing CVs. They get pupillage in those chambers where human rights is seen as a specialism. I know those people.

But that isn’t the only way to become a human rights barrister. And nor should it be. //ends