Diary of a Barrister - The Lawyer Diaries

In this episode of Diary of a Barrister, I, Chelsea Brooke-Ward, Employment Barrister at Park Square Barristers, dive into the first of the Three Laws of Pupillage: Alignment. This episode is all about cutting through the noise of pupillage applications and interviews to reveal what really makes a candidate stand out. Spoiler: it’s not luck, it’s not rehearsed answers, and it’s not a perfect CV — it’s alignment. We begin with a candid discussion about what alignment truly means: the subtle bu...

We had the pleasure of speaking with Kiyala Matanga, a remarkable individual whose journey from being a refugee to becoming a future trainee solicitor is nothing short of inspirational. As the campus vice president at the University of Law and an SQE student, Kiyala embodies the spirit of resilience and determination that is essential for anyone pursuing a career in law. We kicked off by discussing Kiyala's background and the importance of environment in shaping one's future. She shared how h...

In this exciting live episode of the "Diary of a Barrister," I, Chelsea Brooke Ward, an Employment Barrister at Park Square Barristers, engage in a candid conversation about the realities of pursuing a career in law. This episode is designed to inspire and inform aspiring lawyers and law students, providing them with valuable insights into the journey of becoming a barrister. We kick off the episode with a discussion about the upcoming podcasting plans, including an anticipated collaboration ...

Chelsea Brooke Ward, an Employment Barrister at Park Square Barristers, hosts the podcast "The Diary of a Barrister." She is dedicated to inspiring both professionals and law students, aiming to help lawyers become the best versions of themselves, both professionally and personally. The podcast seeks to demystify the legal world, covering topics from courtroom advocacy to the challenges of building a career at the bar. In a recent episode, Chelsea interviews Panache, a legal assistant who com...

Chelsea Brooke Ward, an Employment Barrister at Park Square Barristers, hosts the podcast "The Diary of a Barrister." She is dedicated to inspiring both professionals and law students, aiming to help lawyers become the best versions of themselves, both professionally and personally. The podcast seeks to demystify the legal world, covering topics from courtroom advocacy to the challenges of building a career at the bar. In a recent episode, Chelsea speaks with Charlotte, a current Bar Practice...

Chelsea Brooke Ward, an Employment Barrister at Park Square Barristers, hosts the podcast "Diary of a Barrister." She is dedicated to inspiring both professionals and law students, aiming to help lawyers become the best versions of themselves, both professionally and personally. The podcast seeks to demystify the legal world, covering topics from courtroom advocacy to the challenges of building a career at the bar. In a recent episode, Chelsea and her co-host, Jodie Hill, Managing Partner at ...

In this episode of Diary of a Barrister, Lawyer Diaries your host Chelsea Brooke-Ward, delves into a topic that is often shrouded in mystery and concern for aspiring barristers: the financial realities of making a living at the bar. As an Employment Barrister at Park Square Barristers, Chelsea aims to provide insight and clarity on what it truly means to earn a living in this profession, particularly for those considering a career in civil private practice. Chelsea begins by addressing a comm...

In this episode of The Diary of a Barrister, I, Chelsea Brooke-Ward, along with my co-host Brad Graves, dive into the unique pressures and experiences faced by those in the legal profession, particularly during the application process for pupillage. We open the conversation by reflecting on our roles as informal therapists for each other, highlighting the importance of having someone in the same field to vent to about the stresses of law. As we discuss the limbo period between submitting appl...

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Welcome to ‘Diary of a Pupil,’ where Chelsea Brooke Ward, a distinguished barrister at Park Square Barristers, engages in illuminating conversations with Celine, a junior criminal barrister from the same esteemed chambers. In this podcast, Celine shares her expertise on the meticulous process of assessing mini Pupillage applications, providing invaluable tips and guidance for aspiring barristers navigating this critical phase of their legal journey. Delving into her own experiences, Celine r...

Welcome to 'Diary of a Pupil,' a podcast hosted by Chelsea Brooke Ward from Park Square Barristers. In this episode, Chelsea sits down with Aimilia Katsoulakis, a recent recipient of a coveted pupillage at Park Square Barristers. Aimilia shares her remarkable journey, delving into the highs, lows, and pivotal moments that led to this prestigious opportunity. From the trials of the application process to the elation of receiving the offer, Aimilia candidly discusses her strategies, challenges,...

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Welcome to Diary of a Pupil, the podcast where we dive deep into the world of securing pupillage, featuring candid conversations and expert insights. Join us as we explore the challenges and triumphs of the legal profession, offering valuable advice to aspiring barristers, students, and anyone intrigued by the legal field. In this episode we discuss the "Legal Work Experience: Do's and Don'ts," a special episode where we unravel the essential guidelines for making the most of your legal work ...

Welcome to Diary of a Pupil the podcast where we dive deep into the world of securing pupillage, featuring candid conversations and expert insights. Join us as we explore the challenges and triumphs of the legal profession, offering valuable advice to aspiring barristers, students, and anyone intrigued by the legal field. Hosts: 🎙 Chelsea - The legal blogger and renowned expert in employment law. She offers invaluable insights and advice for those on the path to securing a pupillage. ...

Welcome to the Diary of a Pupil the podcast where we dive deep into the world of securing pupillage, featuring candid conversations and expert insights. Join us as we explore the challenges and triumphs of the legal profession, offering valuable advice to aspiring barristers, students, and anyone intrigued by the legal field. 🎙 Chelsea - Our host, Chelsea is a renowned legal professional and an expert in pupillage selection. She offers invaluable insights and advice for those on the path to s...

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Chelsea welcomes Tonicha Allen and Anna Chambers to the podcast. Tonicha and Anna have both been successful in obtaining pupillage and are currently undergoing their first 6 months at Park Square Barristers. They discuss their individual journeys  to securing pupillage and what life is really like in first six. 

Chelsea welcomes Charlotte Jasmine a current part time BPTC student who also works full time as a fee earner. Charlotte discusses how the skills she is gaining from her legal work are transferrable to the skills she needs for the bar. Charlotte is currently studying the BPTC at the University at Law. She tells us  the transition from undergraduate to the bar was a daunting experience and informs us how you cannot get away with doing minimum work on the BPTC. Chelsea and Charlotte discuss the  prior nepotism at the bar and how the bar is trying to move away from this and both relate to the lack of guidance which was offered at secondary education. Charlotte wants to see more openness around the reality of becoming a barrister and to see the myths that a barristers comes from  rich families and red brick universities. The pair then discuss the realities of the search for pupillage and how to prepare for making applications and those dreaded interviews. Charlotte discusses the struggle of application preparation and how out of the recommended 15 applications she only completed 4 good applications. Chelsea discusses how she feels that there is some element of luck in obtaining pupillage and the pair agree that luck isn't the right word but agree that instead of luck it is where "hard work meets opportunity" (taken from a podcast recently listened too). Resilience - the search for pupillage, pupillage and real life practice is hard work. Charlotte tells us how when she is not doing work she doesn't like to think about it to keep her resilience up. However, despite her best efforts she informs us that she often gets messages from members of the bar on social media attempting to put her off pursuing the career. Taking time out from studies is important and getting the balance of doing the work and having time for yourself is difficult, both talk about the "guilt" that you get when the time creeps up on them when they are having mind blocks but the pair agree that having "self care" time is vitally important to doing well.Charlotte discusses her search for pupillage and getting mini pupillages. If you like the pod please gives us a download, share or leave a review your feedback really helps.  

Chelsea is delighted to welcome on the podcast, the Iraqi Barrister (Sara El Kaysi), a current BPTC student who is currently searching for pupillage. Sara discusses her journey from law school to bar school, and the struggles a bar student faces with the volume of work. Sara also discusses the negative remarks and adversity she has faced during her journey. Sara was laughed at when she told those around her she wanted to be a barrister and was told that because  English wasn't her first language she would never make it as a lawyer. Sara tells us that due to those voices in her head she had been convinced that she wasn't good enough to be a barrister and took two year out after law school to assess her situation. However, her ambition and drive brought her back to her dream of becoming a barrister and she made her instagram page Iraqi Barrister to connect with others throughout the process, which has helped her confidence and mental health. Sara discusses her current  dilemmas with pupillage applications and what assistance from the bar she hopes to see for people in her position. She also offers some invaluable advice on obtaining mini pupillage. 

In this episode Chelsea discusses the pupillage process with Panashe Musabayana a BPTC graduate who is currently on the hunt to get pupillage. Panache discusses her difficulties around securing mini pupillage and legal experience and what she believes would be more beneficial to budding barristers to help them obtain insight into one of the nations most prestigious careers.