If you would like to get involved with StandOut, you can sign up to volunteer at Volunteer — StandOut. You can also get in touch by sending any inquiries to: info@standout.org.uk

If you are interested in getting involved with Vocalise, you can register your interest at https://www.graysinn.org.uk/education/students/career-development/vocalise/

You can also get in touch by sending any inquiries to: info@vocalise.org.uk

Join me in Part 2 as I speak to Molly, Thomas, Ewan and Tanya, and learn more about their experiences as Bar students. You will find out about how you can get involved with Gray’s Inn: from participating in moots to joining the AGIS Run Club. 

We also want to hear from you! Please get in touch through the AGIS social media or via email at agis@graysinn.org.uk.

Join me in Part 1 as I speak to Jennifer, Funmi, David and Kamilla, and learn more about their experiences as Bar students. You will find out about how you can get involved with Gray’s Inn: from writing for the AGIS Law Journal to an exciting partnership with Tutor the Nation. 

We also want to hear from you! Please get in touch through the AGIS social media or via email at agis@graysinn.org.uk.

In this episode, I speak with barrister Nicola Sully who has a common law practice, about her journey to the Bar as a career-changer.  We discuss transferable skills, how to challenge assumptions, to articulate your motivation for changing careers and to demonstrate your professional compatibility with your target chambers.  Listen in for tips on how to overcome limiting beliefs, recognise the opportunities that your previous career offers and tackle pupillage applications to achieve success at the Bar as a career changer.

In this episode, Nora speaks to Hazel Bannerman, editor of the Student Law Journal, to discuss how you can begin your legal writing career.

Find out more on how you can contribute: Call for Papers - Student Law Journal - graysinn.org.uk

Hear from Christian, a residential scholar, on how he prepared for his Gray's Inn Bar Course Scholarship interview and secured one of the coveted Residential Scholarships.

Gray’s Inn awards at least £1.4 million in scholarships each year. In 2024, the Inn intends to award at least 85 Bar Course Scholarships to support students undertaking the Bar Course. Gray's Inn also offers residential scholarships that enable students to live at the Inn while they study the Bar Course.

Applicants shortlisted for a Bar Course scholarship interview will be interviewed this March. The next application period for Bar Course Scholarships will open in September 2024. Find out more about Gray's Inn scholarships.

Gray's Inn students Matty, CK, Ioanna and podcast host Nora Nanayakkara discuss how they prepared for scholarship interviews, approached the legal topic interview exercise and answered the dreaded question, "Why do you want to be a barrister?"

Don't miss future episodes, which feature more advice and insights from Gray's Inn scholars, students and members to help you on your journey to the Bar. 

Charlotte is a current Bar Course student who has successfully changed careers after years of working in the Finance industry. As a future pupil barrister Charlotte discusses her experiences in returning to education to undertake the GDL, the process of obtaining pupillage, and both why and how she changed careers to become a barrister. 

In this conversation, Niamh is joined with Nicholas Zeolla, to discuss his pursuit of a career at the Bar from a History degree. Nicholas is a current Bar Course student and is due to commence Pupillage in 2023. As the current AGIS President Nicholas also shares insights on how the Inns of Court are there to support students becoming barristers through scholarships and other opportunities.  

Zoe is a Gray’s Inn Scholar and aspiring barrister wishing to pursue the law of Human Rights and Civil Liberties.  

This discussion provides a student’s perspective of inclusivity and having a disability at the bar. Zoe talks about her involvement in the particular initiative of ‘Bringing [Dis]Ability to the Bar’.

In this episode Ciara discusses all this and more with Marion Smith QC and Annie Mackley.

Resources on climate litigation  UNEP Global Climate Litigation Report 2020: Global Climate Litigation Report: 2020 Status Review | UNEP - UN Environment Programme Sabin Centre for Climate Change Litigation: https://climate.law.columbia.edu/  Judgment of the District Court of the Hague in Milieudefensie e.a v Royal Dutch Shell: https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/inziendocument?id=ECLI:NL:RBDHA:2021:5339  ICC Commission Report: Resolving Climate Change Related Disputes through Arbitration and ADR: Resolving Climate Change Related Disputes through Arbitration and ADR (iccwbo.org) 

Resources on sustainability at the Bar  Greener Arbitrations: https://www.greenerarbitrations.com/ Net Zero Lawyers’ Alliance: https://netzerolawyers.com/ The Mediator’s Green Pledge: https://imimediation.org/2020/10/21/the-mediators-green-pledge/ The Chancery Lane Project: The Chancery Lane Project Bar Sustainability Network: Bar Sustainability Network (barcouncil.org.uk) 

This episode is a first for the Raising the Bar Podcast as Alana Hughes, our guest host for the segment “Meet the Barrister”, chats to His Honour Judge Aubrey QC.

Judge Aubrey was the first in his extended family to attend university after attending a state grammar school. He obtained pupillage and tenancy in Liverpool and after 20 years at the Junior Bar he decided to take Silk.

He has been a Northern circuit judge since 2005. Alana speaks to Judge Aubrey about his path to the Bar, the decision to change career from being a barrister to a Judge and his experiences as a Judge and so much more.

(This episode was recorded remotely in April 2020)

In this episode our new AGIS host Ciara Church, chats to Ayanna Nelson about her experiences and tips and suggestions on the application process. Tune in to find out more.

In this episode Nia chats to Alex Friede, an accountant who advises self-employed professionals and small businesses on their tax, accountancy, and financial management affairs. He is a specialist in the affairs of barristers, and his portfolio currently includes over two hundred practitioners.

Tune in as he shares some tips on how to best tackle the money side of your new practice.

In this episode Nia chats to Alana Hughes about the transition from student to pupil barrister. Alana shares her experiences, the expectations versus reality and how the pandemic impacted her pupillage and what support the Inn offers to pupil barristers.

In this episode our host Nia Marshall and Bar Course student Roseanna Cawthray-Stern, the ULaw (London) representative on the AGIS committee, talk about their experiences, share their tips and tell you how they managed, especially during lockdown.

The topic is qualifying sessions as Jo, Julie and Tony explain why students undertake qualifying sessions, how they impact being called to the Bar, how they are quality assured and more.

Nia chats to Frederico about his path the Bar, his passion for arbitration and what the VisMoot is all about.

Guest host, Alana Hughes chats to Barrister Gerald Wilson about his experiences and just how far have we come since then.

Despite this both Mareen and Feleena were awarded scholarships from Gray's Inn and are successfully pursuing a career at the Bar. Their message is loud and clear - ANYONE can pursue a career at the Bar.

Tune in to hear more about their journey to the Bar and how they have overcome any hurdles along the way.

Mary Prior QC speaks to Meredoc McGinn, Georgina Barney and Charlotte Bull about their decision to join the Bar, how to navigated the difficult route to pupillage and then on to tenancy whilst juggling parenting responsibilities.  

Elena speaks to the Hon. Mr Justice Fordham about his path to the Bar, what spurred him on to pursue the Bar and his experience as a student himself and the help he received from members of the Inn. Mr Justice Fordham also shares his thoughts on the Inn and the and the circle of membership.

Tune in to hear this and more, as well as a few tips for students studying for the Bar during these strange times. 

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

In this episode we chat to Angharad Marshall about how she dealt with the blow of not getting pupillage two years in a row, and what she did until she obtained pupillage.

Angharad shares valuable insights and tips and explains why, despite the heavy disappointment she felt initially, she was better prepared third time around. 

Our guests discuss strategies to use going forward, share some pointers on how to make the best of a bad situation and tips on how to improve your resilience and manage your stress during this grueling process.

Mark specialises in Intellectual Property Law and has worked with some impressive clients and is renowned for his legal knowledge in this area.

His career did not, however, start in law. Mark studied  Pharmacology at University and began his career as a Lab Technician at a NHS Hospital in London.

Tune in to hear his interesting journey, and how IP barristers have the upper hand on paperless practice!

Tune in and find out what Quinn had to say. 

A few weeks ago Elena chatted to Barrister Saara Idelbi who has successfully been following a paperless practice for a while now. 

Tune in to find out how Saara started, how she got used to electronic bundles, which apps to consider when editing your paper bundles and more.

With the GDL scholarship application window having opened yesterday, this is well worth listening to!

For more information on our scholarships visit: https://www.graysinn.org.uk/scholarships

In this episode Elena chats to Amy Oliver about the particular challenges facing Barristers and how you can look after your mental health to enable you to be the best you can be as a Barrister. 

More information and advice available here https://www.wellbeingatthebar.org.uk/

Are they different from other interviews? Is there a difference between 1st round and 2nd round interviews and the questions asked? How can spreadsheets help? When should you start preparing? Joel shares his experiences, thoughts and tips.

Guest interviewer, Alana Hughes interviews Barrister Kevin Gordon on his interesting journey to get to the Bar.

In this episode our host Elena, chats to Gemma Walsh about her experiences and how she refined her application process with the help of an excel spreadsheet. Tune in to find out how she did it.

This episode is guest-hosted by Gwyn Evans and Verity Bell, both committee members of the LGBT+ Society. Tune in to find out more about the Society and why it is so important to celebrate diversity.

Music Credit: Music: Motivate Me by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

https://www.graysinn.org.uk/joining/vocalise

https://www.graysinn.org.uk/joining/outreach/griffin-law

Music: Motivate Me by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Music: Motivate Me by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com