Simon’s blog
Application Reviews
We are open! Hit us up. You can cringe now #dadlanguage
Would the Non Publicly-Funded Bar Please Step Forward?
We now have 107 Barristers ready to review your applications. The vast majority do publicly funded work. Those are the people who can least afford the unpaid time. So, if they can, anyone can. I have also been very struck by the responses from the CPS barristers and...
Help for Pupillage Applications
The portal is open! But you knew that. It closes on February 8th at 11am! But you knew that. We know it has been a difficult year. We know your exams have been a shitshow, a disaster, run by incompetents, an experience requiring you to wee in a bottle, a sub-optimal...
Massive Announcement
We will soon publish the details of how pupillage applicants can get their completed applications reviewed by a volunteer member of the Bar. We are enormously grateful to our volunteers, and welcome any others. If you're a barrister reading this, please send me an...
Rhetoric – How To Use It
Ok, so this is what I am learning is called a deep dive into rhetoric as an aid to advocacy. Once again, thanks to the inestimable Claire Bradley (@Claire_Bradley0) for the content. The caution I add is that - back in the day - law was entertainment. You watch Kramer...
Rhetoric – What’s The Point?
Rhetoric is an interesting subject and when Claire Bradley (@Claire_Bradley0) tweeted about it, I asked her if she would like to write something for us. She said yes, so here it is. This is the argument for using the classical skills and structure. A more detailed...
Billable hour cookbook
It’s here! The Billable Hour cookbook is available for pre-order on this link - http://www.billablehour.org/cookbook You will want to order thousands of copies for Christmas/Chanukah/Winter Solstice celebrations/whateva. The benefits are multifold: it shows that...
The First Coercive Control Appeal for Murder Part II
Written by Sophie Kay, pupil @ 9KBW On 28 February 2019, legal history was made when Sally Challen won her landmark appeal of her murder conviction. Sally appealed on the basis that the coercive and controlling abuse which she suffered should be considered as a part...
The First ‘Coercive Control’ Appeal for Murder Pt 1
Written by Sophie Kay, pupil @ 9KBW The high-profile case of Richard Challen’s murder by his wife Georgina Challen, known as Sally, has returned to the courts for a further appeal. Sally previously challenged her 22-year sentence, which was reduced to 18 years on...
Open Letter to the Bar Council re pupillage gateway downtime
UPDATE - The Bar Council has extended the pupillage gateway deadline to 11am on MONDAY 11 FEBRUARY. Thank you to the Chair of the Bar Council (Richard Atkins QC) for taking swift action to resolve this issue. Thank you also to the staff of the Bar Council who were...