NS Bar Law Conference 11.9.2026
Met this jolly bunch of pupils over lunch and ended up answering their curiosities on legal practice/ lawyers.
Points shared:
- Pupillage is not about learning the law, it’s learning the legal practice.
2. Prioritise learning the procedures at pupillage – RHC and CPC.
3. Educate on the LPA 1976 and rules there especially practice and etiquette rules.
4. Masters are busy, be a busybody and bother them with questions, that’s a sign of interest to learn.
5. No specialising now or in the early years of practice. Learn and be exposed to as much variety of work possible. It’s the learning and exposure.
6. Get to know seniors. Be the first to initiate. A nod, smile or ‘good morning’ usually enough to break the ice. Seniors might look garang, maybe snobbish also, but actually softies once you know them.
7. Seniors were young once. Everything we point/blame you now, chances are we would have done the same in our early years too. So we are not perfect either.
8. Best way to research is to start with a good text book first, then move on to case laws. Don’t start with online search and staring at hundreds of cases on that one keyword search.
9. Learn good drafting in early years. Drafting letters, pleadings and submissions. Short sentences. Short paras. Short cause papers – although easier said than done! 😂
10. Enjoy practice. You are in it for the long run. Practice is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Enjoy the race in order to last!
