Barrister

Oliver, former pupil of Stoke High School – Ormiston Academy, is now a barrister at Fenner’s Chambers in Cambridge.

The journey to becoming a barrister can be quite daunting; after leaving Stoke High Oliver studied his A-levels at Suffolk One, and then did a 3-year undergraduate degree at Durham University studying law. From then, Oliver completed the bar course, which is a practical course learning about public speaking in courts and the procedures. Before this course he had a year away from studying and worked at the Local Authority and on a voluntary basis for Suffolk County Council for racial equality, where he advised on people being discriminated against in both goods and services. From this point, Oliver entered the application process for pupillage; this is a training year with the chambers, which is a collection of barristers working under the same name and the same building. These 12 months are split into six months shadowing other members of chambers and six months where they take on their own cases. Oliver has always enjoyed the mix of creativity and analysis that a career in law offers.

Oliver’s advice for other OAT students wanting to have a career in law:

• It is always natural to have some doubts; it shows that you are challenging yourself and pushing yourself.
• In those moments you have to show resilience and perseverance and have to work hard.
• Successes will flow from these challenges, and they’ll reassure you that you are able to pursue your chosen career and that you are a good fit.
•  One thing that can assist is exploring other options for experience such as volunteering at the Citizens Advice Bureau or at a legal advice Centre.
• Working in other linked industries such as working in a legal department for a local authority is also useful.
• Mock trials debating and public speaking at schools and universities is also good as are projects like the amicus death row project or amnesty or liberty.