I GOT A SCHOLARSHIP :)

Scholarship Interview

My wonderful parents bought me a shiny new laptop for my birthday :), meaning the lost laptop cable saga has drawn to an end, which is just as well because it was a "Time" laptop and it is pretty difficult to get your hands on a cable for one of those these days...

Anyway, last week I had my interview with Middle Temple for a Scholarship. It was nowhere near as terrifying an experience as I was expecting, particularly based on the horror stories a friend of mine had told me about her interview last year.

I went into a room with three panel members: A Chancery Judge, a Chancery Barrister (Eek!) and a Criminal Silk. I was horrified when the chair told me that the two of them were Chancery lawyers, and considered walking out there and then, but thankfully, the Criminal Silk took over the interview and asked me about Family and Criminal Law.

I was asked why I was interested in Family Law, where I thought the line should be drawn with regards to getting into the emotions of Family cases and whether or not I thought the Privacy of Care cases should be lifted. I answered with a resounding NO and then had to argue my position. I think I handled that bit quite well, but it is impossible to tell really, I at least hung on to my convictions and was able to justify my opinion, so hopefully that was what they were looking for.

I was then asked about my thoughts on the Heathrow robbery trial and whether or not I thought Juries should be replaced by judges in all criminal trials, I talked about complex fraud, dumbfounded juries and then about the division of the tribunal of fact and law, inadmissible evidence and the importance of being tried by ones peers and concluded that I wasn't totally decided on the issue.

Then, a question that really threw me: Imagine you are producing a short film for Middle Temple to be targeted at university students to encourage them to come to the Bar, what important messages would you put across?

To be honest, I am slightly concerned that I may have gone on a bit too much about accessibility, and about preconceptions within society that the Bar is not accessible to everyone, despite the efforts made by the Bar to dispel this. However the panel did at least seem interested in what I was saying, I just hope I wasn't on my soapbox too much.... :s The truth is, I was trying to figure out what they wanted to hear and not thinking enough about what I wanted to say, and as soon as I worried about what they wanted me to say, my mind started to cloud over and I may have gone on a bit of a ramble. I did pull myself out though, in good time I hope, so I don't think it went all that badly.

The other 2 panel members decided that they didn't need to ask me anything else, the chancery barrister said that she thought we'd covered a lot of interesting ground and there was no need to ask anything else. Is that a good sign? Who knows. But it did throw me because I had been expecting questions from each of them and so directed all of my answers at the member that had asked the questions and not really at the other 2. Hopefully that wont count against me too much though.

With that the interview was over and I spent the rest of the day in shock, trying to process the fact that it had finished. Now I just have to wait for the results. Fingers Crossed!

January Blues

January has been a tough month. BVC wise, all seems to be ok, Legal Research has consumed me and I shall spend the next five days in a frenzied panic trying to catch up with the rest of the studying I need to do for next weekend, but in comparison to everything else, it's absolutely fine.

January has been tough because I'm so far away from where I need to be. My current job is only temporary and is due to end at the end of the financial year, and despite newsreaders announcing that the recession is "over" I'm adopting a "I'll believe it when I see it" attitude, especially towards the jobs market. Today is the 4th anniversary of my relationship with Lovely Boy, but here I am stuck in Brummie land with a ton of work to do and he's down in London sad and lonely (also with a ton of work). Its pretty miserable really. Especially as he seems to be suffering a great deal at the moment with low self esteem and needs to not be on his own. Emotionally I'm so worried about him that I don't seem to be able to concentrate fully on my studies or job or anything else. I feel so guilty because if only I had managed to find a job in London I would be with him and able to help him to feel better. Instead I rely on the telephone to try and perk him up, which works for all of 1o minutes and then he feels down again. I have decided that cloning myself is the only way forward and will try and figure out how to do so as soon as my Legal Research is complete.

In other news, I dined at Middle Temple for the first time this month, and was very impressed with the food. The thing I didn't like though, was that the Benchers were completely separate from the students. I think it was because it was a private guest night and I'm hoping that there is a bit more mixing generally, but if not I'm not sure I see the point. I thought the whole point of qualifying sessions was to get to know other people, network and become a part of the community. I'm hoping the next one I go to is a bit more inclusive.

I also mooted again and am now through to the Quarter Final of the competition I'm in. Not bad for a first attempt. Of course it does mean I have another moot that I have to fit in preparation for around full time work and part time study. I'm not sure that the other part time students in the moot weren't relieved to have been knocked out! The fourth mooter in our round was a full timer and she was streets ahead of us. She used some brilliant expressions (which I fully intend to steal for the next round) and I was slightly in awe.

I Will Survive

I am not beaten. I am forcing myself to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, the money worries and the feeling of rejection and general "Why ME?" sentiments that are so casually floating around my mind. Instead I am acting the part of a strong willed power dressing women who is literally drenched in employability, and as a method actor, using this persona when completing job applications and during those painful days when for some reason or another I have to go into the office.

The newest dilemma however is weighing up my options. There are plenty of jobs that I could do that I have seen advertised. But not so many that will help me get pupillage. Will the fact that we are in a RECESSION be borne in mind when the next OLPAS season rolls around? Possibly not. But if I hang on too long looking for the right kind of job, well, I may be homeless, penniless and wondering the streets of London like some poor orphan in Oliver!, except without the dancing and singing and general merriment that the film promised me as a child. Also, I have actually seen a few that fit into both categories i.e. Yes I can do them and Yes they are Pupillage Friendly. However, No I couldn't pay the rent if that is all they pay. Aaaargh.

On another note, I am now an official student member of Middle Temple Inn. That's one successful application at least.