I am currently a 6th form student. I am an aspiring barrister but I am all too aware of the excruciating competition that exists to get pupillage at the top chambers. What should I do in order to bolster any future application I may make? Please could you explain or give me some indication of the type of experience that I could undertake after university.

While having a break between university and the BVC is not essential, getting some good quality experience during this time can really enhance your prospects of securing pupillage, especially if your time at university was focused on getting the excellent grades you need to succeed.

There is a vast range of work you could undertake, but what you choose should be decided by the area of law that interests you at the time, what skills you need to develop and what is practical for you.

One area of experience, of obvious relevance, is within the legal sector. Experience here can range from working in a local law firm or law centre to a traineeship with the Court of Justice in Europe. If didn’t get a chance to do a few mini-pupillages while at university, make sure you do some before your BVC.

Academic opportunities may also be an option for you. This need not be in terms of study but if that interests you and you want to pursue this for some time then it can certainly help. However, there may be paid legal research opportunities in universities or with law reform bodies: the Law Commission, for example, recruits researchers annually.

You could also look at research opportunities in NGOs — this is particularly the case if you are interested in areas such as human rights. Some of these opportunities will be office based, whereas other you will have you working at the coalface. One opportunity is to get involved in defending death row cases overseas.

While the types of experience referred to so far would certainly impress many recruiters, don’t forget the need to develop basic practical skills. If you are likely to be working with commercial organisations having some commercial acumen and awareness would be an advantage.

Additionally, you need the people skills to develop a rapport with clients. Depending on the qualities you need to show or develop and the work of the chambers you’re applying to, it is not necessarily the case that working for the Law Commission would be better for you than working for a homeless charity in Brighton.

One final point to remember is that it pays to be practical — literally. You are likely to accrue debts during your degree and on top of this you may have to pay for the BVC. Some of the best opportunities to develop experience will be unpaid (or low paid) so you might have to be creative in combining opportunities to develop excellent relevant experience with work that allows you to earn more.

If you have a question about your career in the law, e-mail law@timesonline.co.uk

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