During my law degree, I’ve had the opportunity to attend court trips, inn dinners, and law school networking events to delve a bit deeper into the lives of solicitor and barrister.

In this instance it’s my pleasure to introduce The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn.

Think Hogwarts for barristers but only ten times better.

We were ushered into the beautiful drawing rooms and told the history of the society where young lawyers were ushered into pupillages, their professional stage of training where they would research, write, attend dinners and shadow until they are called to the Bar.

Many distinguished individuals are Benchers in this society namely, Margaret Thathcer, Nelson Mandela and John Agyekum Kuofour.

Next we were welcomed to the society and asked to undertake an assignment where we would be given numbers and told to stand when called. I was given number one (which I considered quite lucky) and patiently waited.

First we were told to look around the room, to the left and then to the right. I could see smartly dressed law students, male and female with eyes that looked back at me. Our host estimated we were 200 in the room and asked us to remember this.

Then she called out number 7.

30 students stood up. These would be the students not successful in obtaining a place on a bar professional training course.

Number 2! Now the sound of her voice had a deafening boom to it.

5 students stood up, our host explained; some students decide that the life of a barrister at the BPTC stage is not for them.

Our host then announced,

Congratulations, the rest of you have successfully completed the BPTC! A sigh of relief could be heard from the back of the room.

Number 5! Another dozen stood.

In the ‘first six’ the initial six months of training, pupils observe their supervisors and assist with writing and research towards the preparation of the case. After this stage in the ‘second six’ young pupils are ready to take these cases on their own.

Before the second six these pupils commit to other careers in finance, journalism or politics.

Our host asked us to look around only 20 out of 200 students remained.

That’s when I realised, the stakes were pretty high, and it would take dedication, determination and willingness to succeed as a barrister at all costs.

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