EPISODE · Apr 2, 2026 · 1H 2M
Pupillage - How to win your own case - Know your brief!
from Diary of a Barrister - Three Laws of Success
Every barrister knows the principle: know your brief. Before you stand up in court, you know the facts inside out. You know the law. You know your client’s case. You know where the weaknesses are and you’ve prepared for them. You do not walk into that courtroom and wing it. So here’s the question: why do so many aspiring barristers walk into a pupillage interview having done exactly that? This episode applies one of the most fundamental principles of advocacy (know your brief) to the pupillage process itself. Your application — your CV, your covering statement, your performance across every stage of the Gateway process — is your case. You are the advocate. The pupillage committee is the tribunal. And they are going to test you on every line of your brief. In this episode we break down what ‘knowing your brief’ looks like at the pupillage stage: knowing your own story, knowing your experience, the chambers, knowing the law, knowing the process, knowing the panel, and knowing how to stay composed when the pressure is on. This is the episode for anyone who wants to walk into a pupillage interview feeling prepared — not just hopeful.Sign up to the mailing list for the Pupillage Programme:https://mailchi.mp/483601e8219a/diary-of-a-pupilJoin the Legal Circle on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/375293944477781/Follow us on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/diaryofa_barrister/Follow us on Tiktokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@diaryofa_barristerFollow us on Linkedinhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsea-brooke-ward500/
What this episode covers
Every barrister knows the principle: know your brief. Before you stand up in court, you know the facts inside out. You know the law. You know your client’s case. You know where the weaknesses are and you’ve prepared for them. You do not walk into that courtroom and wing it. So here’s the question: why do so many aspiring barristers walk into a pupillage interview having done exactly that? This episode applies one of the most fundamental principles of advocacy (know your brief) to the pupillage process itself. Your application — your CV, your covering statement, your performance across every stage of the Gateway process — is your case. You are the advocate. The pupillage committee is the tribunal. And they are going to test you on every line of your brief. In this episode we break down what ‘knowing your brief’ looks like at the pupillage stage: knowing your own story, knowing your experience, the chambers, knowing the law, knowing the process, knowing the panel, and knowing how to stay composed when the pressure is on. This is the episode for anyone who wants to walk into a pupillage interview feeling prepared — not just hopeful.Sign up to the mailing list for the Pupillage Programme:https://mailchi.mp/483601e8219a/diary-of-a-pupilJoin the Legal Circle on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/375293944477781/Follow us on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/diaryofa_barrister/Follow us on Tiktokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@diaryofa_barristerFollow us on Linkedinhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsea-brooke-ward500/
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Pupillage - How to win your own case - Know your brief!
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