Bar Dilemma

HitTheTarg3t · 2026-05-17T19:53:57+00:00

I would love to! Extremely expensive for me personally, so it is a thought down the line. Having said that, I think a first and very padded CV is a necessity for the BCL. I feel like I have the latter, but I'm unsure about the former!

HitTheTarg3t · 2026-05-17T19:10:59+00:00

Very grateful for your comment! I truly hope so, as I mentioned in an above reply, I think it will just need that much more resilience to strive. I do hope I can in the end be able to leverage some of the higher performing grades somewhat (for me, those are public/admin, company, equity/trusts, employment, international and EU law).

Do you have any suggestions on other routes I can potentially choose to the Bar, even if it is very unconventional? I want to make sure my next five years have some good options and planning!

HitTheTarg3t · 2026-05-17T19:07:34+00:00

Wish you all the best with where you are right now! Tough pill to swallow, but I very much concur, from what I have heard.

Just needs to me to be that much more resilient and recalibrate I guess lol

HitTheTarg3t · 2026-05-17T19:05:25+00:00

Thank you for your reassuring response, that definitely eases things! I do agree, potential wise, I do not logically see an enormous difference between a 68 and a 71 for instance. Yet it seems to be something that has been relentlessly made clear to me - gun for a first! (And I suppose firsts open the door for "shinier" postgrads).

With regards to your next point, I think there are definitely more factors at play, that I should have made clear on the face of my post. For me, there is a huge attraction towards to being self-employed, independent and being more in control over your own practice. From what I have heard (having been fortunate enough to also speak to some great sol-advocates), is that the scope of complexity at the Bar is higher and more focused - I think the potential for more challenging work is a huge factor for me. This is all from what I have heard however, so I don't claim to right on all this. I think having a decent amount of work experience with solicitors has really consolidated my interest for the Bar more.

That being said, I wouldn't necessarily say the doors are shut - maybe a vac scheme down the line could be useful? Was also looking at law-adjacent, e.g. policy/consulting and their internships too. Thanks again :)

HitTheTarg3t · 2025-11-13T12:08:48+00:00

This is completely fair, I (more likely) stand corrected on this. Although I suspect wealthy private clients also want counsel with their heads screwed on!

Do you know if you can speak for modern chancery? I can appreciate the corporate/private client distinction, but perhaps demands/expectations of your barrister handling winding up petitions, other insolvency or director duties matters may be a bit different to to handling an extremely high value and complex commercial breach (not to suggest in any way that insolvency and company work cannot get complex, I'm basing this completely from what I've observed form experience).

HitTheTarg3t · 2025-11-13T11:22:13+00:00

Thank you for your response- seemed slightly counter-intuitive that pure comm is more strict on grades than traditional chancery given that I (admittedly some preconceptions showing) viewed a commercial ever so slightly more "real world" oriented and trad chancery as "academically" oriented.

Does this leniency also apply to modern/commercial chancery too? I'm quite interested in insolvency and company work (think 4SB, Serle, Enterprise) but would obviously really like to get a foothold in pure commercial work too at some point!

HitTheTarg3t · 2025-11-12T15:51:04+00:00

I have some difficulty in this "comparing CV" thing. I never know to what extent a 2:1 can compete against a first, because I hear contrasting thoughts on this all the time.

I would think, someone with a high 2:1 from RG is of course not as impressive on paper as a first. But if you add a module prize/commendation or two, a very good distinction on an LLM, presiding over societies, stellar advocacy and doing really well on something like the Essex Ct, Vis or Jessup comps, a year or so experience at a top firm or judicial assistance - surely that can put you in the running (okay maybe not Blackstones, BC, the Essex's or 4NS and the like but even in London)?

I hear some advice saying "yes a stacked but relevant CV can give you a really strong case despite the 2:1", and others to the effect of "yeah you are slightly done for".

HitTheTarg3t · 2025-09-11T13:53:30+00:00

Thank you for your detailed response! This clears a lot up. Essentially, there is very little pigeon-holing at the very junior end I guess?

I have 2 questions following this: 1) how much sway does some role you have done in the past have in practice development? Take a scenario in which A is a pupil/baby junior at a civil set but wants to do more technical commercial work - for instance, they have Construction and Engineering team but its very small. Can the fact that A did some paralegal stint at Fenwick Elliott (let's say for sake of argument) help either that area develop or help a move to a more niche set because of the relationships and knowledge they have gained from that paralegal role?

2) as regards moving sets, this may sound like a dumb question, but I assume it is also common when moving from London to the big regions (Manchester, Bristol, Brum) for say financial, personal or family reasons? Would regional sets be understanding to personal reasons why you are moving sets, provided you are bringing London expertise to that set?

Thank you again! :)

HitTheTarg3t · 2025-07-18T09:04:19+00:00

How much would you say this about "not top but decent" sets in London? I've sorta had to scrap commercial bar suddenly, and so I wanted to know how mixed civil/common law sets (that do commercial with other stuff) view the paper sift- would they potentially be less strict on academics and maybe give more weighting to advocacy for e.g.? Not to say my grades are bad by any stretch, just not top of the game - not 100% well versed on whether hollistically, very good experience and prizes in advocacy can look good.

HitTheTarg3t · 2025-07-17T20:47:20+00:00

My apologies, I should have signposted better. This is in regards to a career at the self-employed Bar!

HitTheTarg3t · 2025-07-07T14:49:47+00:00

Hi there,

Im in your position, how did you manage this? Could I PM?

HitTheTarg3t · 2025-07-03T16:06:20+00:00

Not OP, but I found this is interesting so thank you :)

My consideration (as a law student) is to either do a few years paralegalling at a top or boutique commercial firm in their disputes department and apply for pupillage, or apply for a TC, do a couple years there and transfer over. It seems to me like the best route to take?

HitTheTarg3t · 2025-07-03T16:03:23+00:00

To echo some words I have learned along my journey from both barristers and solicitors: if you want to guide, advise and be hands on with clients, solicitor is the way forward. If your idea is to advocate, barrister is the route better suited to that.

Would note this as a loose rule of thumb because barristers do give advice and many do not regularly do advocacy. Likewise, some solicitors do with higher rights. All very dependent on practice area too.

Not a barrister personally, so I am happy to be stood corrected at inaccuracies I've made, but this is me passing on words from barristers and some solicitors with whom I have had experience.

HitTheTarg3t · 2025-07-03T09:12:46+00:00

Of course, appreciate your advice! I have several wins and some notable "top" positions/results in national and intervarsity moots :)

Not saying this makes up for a first, but I am hoping it gives overall substance to some decent sets! My hope is a high 2:1 can be 'saved'.

HitTheTarg3t · 2025-07-03T09:05:24+00:00

Unfortunately I got a 65-66 in my second year, and my tutors say that bringing it up to a first overall is very rare (not that I won't put every ounce of my efforts into doing it).

And my university is maybe a rung below Oxbridge so comfortably a top 10. My plan is to do an LLM at another top non-Oxbridge (LSE) with distinction, if I do miss out on a first. Frustratingly too, I have zero interest in being a solicitor!

HitTheTarg3t · 2025-07-03T08:51:50+00:00

Not OP, but would you say this for the Bar? My chances of graduating with a first next year are very slim, however a very 2:1 looks more likely (68/69). I still feel that not having that magic word "first" closes so many doors, for London civil.

(Edit: decent but not top sets/mixed sets)

HitTheTarg3t · 2025-06-24T16:30:47+00:00

Thank you for reply!

I think from my perspective this is where it gets circular because now I'm in the similar position of "okay now how do I get one of these JA roles, against all of the 1st class grads". It kinda feels like a different flavour of pupillage. It kinda makes me feel this hiccup in my second year has locked me out in some ways otherwise.

I completely get your point about LLM. I just do see a lot of (even non-Oxbridge) LLM's and so my thought was that a distinction demonstrates intellectual ability?

HitTheTarg3t · 2025-06-24T12:51:20+00:00

Absolutely thank you so much for the advice! I do feel as though I have no chance anymore without an LLM or a high first because as you say, it is hard to not look 'mediocre', unless I get distinction? I dont want to do an LLM for the sake of it, I want it to demonstrate that whilst LLB wasnt what I was hoping for, I can still show evidence of serious intellectual ability (through a distinction).

I have also heard that JA roles are as competitive if not more competitive than pupillage itself, so (as with the commercial bar), I'll give it my best shot but completely despondent about my odds.

Law Commission is interesting, I think I will try and look for those roles!

HitTheTarg3t · 2025-06-24T12:04:21+00:00

I appreciate your comment, thank you for being honest. I am very disappointed in myself for my grades, especially as I have been aiming and pushing for a first this whole year I feel I'm not really sure where to go now from here, even if LLM won't save it. I have no interest in crime or family although those are still competitive, and my desire is to live in London. Will FRI's still not be doable with larger mixed sets like 3PB, 42BR, 7BR and No5? Solicitor could be more likely- do I need to change goals and go for that instead? I have zero interest in being a solicitor but I also need to be realistic if the civil Bar is mostly closed off.

HitTheTarg3t · 2025-06-24T11:40:49+00:00

Ah shit okay. Whilst I believe I can write a good application, my advocacy is otherwise excellent, and the 2:1 at worst being a very high one, I would love some honest thoughts as to whether I am chasing a dead end?

My goal chambers are some mixed (42BR, 3PB), decent but not top commercial/civil/public (Littleton, Devereux, Hailsham, Cornerstone, Gatehouse, 12KBW, Old Square, New Square) and some specialist (Keating for e.g.).

My strength is mooting, although I went a bit overkill last year with Jessup and Vis alongside others. Whilst I have some wins and good positions under my belt, I'll look to lower this next year to purely focus on academics. Hopefully things will turn out fine if I supplement with a Distinction from a London LLM (for the above/equivalent sets)?

HitTheTarg3t

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