The path to pupillage: Andréa’s story

Having secured pupillage in 2021, after five rounds of application from 2017, Andréa will be starting pupillage at One Pump Court Chambers. However, the path to pupillage wasn’t an easy ride.

At the age of 10, Andréa moved to the UK following the divorce of her parents. As the oldest of four siblings, she started high school education at one of the most underachieving schools in northwest London. “Thankfully, my mum had always encouraged me to dream big and reach for the stars so I knew that if I wanted to be a lawyer, I could do it with hard work and determination. I was able to get good GCSE grades and get into a more selective sixth form where I was provided with more guidance and encouraged to apply to Russell Group universities.”

Influences on deciding towards a barrister career

During her early education, Andréa enjoyed subjects which allowed an analysis of information and putting forward well-reasoned and evidence-based arguments, such as English Literature, History and Humanities. In addition, during various leadership positions, she discovered an affinity for public speaking and particularly wanted to use her voice to advocate on behalf of disadvantaged groups in society.

After sixth form, Andréa studied History and Politics at the University of Exeter, graduating in 2016.

Choosing a Law School

Prior to completing her degree, Andréa had already made plans to study a law conversion course in her efforts to follow a legal career. With a number of options available, it was through connections and word of mouth that helped to convince her about choosing BPP. “I had heard about BPP through solicitors and barristers – it seemed like everyone had attended BPP! I also decided to apply due to BPP’s reputation of being one of the more diverse law schools, and having a wide range of pro-bono opportunities available.”

Andréa was awarded the BPP Law School Dean’s Scholarship to study the Law Conversion Course (PGDL) at BPP Bristol from 2016-2017, followed by an unconditional offer for the BPTC, which Andréa validates as being “a no brainer.”   

With a place on the BPTC secured, things couldn’t be going any smoother. Until, during one of her advocacy mocks, a crisis of confidence reared its head. This left Andréa at odds with her own self-belief and place within the course itself. “Notably, I remember bursting into tears during one of my advocacy mocks because I felt out of my depth. The tutor sat me down and gave me some of the best advice to overcome imposter syndrome, which I carry with me to this day. He explained to me that a large part of being a barrister is about confidence, and that if I don’t believe in myself and my abilities, it’s unlikely that anyone else will.”

Even before this encouragement had helped, Andréa had already changed her accent to play to potential stereotypes and grandeur of the profession, assuming it may make her sound more like a barrister. “Another advocacy tutor also convinced me that I didn’t need to change my accent to ‘sound like a barrister’, because a barrister ‘sounds like me.’ He made me realise that what makes advocacy persuasive is the strength of my argument and my knowledge of the law, not my accent or trying to put on a voice.”

Just the beginning

After finishing the BPTC at BPP, then being called to the Bar in 2018, Andréa was awarded the Middle Temple Bristow Scholarship which allowed her to spend six months as a Stagiaire (Judicial Assistant) at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. Her development continued over the next two years working as a Caseworker in an immigration law firm and for a human rights charity – before finally securing pupillage at One Pump Court. Andréa is looking to a longer-term ambition to qualify as a human rights barrister, specialising in immigration and asylum, prison law, actions against the police and criminal defence.

“It sounds cliché but: find your purpose and keep going until you get there. Pick yourself back up after each rejection and remind yourself why you, you decided to pursue this path in the first place. Get feedback, find opportunities for growth and development, you can even take a break to recoup if you need to, and then try again. All you need is that one yes, and you never know how close you are to it, so don’t give up prematurely. Some people get pupillage on their first try, some, like me, take a little longer and get it after 4,5,6 or even 7 rounds. Resilience is key for a profession at the Bar, so either way, it will be worth it.”

If you’re looking to pursue a career as barrister, you can get started with our Law Conversion Course (PGDL) if you’re a non-law graduate, or our Barrister Training Course if you’re an existing law graduate.