Life After Your Law Degree: Simon Haywood’s Barrister’s Guide for Junior Lawyers
11th February 2026
Simon Haywood, civil litigation pupil barrister at 3PB Barristers (3 Paper Buildings), has written for the Bournemouth & District Junior Lawyers Division on ‘Life After Your Law Degree: A Barrister's Guide’.
In the article, Simon advises aspiring barristers to not underestimate how closely both the Bar course and the pupillage application process mirror the realities of practice at the Bar.
He explains that the profession demands resilience, independence and the ability to make the most of limited resources. Simon also notes that a career at the Bar is well suited to those who can adapt quickly and remain calm when circumstances change at the last minute.
On mini pupillages, Simon highlights that they are far more competitive than many applicants expect. He advises treating applications for mini-pupillages with the same seriousness and preparation as any job application and as rigorously as applications for full pupillage.
On networking, Simon advocates a quality-over-quantity approach, meaning that simply connecting with large numbers of barristers or pupils on LinkedIn is unlikely to lead to meaningful opportunities. Instead, he encourages aspiring barristers to focus on building and maintaining genuine relationships with people they meet at events, cultivating connections that may later provide advice, insight or feedback on applications.
The article is available to read to now here.
To contact or instruct Simon, please email his Practice Director Georgia Coleyshaw on [email protected] or call 0121 289 4333.
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