I still don’t regard myself as a proper ‘lawyer’ as such. Despite 35 years in practice at the Bar, 21 of which have been in silk, I still regard this whole thing as extended work experience to see if this might be the right career for me.
I was on the verge of starting a doctorate in History at Oxford, when my brilliant and very perceptive tutor at Balliol, Oswyn Murray, told me frankly that he just didn’t think I would enjoy a lonely three (or more) years in dusty archives which the completion of a D. Phil would require, nor the years of penury which would follow if I pursued the academic career I hoped for. It was Oswyn who suggested that the Bar might be a better alternative to academia – just as intellectually stimulating, but with more financial security and more variety. I thought I would give it a try.
