Sophie Marquand

A day in the life: First Six

First Six at Five Paper is in equal measures enjoyable and demanding. It quickly becomes clear that no two days are the same, meaning the learning curve is steep but rewarding. Pupil supervisors at Five Paper make sure to teach, test and support, readying me and my co-pupil for Second Six and equipping us to deal with our own cases.

I’m in Chambers by 9am, where I meet my pupil supervisor. She has a midmorning costs and case management hearing in a court close to Chambers, so we take some time to discuss the case over a coffee before leaving for court. My pupil supervisor sent me the case papers to read yesterday, so she asks me a few questions about my understanding of the case, and I take the opportunity to clarify my understanding of some of the relevant law.

We arrive at court in plenty of time. My pupil supervisor meets her opposing counsel and introduces me. They discuss some of the finer details and work out what is already agreed between the parties while I observe and take notes. During the hearing I sit at the back and continue taking notes, including some notes-to-self on some procedural matters which I will need to look up later to fully understand.

After the hearing we head back to Chambers for lunch. On our walk back, my pupil supervisor asks me whether I have any questions arising from the hearing. I ask a few questions about the next steps in the case generally and let her know my plans to look up some of the procedural matters referred to in the hearing. She encourages this and says she is very happy to answer any further questions I have once I’ve undertaken my own research.

After I have taken my lunch break, I reconvene with my pupil supervisor. The plan for the afternoon is to draft a skeleton argument for another matter. My pupil supervisor sends me the papers and gives me a short introduction to the case and the issues. She then suggests I read into the law and have a go at drafting my own legal submissions for the skeleton argument. She directs me to a few practitioner texts but otherwise leaves me to my own devices to digest the papers and undertake legal research. We agree to check-in in a few hours.

Towards the end of the day, my pupil supervisor runs through my work with me and compares it to what she has drafted. She and I are both pleased that I have identified the correct law, and she gives me a few constructive notes on how I could improve my arguments and drafting generally. By the time we have finished it’s nearly 6pm. We are meeting early the next morning for a hearing at a court outside London. It’s for a matter which I read into a few days ago, so my pupil supervisor encourages me to pack up and head home.

Oliver Hutchings

A day in the life: Second Six

From access injunctions and possession orders to winding up petitions and 1-day trials, I have quickly learnt that no two days are the same as a second six pupil at Five Paper. The fast-paced and varied workload is a great way to build my practice as I near the end of my training and the beginning of my career.

My day often starts early. I have prepped my cases for the day ahead, but it never hurts to go through the papers a final time before leaving the house. I make my way to court which is on the other side of London today. I have a couple of possession hearings – one in relation to serious anti-social behaviour; the other in relation to rent arrears. I arrive almost an hour earlier for my first hearing (better safe than sorry!) so I have enough time to buy a coffee from a local café.

Drink in hand, I use the ‘Bar Pass’ to skip the queue for security at court. I sign in with the usher and make my way to the advocate’s room to drop off my bag. I open my laptop, check my emails and see whether there are any last-minute updates to instructions.

My client arrives nice and early. We run through final instructions and I brief them on what to expect in the hearing.

My first case is called on shortly after 10am. This is a one-sided hearing, but given the nature of the allegations the judge wanted some guidance in relation to the order we were seeking. I talk the Judge through the papers, make submissions in relation to the allegations, and I invite the court to make a possession order. The Judge agrees and the order is made. I debrief with my client outside the courtroom and discuss next steps. One down, one to go.

I am drafting my attendance note when the usher informs me the Defendant for my second case has arrived and is speaking with the Duty Solicitor. In light of what my client is seeking, this case will require some negotiation with the other side to see if we can reach an agreement. In discussions with the Duty Solicitor, we are able to take some matters off the table but we remain at odds on whether a suspended possession order (“SPO”) should be made or whether the matter should be adjourned to another day.

In court, the Duty Solicitor and I set out our clients’ positions, and the Judge asks a couple of questions. The Judge agrees that an SPO should be made in the circumstances. My client is happy with the outcome, and I finish both attendance notes before leaving court.

I pick up lunch on my way to Chambers. My hearing tomorrow has come out of the diary, so I ask my supervisor whether I can do any work for him. I am asked to research procurement law and apply it to a set of facts to assist with an advice my supervisor is working on. I have not looked at procurement law before so my supervisor gives me a couple of days to complete the task. I begin my research in Chambers but find that Inner Temple library has a key practitioner text only available in hard copy. I make my way to the library to continue my research there.

It is nearing the end of the day when I receive an email with my papers for a hearing next week. I have enough time to read my instructions, check I have the relevant documents, review the papers and note the points I will need to look at as part of my preparation. It has just gone 6pm and although I could continue my research task, my supervisor tells me to finish and take the evening off. A final check of emails and an entry in my pupillage diary before I make my way home.