The Legal Position

As mentioned above, I care deeply about promoting social mobility within the legal profession. By sharing my journey, I hope to help dispel some of the common myths about barristers: particularly the idea that we all come from middle-class backgrounds and private schools. I also hope this gives an honest and realistic picture to anyone considering a career at the Bar.

I grew up on a council estate in Greater Manchester and went to the local state school. My parents both worked extremely hard, which gave me a strong work ethic from an early age. Academic success was secondary to the need to earn a living, and it was expected that I would start working at 16. Although I was in the top set for most subjects, I left school with average GCSEs and started working in a laundry factory the week after I finished.

Spending long shifts placing wet napkins on a conveyor belt for £3.57 an hour made me realise the value of education. It became clear that I needed to find another path. I enrolled at the local Sixth Form College, where I studied Film Studies, Media Studies, Sociology, and a BTEC in Law. The A-Level Law course was full. These subjects obviously wouldn’t get me into Oxbridge, but at the time I didn’t even know what a Russell Group university was. I was the first in my family to study A-Levels.

While at sixth form, I worked part-time at Tesco, stacking shelves. I finished college with a B in Film Studies, a B in Media Studies, and a Distinction* in Law. It was then that I realised how fascinating law really is. I hope sharing these grades helps challenge the idea that barristers need perfect academic records to succeed.

Alongside school and college, I was a member of the Army Cadet Force from age 13 to 18. I achieved the highest cadet qualification, Master Cadet, and became Cadet Company Sergeant Major. The cadets had a huge impact on my life. I learned leadership and communication skills through military training and adventurous activities. I particularly enjoyed teaching younger cadets first aid and weapon handling, which meant regularly standing up and presenting to others; a skill that would become essential later on.

After finishing sixth form, I had an honest conversation with my parents. They told me they wouldn’t be able to support me financially through university. Around the same time, I had ambitions to join the Army as a Regular Soldier, so I took a year out from education. I continued working at Tesco and applied to the Army, but was rejected on medical grounds. That rejection was devastating. I felt directionless and unsure what the future would hold.

During that year, I discovered a new legal apprenticeship programme that had just launched. It was a partnership between Manchester Metropolitan University and CILEx, offering two years of paid legal work alongside part-time study. I applied, was accepted, and began my legal career in September 2013.

The apprenticeship focused on housing law, and I worked in the legal team of a large social landlord. I absolutely loved the work. I developed a lot during that time and achieved distinctions in every module. I also had the benefit of being mentored by some excellent lawyers.

In 2014, I started studying for the LLB at Manchester Metropolitan University on a part-time basis. The course ran alongside my full-time job and continued until 2019. I genuinely enjoyed studying law, and my passion for the subject led to consistently strong first-class marks.

In 2017, two major things happened. First, I successfully appealed the Army’s medical decision. I passed the Officer Selection Board and later commissioned from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as a junior officer in the Army Reserves (essentially, a part-time role in the Army). Second, I moved to Slater and Gordon Lawyers and joined their catastrophic military claims team. There, I was mentored by two brilliant lawyers who taught me how to manage complex litigation and multi-track cases.

Between 2017 and 2019, I was working full-time in legal practice, studying part-time, and serving as an officer in the Army Reserves. My time in the Army was both joyful and life-changing. The role of an officer, like the Bar, carries certain stereotypes. Officers are often assumed to come from privileged backgrounds and private schools, and to some extent, that was true. I arrived at Sandhurst with a bit of a chip on my shoulder. I had convinced myself that the middle class was the enemy, but I soon realised how wrong I had been. Some of the people I met there are now among my closest friends. More importantly, Sandhurst helped me let go of my self-imposed limits. It made me realise that I had more potential than I gave myself credit for. It was there that I started to believe I could become a barrister.

My time in the Army also gave me the skills and confidence I needed to apply for pupillage. Leading soldiers helped me develop a clear, practical communication style and a calm approach under pressure.

After completing the LLB, I was awarded a major scholarship to study for an LLM at the University of Manchester. I continued to serve in the Army while studying. Having the time to focus on legal theory and academic writing was a dream come true. I was fortunate enough to graduate with the highest overall mark on the course. That came as a surprise and remains one of my proudest achievements.

It was around this time that I met my wife, a junior criminal barrister. Watching her manage the demands of practice gave me a realistic understanding of what life at the Bar involves. It also showed me that it’s possible to manage it with discipline, planning, and a lot of resilience.

After the LLM, I completed the Bar Course, supported by a further scholarship. I was offered pupillage at the employed Bar under the supervision of an exceptional lawyer who brought out the best in me. She taught me one of the most important lessons of my career: that you don’t have to wear a mask or pretend to be someone you’re not in order to succeed at the Bar. She led with authenticity, and I now try to do the same. After pupillage, I transferred to PSQB as a tenant, where I’ve built a self-employed practice that I thoroughly enjoy.

Final Thoughts

For anyone considering a career at the Bar, I hope it’s clear that the following are not barriers to success:

• Growing up working class
• Attending a state school
• Leaving school with average GCSEs
• Studying less traditional A-Level subjects
• Studying law at a non-Russell Group university

All that said, I:

• Commissioned as an Army Officer
• Achieved a first-class LLB
• Completed an LLM at a Russell Group university with the highest mark on the course
• Secured several scholarships and academic awards
• Built over six years of full-time legal experience before applying for pupillage

In my experience, gaps or weaker areas in your CV can be balanced by strengths elsewhere. It may take longer to get there, but if you stay determined, a career at the Bar is open to anyone, no matter your background.