Would-be barrister tries too hard

Red faces all round at the Bar's magazine Counsel. Last month, it published a full-page display advertisement from a young man seeking pupillage at the Bar, an essential step for anyone wishing to practise as an independent barrister.

The advertisement was styled to look like a Wild West poster. Under a "wanted" slogan, it said the reward for offering Maney Ullah pupillage would be "experience, dedication, loyalty, commitment, tenacity".

That may be so, but the Bar Standards Board took a very dim view of Mr Ullah's inititive.

Inviting offers of pupillage in this way is "inappropriate", it says in this month's Counsel. Any chambers who made Mr Ullah a direct offer in response to the advertisement would be in breach of the rules and the pupillage would not be registered.

It's not easy for would-be barristers to get pupillage. But trying to buy your way in with an eye-catching advertisement is clearly not the done thing.

The magazine has promised it will not be accepting any such advertisements in future. It does not say whether Mr Ullah will be getting his money back.

Posted at January 29, 2009 05:19 PM