Help Wanted
We asked some of our members who have helped us from this year to share their experiences of volunteering with us.
By Inner Temple
The education and training provided by The Inner Temple would not be possible without the support and commitment of members, who give up their time to support a wide range of activities including Outreach, Scholarships, Qualifying Sessions and training for pupils and barristers.
Why is it important to volunteer with the Inn?
Charles Bagot
Volunteers with: Qualifying Sessions, Student Societies, Advocacy Training, Ethics Training, Outreach events, PASS
The secret is that you get out of Inn volunteering as much as you put in. However busy I am, taking a couple of hours out for an outreach event, a mock trial or similar is refreshing and rewarding. You are reminded how fortunate you are to be practising at the Bar and how many people aspire to do so. The insightful questions you are asked by attendees give a valuable opportunity to take stock on your journey to the Bar and your career so far. Why did I choose this/that path; what makes a successful practitioner in such-and-such field; how did I/do I cope with the inevitable setbacks and bumps in the road? Considering and answering varied questions gives a valuable opportunity for some introspection and planning which don’t arise much in the maelstrom of a busy practice. There is vital work to be done to attract and retain a more diverse range of practitioners which genuinely reflect the clients accessing the legal system; so do get involved!
Alastair Hodge
Volunteers with: Qualifying Sessions, Student Schemes, Student Societies, Advocacy Training, Continuing Professional Development
It is essential. As with any other profession, the Bar must deliver, and be seen to be delivering, the best service to its clients and only the continual refreshing of skills and knowledge can achieve this.
Stephen Akinsanya
Volunteers with: Qualifying Sessions, Scholarships
It is absolutely vital to support the Inn as a volunteer. It is a great way of encouraging the next generation of barristers who perhaps are not so confident, or are looking to gain experience from senior practitioners. Working with students and newly qualified barristers keeps one’s advocacy fresh and also connected with the Inn and peers. I enjoy the opportunity to share my own journey as a source of inspiration to those coming behind me.
Geoffrey Payne
Volunteers with: Qualifying Sessions, Student Schemes, Advocacy Training
Volunteering at the Inn is a very great privilege. It is an opportunity to help develop and shape those who will, in turn, come to develop and shape the future of the Bar. It is a real joy to watch students improve, even over the course of a weekend, and to encourage those coming into the profession to be the best they can be. From a selfish point of view, as a relatively newly appointed Circuit Judge, it offers me the chance to stay in touch with practitioners. As a recipient of a scholarship from the Inn and a beneficiary of past advocacy training, it also offers me a chance to contribute something to the future.
Tell us about your favourite moment volunteering with the Inn
Sharin Diegan
Volunteers with: Advocacy Training, Outreach Events, Ethics Training
On my first advocacy training weekend for pupils I received positive feedback from Master Martin Griffiths following a session I had taken the lead on – it put into focus the personal benefits of volunteering and how much we stand to gain from giving up our time.
Darren Dunn
Volunteers with: Qualifying Sessions, Student Societies, Advocacy Training, Outreach Events
Outreach to sixth formers – seeing a group of teenagers, initially hesitant to engage in discussion on an ethical conundrum, gain confidence so that by the end of the session they were actually surprised at what they now understood and what/how they have advocated a position.
Reagan Persaud
Volunteers with: Qualifying Sessions, Student Schemes, Outreach Events, Continuing Professional Development
It is about seeing the students grow in confidence and realise that they are good enough to be barristers, irrespective of their backgrounds. It is about making the Bar more accessible. This process makes the volunteering worthwhile.
Daniel Sheridan
Volunteers with: Advocacy Training, Continuing Professional Development
Advocacy is a skill and an art that changes and evolves in line with an individual’s level of experience. It was an opportunity to share with a student barrister the knowledge that the nerves and anxieties we control and manage, with skill and experience, have always been present. Indeed, the mutual realisation, in discussion, that those feelings can fuel our performance and make us better advocates was a great learning moment for me and created a huge sense of ‘connect’ to the learning process.
Rebecca Dix
Volunteers with: Qualifying Sessions
It is extremely rewarding when a pupil from over 20 years ago remembers the encouragement given to pursue their career, they appreciated the time taken to give them the confidence to carry on and secure pupillage – now a successful barrister in a top set.
