Advocacy: Pupil Ambassadors

What we found most rewarding about being a Pupil Ambassador

Giving our peers a voice is a crucial part of being an Ambassador. Even though the Inn is based in London, Ambassadors come from circuits all over the country, representing the cohort as a whole and maintaining the important connection between the Inn and the circuits. We enjoyed collecting feedback from other pupils in the hope of making a change both for current and future pupils.
This role also gave us valuable insight into the work of the Inn, including behind-the-scenes discussions and planning that underpins its effective operation. It made us feel like valuable members, and we were grateful to give back after being supported by the Inn when seeking pupillage ourselves.

The impact we felt the role had

The role gives Ambassadors the chance to effect actual change: for example, ensuring that family pupils are specifically catered for in the Inn’s pupil advocacy training programme. We were able to engage with new initiatives at the planning stage and develop current structures, including testing the Digital Learning Hub, delivering feedback on its functionality and suggesting improvements.
Our suggestion to create a network to connect pupils across different circuits has also been adopted, and we hope that it assists current and future pupils to connect more easily over their pupillage and beyond.

The opportunity for one of the Ambassadors to sit on the Inn’s Education and Training Committee is invaluable. As a pupil representative on the Committee, you have a direct line of influence into shaping the Inn’s Education and Training policies, programmes and initiatives. It was announced during our year as Ambassadors that negotiation training would become part of the pupil advocacy training syllabus. By having a voice on the Education and Training Committee, we were able to make clear that this new addition to the advocacy training pupils received, whilst valuable, would need to be balanced with the many burdens pupils already shoulder (with most already undertaking in-chambers advocacy training, assessments, Inn or circuit training and preparing for the pupil ethics exam). Without a clear representative for the pupil cohort within the Inn, this crucial feedback may have gone unheard. This is just one example of how the role played a crucial part in shaping Education and Training policies in the year that we sat as Ambassadors, but similar challenges will arise every year, highlighting the real need for Ambassadors.

Why the role of Pupil Ambassador is important and why the scheme should continue

Without Pupil Ambassadors, the Inn has limited opportunities to hear from pupils directly.

Pupils are the future of the Bar, and it is of great importance that their opinions and views play a part in developing this future. With no criticism intended of practising members, the further one gets from the time of undertaking pupillage, the harder it is to remember the struggles that pupils face and the unique stresses that come with this time. It is therefore of great importance that pupils directly have a voice, via the Ambassadors, to remind decision-makers of what matters to pupils and how best to take into account their interests and experiences.

It is also not to be understated that Ambassadors represent a safe space. Where a pupil may feel uncomfortable bringing feedback, making comments or relaying experiences to staff at the Inn or a bencher, Pupil Ambassadors provide an anonymous route to having their voices heard.

A few reasons why pupils should consider getting involved and reaching out to current Ambassadors

Being an Ambassador is a great way to get involved with the Inn at a very early stage in your career, connecting you with pupils and focusing on making positive change for your peers. It is a rewarding role that is only going to continue growing in importance and influence. It is also, as we have said above, a great way to feel that you are paying a small something back for the support that the Inn provides prior to pupillage (and beyond!). We would wholeheartedly endorse the role as a valuable and worthwhile experience.

Practically, the role does not overburden you during your pupillage. Ambassadors are called on to meet with members of the Inn several times during the year, occasionally called on to deliver practical feedback (eg our stress-testing of the Digital Learning Hub) and are expected to engage with fellow pupils wherever possible to gather feedback. If you are selected to act as the Ambassador representative to the Education and Training Committee, you attend the Committee meetings once per quarter (and you can attend remotely if you are not based in or around London) and read the agenda and papers prior to the meeting. It is entirely feasible to succeed in your pupillage whilst participating, and demonstrating your dedication to your future at the Bar by getting involved with the Inn can be attractive to chambers when it comes time to make your case for tenancy.

Ambassadors are well suited to representing their peers, as they share similar levels of experience and have a direct understanding of the challenges faced and opportunities presented to pupils.

Being an Ambassador is a great way to get involved with the Inn at a very early stage in your career, connecting you with pupils and focusing on making positive change for your peers.

Conclusion

If it wasn’t clear enough already from our answers above, we thoroughly enjoyed our time as Ambassadors. Pupillage is an intense, often stressful (sometimes enjoyable!) and unique time in your career as a barrister. It looks different for everyone – chambers provide different levels of support and training – and the Inn gives a pillar of support and consistency throughout. We assist in ensuring that support and consistency is the best it can be for pupils, present and future, and that views are truly heard. The role of Pupil Ambassador can act as an important bedrock for your continued involvement in the Inn (something we would all entirely endorse) and ensure you make a positive impression at the very start of your career. Being a barrister is a vocation, and you make of it what you wish: if you want to play a part in shaping the future of your profession, we highly recommend getting involved as a Pupil Ambassador.

Your current Pupil Ambassadors are Alessandro di Adamo, Amelia Leventhorpe, Sophia Pascoe, Hartej Saund-Matharu, Andreas Wildner and Bartek Wytrzyszczewski.