Wednesday 1 April 2009

Lastminute.com


Wishing for more time. Starting to feel under the kosh and expecting my preparation to land on my computer screen. Exactly when did I start to believe that merely looking at the screen would produce work of outstanding credentials? What better reason to become a barrister. You waltz into court, talk posh, smile and mumble to your client. Job done. Hah! Wake up now. OK...I am awake. Another reason to go to the bar? I can convince me of anything. Why not you, or a court, or a tribunal, or a judge, or a custody plod! You see what I mean. Only I can do that. I have to admit, another reason for wanting a life at the bar is this very reason, last minute fires me up, waiting ages is a chore. I was born early, if the recollection by my mother is correct. I simply could not wait to get out there, see the world and commit to my fave past time-talking, conversing. I love to talk. Advocacy is just a posh name for talking. See I can even do it with my hands. Where was I? Right, Why become a barrister- Well, apart from the lastminute.com bit, I think my personality denotes I work for myself. Perhaps working in for a local authority highlights this even more. My current job is my first local authority role, never before had I been employed by the Government. I hate answering to people, especially my boss who does nowt much else than apply lipstick, forward unread emails containing incorrect law, talk about upcoming holidays (when can i have one) and her (overgrown) daughters.....i would rather work for myself and be proud of the fee I command, rather than the salary that someone else believes I deserve. Luckily, most people in an LA are paid similarly if not the same scale. Imagine my horror when sometime last year, I found on a printer in our open plan office, an excel spreadsheet containing the salaries and pay scales of my colleagues, my bosses and their boss. Stunned I was, breach of confidence, slack administration perhaps, by 'ek my boss didn't think so, she advised me that as we are all aware of our colleagues salaries, we already know! Private practice, this would never have happened. (The cleaner was probably earning more than me at the top 10 law firm in the city of London that I worked at for a time. Her salary rose incrementally and she was there when the river Thames was a stream) Can you see why data discs are mislaid with this shoddy attitude. I digress...I want to work for myself. Then my mistakes are really mine, my money is earned. Work hard and the fee will be paid. (eventually) I wanna be self-employed. I wanna wake up knowing I am interested in the day ahead, rather than thinking about which poor-sod is going to get a criminal record because they didn't tell one government department something, but told another. At least they bothered to tell. Wondering if my client will cry when they attend a "meeting" with me. Wonder if I can pick up any tips in how to defend the claims I currently prosecute, when I become a barrister. Wonder how I will feel when I can finally say, I am a barrister! That's some of the reasons why I wanna be a barrister..and to show off of course, "cos a barrister is better than a solicitor init"!

Oh, I did my research, the cannabis grower in credit crunch times, would have been done for cultivation...things are so much easier when one does ones research.

Back to drafting we go..Sat seems like it will be upon me quicker than a my trainers before a gym session. I have Advocacy, Conference Skills and Opinion Writing and Drafting sessions to complete. In my head, I have reasoned that as a qualified practitioner, I will have to on a regular basis, work hard and fast in a little time for money, so I should be able to do so now. Bad attitude my girl, bad girl. C'est la vie. I don't think old dogs can be taught new tricks!

Until the morrow or another.