Q&A with KLS graduate Daniel Nichols
What have you been doing since you left Kent?
Completed the Bar Training course, BPTC as then known, in February 2021 along with a Masters, and have since been working as a Document Reviewer with the Serious Fraud Office on different cases.
Tell us about the pupillage offer you have recently received?
I’ve received a pupillage offer from Fenners Chambers, they are a common law set so practice everything from crime, family and civil, and the pupillage reflects that with time spent on each area in the first six. My pupillage is due to start in September 2024.
Can you explain how your time at KLS contributed to your recent successes?
Taking part in the mooting experience KLS offered was invaluable. Getting to prepare legal arguments and the research are skills that will carry you through the Bar Practice Course (BPC). The Law of Evidence module was incredibly helpful, especially when learning about criminal procedure and evidence which helped put me steps ahead in the course. I also met good people at KLS some of whom are also in pupillage now and having people to talk to and get advice from helped any prep I had to do. Same goes for the tutors I had at KLS who are still available for advice and helped me prepare for my advocacy exercise at interview.
Do you have any advice for anyone considering studying law / already studying at KLS / applying for the Bar course or pupillage?
Be prepared for rejections, I’m lucky that I didn’t have to go through many interviews, but I did get a lot of rejections from the written stage. There’s no one size fits all advice as every chambers is different, persevere and try to gain as much experience as possible!
Whether through volunteer work or employment, gain some experience as it helps to have something to talk about in your applications and at interview. Also use resources available to you, attend advocacy days with the Inns of Court, ask for advice from tutors, friends going through pupillage or any barristers you know. Even if they can’t give you exact advice, talking it through can help control your nerves.