It isn’t uncommon to find aspiring barristers, before Bar school, relying on TV shows for snapshots of life at the Bar. Leading the way are the likes of John Mortimer’s Rumpole, This Life’s Anna Forbes, Kavanagh QC and Martha Costello QC in Silk. Common attributes include what might be described as ‘the presumption of resilience’.

But I know, from nearly two decades at the Criminal Bar myself, and from six years coaching lawyers, that barristers often have to work at, and perfect, resilience. For many, the swan-like image of surface poise with feet paddling madly below the water’s surface really isn’t too far off the mark.

Yet feedback from Bar students suggests there is something of a learning/developmental gap: ‘I can’t say that any time was spent during the [Bar course] teaching me about how to build emotional resilience.’ Even when pupillage applications have been safely navigated, resilience is an essential skill to craft, fine-tune and master, for any barrister looking to successfully progress their career.

From mini-pupillage, entering an unfamiliar professional arena, to Bar school, ‘playing Portia’ (as Helena Kennedy KC describes it in her book, Eve was Framed), you may be familiar with the feeling that either you don’t belong or are out of your depth.

I recall similar feelings during my Bar school year, when the barrister I shadowed on mini-pupillage suggested I apply to another set, as opposed to his chambers, and while making small talk with the legal great and good over countless Inns of Court dinners, often finding little in common and, occasionally, feeling entirely exhausted from the level of effort expended to engage. During one pupillage interview, I even had my university grades on each law subject paper forensically unpicked, then derided.

Little did I realise at the time that I was building stamina for life at the Bar – resilience skills to first draw upon during pupillage, effectively that year-long interview, where pupils often feel exposed, continually assessed by members of chambers and highly visible in the first few months of being on their feet in court. And which I carried forward through tenancy, when resilience and a positive mindset are arguably even more essential to survive – for example, in criminal law, to cope with the subject matters of cases; in family, to deal with emotional overwhelm; in commercial, and more generally, to navigate extensive working hours.

And so, I kept going, in the face of those setbacks, until such time as I achieved pupillage.

That was over a quarter of a century ago, well before competition for pupillage was as intense as it is today. According to Bar Council statistics, 2,782 applications were submitted for 486 places offered on the Pupillage Gateway in the 2021/22 recruitment round; and of those applying for the first time, only 11% succeeded.

Nine strategies for building resilience

So, let’s identify some useful strategies for building resilience at the Bar, to better navigate the undoubtedly stormy seas of pupillage applications through associated rejections, and to provide the best opportunity for success ahead. These nine tools will stand you in good stead now and, if applied and practised regularly, will accompany you well beyond the early days of entry to the Bar.

  1. You are not alone. When the relentlessness, brutality even, of the pupillage application process is in danger of enveloping you, take reassurance from the fact that others have endured similar and still prevailed.
  2. Developing the point, you have already overcome similar obstacles too. Reflect on your past challenges/struggles, whether professionally or personally. Think of the times that you have previously coped well under pressure and draw on the skills and strengths you used successfully then. Take heart from the evidence that you have the same capacity for doing so again. In those moments of overwhelm, ask yourself ‘Is this fact or feeling?’ to dial down the volume on the thoughts that somehow you can’t cope or are any less deserving or intelligent.
  3. Visualise a resilient you. Helpful to do so to understand the goal or end point, and what it is that you are striving for, in order to put in place an effective action plan to achieve it. Imagine you as that high-flying, resilient future King’s Counsel. As the saying goes, ‘It’s hard to score without a goal.’
  4. Become aware of, and take strides to silence, negative internal chatter by reframing your self-talk, a powerful tool in maintaining resilience, confidence and positivity. Likewise, adopt a more ‘glass half full’ approach and see the world through the lens of opportunity as opposed to scarcity. Positive affirmations can help to instil and embed this. These are positive present-tense phrases repeated to yourself daily to motivate you and keep you on track. My clients find ‘You’ve got this’ and ‘If it is to be, it’s up to me’ particularly helpful.
  5. Likewise, reframe the narrative and reap the benefits of a growth mindset. If you haven’t already, check out Steve Bartlett on YouTube talking about imposter syndrome. Instead of that being a feeling or situation to avoid, he treats it as a natural response to life’s challenges and seeks out opportunities to develop and grow. Just as things don’t always go your way, likewise, feedback isn’t always glowing. Reframe perceived rejection. Instead of shying away from identifying development gaps, or viewing as failures things that go wrong, embrace them all as opportunities to learn.
  6. Manage your swan-state. Give the appearance of external resilience, control and confidence. Developing your ‘swan-state’ or ‘game-face’ may take some conscious effort but, with practice, it soon becomes second nature. The more you exude resilience, the more others will reflect it back to you. Seeing others having faith in your resilience, will re-enforce the message to you, making you even more resilient. Watch Amy Cuddy’s insightful TED talk, How your body language shapes who you are on the point.
  7. Consider the company you keep. Do you align yourself with the worriers or warriors? The pessimists or optimists? ‘You are the average of the five people with whom you spend most time.’ The company you keep influences your own behaviours and experiences. Align yourself with positive mentors to guide and reassure you, whether in person or via social media. Don’t be afraid to ask for their help. The resilience of those in your inner circle will doubtless lift you, while encouraging and inspiring you to become more resilient too.
  8. You look the part. You’re in good company. And yet things still feel too much – workload; the subject matter of traumatic cases; the sense of not knowing the ropes quite yet. Perspective is a wonderful thing. For when those feelings risk overwhelming you, pause. Maintain healthy boundaries to allow you to take a break to service hobbies, leisure pursuits and exercise. Practise daily gratitudes by starting the day pinpointing three things for which you are most grateful. Focus on all the things you are good at, as opposed to dwelling on the things that you are not. And see things from a different viewpoint – for example, imagine you are your client, or someone less experienced, to remind you why it is you do what you do and important for you to continue.
  9. Control the controllable. Understand what outcomes you can and cannot influence, even in the face of rejection. While it’s important to be remain realistic, in light of the chances of success, deciding not to allow yourself to be defeated by knock-backs can be practised and learnt. Everyone can choose how to react. It’s said to be one of the greatest freedoms in life. A helpful phrase to remind you of this is to ask: ‘How do I want this moment to be?’ Mindset plays an important role here, given that in every scenario everyone has the ability to reframe it and decide the degree to which it will influence outcomes, whether positively or negatively. For example, in the face of ‘defeat’, will you be defined by it or use it to motivate and inspire your next challenge? For you, I sincerely hope the latter.

Take time to consider what your next goal is. Practise more resilience to support you. Knuckle down to future hurdles with greater enthusiasm for the learnings they will bring. Success lies beyond.