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An old boyfriend once told me that, while my general knowledge did not impress him (he was on University Challenge, so it did seem unfair that he should judge me), he was envious of my knowledge of pop culture. It pains me to admit that he may have had a point. Whereas he enjoyed highbrow ‘entertainment’, I was happy to watch sitcoms all day. When it comes to my cultural influences, the temptation is to spend my word count listing the best things that have ever been written. Instead, I will try to restrict this article to the things that inspired me to become a barrister-come-author.
My degree was in English Language and Literature and only after university did I decide to convert to law. My first love was reading. I am a child of the Harry Potter generation, and those novels first ignited my passion for reading. Favourite novels from my teenage years include The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas; an extremely weird but wonderful novel about a PhD student who finds a rare book in a second-hand bookshop which takes her on a journey through the troposphere. Another book about books, The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, is a gothic masterpiece and the first psychological thriller I ever read. He combines the bildungsroman storytelling of Dickens with the cinematic thrills of Hitchcock. More recently, I have loved The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, which was a tremendous influence on my writing. A high concept thriller that takes the best tropes of an Agatha Christie murder mystery and combines them with a science fiction plot akin to Philip K Dick’s best work. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn is another of my favourite novels from recent years. I have become a Second World War history fanatic and one of my favourite things to think or read about is life at Bletchley Park (see also: Robert Harris’s Enigma). Bletchley Park is like a glitch in the matrix: a place and time where women were not equal but certainly more respected, neurodivergent people were the rock stars, and hitherto forbidden relationships between people of the same sex an open secret. Although the magic of Bletchley Park vanished after the war, I find pleasure in exploring that realm through fiction. Lastly, a book that inspired me to be a barrister: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Dickens does not portray life at the Bar as glamorous, nor did it meet with Pip’s great expectations, but there was something about the studious drudgery in the Temple that appealed to me.
Turning next to television, I am more a fan of the smaller screen than I am of cinema. Growing up, I loved watching detective shows with my parents: A Touch of Frost, New Tricks, Jonathan Creek, Silent Witness, and Inspector Morse were favourites. As an adult, I have been drawn to high concept ideas with enchanting ensemble casts. All of my favourite TV programmes are cancelled after two series. This does not bode well for my career as a novelist. These cult phenomena include Utopia (2013), Sense8, and Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. More successful shows include Black Mirror and Mare of Easttown, the latter being a return to my crime procedural roots. I’m also a big fan of sitcoms, The Office (UK) and The Thick of It having shaped my sense of humour.
While I can’t confess to being a film buff, one film that had an enormous impact on me was The Big Short. Mark Baum’s prophetic line at the end of the movie ‘I have a feeling in a few years […] when the economy tanks, they will be blaming immigrants and poor people’ has stayed with me. Other films I adore include Christopher Nolan’s Inception and Memento. He is a wonderful storyteller, combining high concepts with fast-moving plots. On the comedic side, you can’t go wrong with The Full Monty and Cool Runnings. Finally, the movie that had more influence on my wish to become a barrister than any other is – to my shame – Legally Blonde. The final cross-examination is electric. To my mind, as exciting as Tom Cruise’s questioning of Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men. There is something very comforting about the message of Legally Blonde. While I can’t confess to being a rich Cali Girl, the central meaning of the film is broader; there’s no such thing as the perfect lawyer. What makes the profession a privilege to be a part of are the range of unique characters who bring their own style to bear.
One of Laura’s favourite things to think or read about is life at Bletchley Park.
An old boyfriend once told me that, while my general knowledge did not impress him (he was on University Challenge, so it did seem unfair that he should judge me), he was envious of my knowledge of pop culture. It pains me to admit that he may have had a point. Whereas he enjoyed highbrow ‘entertainment’, I was happy to watch sitcoms all day. When it comes to my cultural influences, the temptation is to spend my word count listing the best things that have ever been written. Instead, I will try to restrict this article to the things that inspired me to become a barrister-come-author.
My degree was in English Language and Literature and only after university did I decide to convert to law. My first love was reading. I am a child of the Harry Potter generation, and those novels first ignited my passion for reading. Favourite novels from my teenage years include The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas; an extremely weird but wonderful novel about a PhD student who finds a rare book in a second-hand bookshop which takes her on a journey through the troposphere. Another book about books, The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, is a gothic masterpiece and the first psychological thriller I ever read. He combines the bildungsroman storytelling of Dickens with the cinematic thrills of Hitchcock. More recently, I have loved The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, which was a tremendous influence on my writing. A high concept thriller that takes the best tropes of an Agatha Christie murder mystery and combines them with a science fiction plot akin to Philip K Dick’s best work. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn is another of my favourite novels from recent years. I have become a Second World War history fanatic and one of my favourite things to think or read about is life at Bletchley Park (see also: Robert Harris’s Enigma). Bletchley Park is like a glitch in the matrix: a place and time where women were not equal but certainly more respected, neurodivergent people were the rock stars, and hitherto forbidden relationships between people of the same sex an open secret. Although the magic of Bletchley Park vanished after the war, I find pleasure in exploring that realm through fiction. Lastly, a book that inspired me to be a barrister: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Dickens does not portray life at the Bar as glamorous, nor did it meet with Pip’s great expectations, but there was something about the studious drudgery in the Temple that appealed to me.
Turning next to television, I am more a fan of the smaller screen than I am of cinema. Growing up, I loved watching detective shows with my parents: A Touch of Frost, New Tricks, Jonathan Creek, Silent Witness, and Inspector Morse were favourites. As an adult, I have been drawn to high concept ideas with enchanting ensemble casts. All of my favourite TV programmes are cancelled after two series. This does not bode well for my career as a novelist. These cult phenomena include Utopia (2013), Sense8, and Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency. More successful shows include Black Mirror and Mare of Easttown, the latter being a return to my crime procedural roots. I’m also a big fan of sitcoms, The Office (UK) and The Thick of It having shaped my sense of humour.
While I can’t confess to being a film buff, one film that had an enormous impact on me was The Big Short. Mark Baum’s prophetic line at the end of the movie ‘I have a feeling in a few years […] when the economy tanks, they will be blaming immigrants and poor people’ has stayed with me. Other films I adore include Christopher Nolan’s Inception and Memento. He is a wonderful storyteller, combining high concepts with fast-moving plots. On the comedic side, you can’t go wrong with The Full Monty and Cool Runnings. Finally, the movie that had more influence on my wish to become a barrister than any other is – to my shame – Legally Blonde. The final cross-examination is electric. To my mind, as exciting as Tom Cruise’s questioning of Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men. There is something very comforting about the message of Legally Blonde. While I can’t confess to being a rich Cali Girl, the central meaning of the film is broader; there’s no such thing as the perfect lawyer. What makes the profession a privilege to be a part of are the range of unique characters who bring their own style to bear.
One of Laura’s favourite things to think or read about is life at Bletchley Park.
Update from the Chair of the Bar
By Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group
Modernising communication and collaboration at a leading Chancery set. A Zexi case study
How to build profile without compromising professional duties. By Naumaan Farooq, Co-Founder of Inked PR
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the role of cut-off levels, and the wider range of factors that must be considered when interpreting results for family court proceedings
Endometriosis Awareness North, a charity raising awareness of endometriosis and supporting those affected across the North of England, has received a £500 boost from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
A decade of reviews and research has disrupted accepted thinking in the search for causality. Suicides following abuse have overtaken domestic homicides. Is the law keeping up? Professor Susan Edwards KC (Hon) examines recent cases and the obstacles to successful prosecution
The case against judge-only justice – and why efficiency is not enough. By Professor Leslie Thomas KC
Heritage as an anchor and a compass, finding our common humanity and embracing the power of the outsider – Melina Antoniadis’s lessons learnt
Seeing the full picture – Baljit Ubhey OBE outlines the CPS action plan to tackle violence against women and girls, offering insights directly relevant to courtroom practice
Lauren Fullerton examines the how, what and why of setting up a second chambers base
