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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.
Chair of the Bar reports back
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
A £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs has been made to the leading UK charity tackling international parental child abduction and the movement of children across international borders
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, outlines the drug and alcohol testing options available for family law professionals, and how a new, free guide can help identify the most appropriate testing method for each specific case
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the latest ONS data on drug misuse and its implications for toxicology testing in family law cases
A career shaped by advocacy beyond her practice, and the realities of living with an invisible disability – Dr Natasha Shotunde, Black Barristers’ Network Co-Founder and its Chair for seven years, reflects on a decade at the Bar
The odds of success are as unforgiving as ever, but ambition clearly isn’t in short supply. David Wurtzel’s annual deep‑dive into the competition cohort shows who’s entering, who’s thriving and the trends that will define the next wave
Where to start and where to find help? Monisha Shah, Chair of the King’s Counsel Selection Panel, provides an overview of the silk selection process, debunking some myths along the way
Do chatbot providers owe a duty of care for negligent misstatements? Jasper Wong suggests that the principles applicable to humans should apply equally to machines
There is no typical day in the life as a Supreme Court judicial assistant, says Josephine Gillingwater, and that’s what makes the role so enjoyably diverse
