Of Pupillage, Part Two

Having secured pupillage, your first year is then basically spent undertaking what seems like a never-ending interview: Other members of chambers will ask you to complete work, you will accompany some of them to court when your pupil master is away, and spend days in chambers preparing paperwork.

I never minded the latter so much: quite often I would be asked to help with things like research for someone in court, or moving cars in the car park, or collecting shopping. Going off to court was never too much of a hardship depending on who you went with: The general rule as a pupil is that you should never have to put your hand in your pocket for anything during your pupillage year. So lunch, drinks, coffee at court etc is all paid for by your pupil master. 

Some masters get round this by only going to Greggs for a steak slice, or never buying coffee themselves at court. I was fortunate that my pupil master was, and still is, remarkably generous (his wife used to make a spare packed lunch for me, too). The rule extends to whoever is looking after you for the day, so whilst some people would conveniently "forget", others were far too generous. Some you would remain silent and observe, others you could actually talk to as friends: every day was a school day.

A colleague of mine who started at the Bar in the mid 1980's when the drinking culture was still fairly strong fell foul of his master on the first day. At lunch, as was the norm for his master, they headed to the pub across from court for some liquid refreshment (he used to get through 3 pints by all accounts). A Professional Yorkshireman, the master addressed his pupil (from South of Sheffield) thus:

PY: "Do you want a drink, lad?"

Pupil: "Oh yes, I'll have a gin and tonic please."

The PY gave his pupil a look like he'd called his mother a whore, and went off to the bar to order. When he returned he had a pint of ale in one hand, and a pint of clear liquid in the other. Sliding the latter towards the pupil, he advised:

"We drink pints in Yorkshire."