"During my third year, I managed to gain pupillage – so my dream of becoming a barrister came true".
Year of graduation: 2022Name of programme: PhD in lawCountry: UK
My PhD had a crossover between Public international Law and Arbitration, which was matched by the combined expertise of my supervisors across the School of Law and CCLS.
My first supervisor was extremely supportive and guided me just enough for me to be able to find all the answers by myself – the ideal situation for a PhD.
It was key to find the right supervisor – and Dr Stephen Allen was the right person, definitely!
My thesis did cross multiple areas within law – including public and private international law, arbitration and legal theory. I would say this was one of my key contributions to the field, and the thing I will emphasiSe when putting in a book proposal.
Research your supervisors well and their areas of expertise, but more than that – have a conversation with them and see if you get on!
During my third year, I managed to gain pupillage – so my dream of becoming a barrister came true. Without a doubt, the confidence the PhD instilled in me allowed me to perform better at interview.
The experience of the PhD – which was a whirlwind from day 1 – allowed me to grow as a person, as well as academically and intellectually. It was a real journey which I will never forget.