Friday 18 July 2008

Not Long Now

The days are flying past at the moment and it's only a month and a bit until BVC commences.

I had expected a little more information to have filtered through from the providers about what time 'it' starts and where I am to go on the first day, after all, I've had the invoice from them for weeks.


Having taken advice from those more learned than me, I've not bothered with much more LLB revision, but have an advocacy book, called 'Devil's Advocate' to read through. Iain Morley writes well, he's entertaining and knowledgeable, which is a novel combination after 6 years of mostly dry, humourless legal manuals. I especially like the pages with just a few words on them because they make you stop and ponder for a moment or two, before reading on some more. It is one of those books where you can loose yourself a little and can be quite surprised that 20 pages have been read without really being aware that you were reading at all. Now, this is different to LLB studies, I had to bribe myself to get through the workload - "5 more pages and a cuppa, 10 more pages and chocolate, write another 250 words before closing your books".

I'm not sure whether I'm looking forward to BVC or not, on the one hand it is an opportunity to learn how law works in real life, on the other hand, it is a lot of money to spend on a course, with very little guarantee of work at the end of it. I'm not going in to figures, others have and it's not healthy.


Although confidence comes with age, there is always that niggling doubt :

Will I be the class thicko? - having to sit there nodding, but thinking, what the hell are they on about.
Will I be the oldest? - sit granny near the front so she can hear you/see you.
Will my bum look big on camera? - no reason why not.
Will I be the least posh? - yes.
Will I get the giggles? - more than likely, particularly if pubs are at all involved.
Will I be excluded? - (in my day it was called expelled) - more than likely if pubs are involved.
Will the tutors like me/respect me? - not if they come to the pub.
Will the other students like me? - yes, if they come to pub.
Will the other students respect me? - not if they come to the pub.

The list goes on bloggers and I've not even got an idea about how I should dress. I know that when we are assessed, we should wear suits, but what about the rest of the time? I can't do white or pale pink, I have an affliction known as 'Latte Chest', it's not serious, but does result in unsightly beige stains on the front of 'girly' tops.

5 comments:

Minx said...

Isnt it incredible how time flies?
( I am still waiting for my results, my provider is rotten on this front!!)
Read through Morely and re read him. Carry him with you EVERYWHERE. If you have a camcorder, set it up and practice. Pick a poem, or a speech of a law lord or something and read it out into camera, so you will have an idea of how you look.Be concious of your mannerisms when you look back over the recording ( painful, I know, but you will be surprised at your unconscious mannerisms, which may irritate a judge/tutor!!) Practice, Practice Practice is and will be the name of the game when it comes to advocacy.The key thing from day one is to try not to read from a script, so case preparation will be EVERYTHING.
As to your BVC small group, they will be an endless source of amusement, mayhaps lasting friendship, and a little bit of frustration - but then, such is life is it not? Go in there with your head held high - you've just as much right to be there as everyone else, if not more so because of all your hard work , so go in there and stick it to them!!
As to dress providers vary - some insist on court clothes all the time but others are a bit more relaxed and only insist on court clothes at the time of assessment.I'll bet you can do black and grey well, so why not go for those colours? !( depressing though they are at times!)
PS: Don't forget to ENJOY it!!It's certainly an experience!

Barmaid said...

Guess the sparkly boob tube from the 80's, that still has a bit of wear in it, is out of the question then!
I haven't got a camcorder, but I'm sure a friend will loan one to me and also act as movie editor.

Minx said...

The sparkly Boob Tube might well impress Judge, but I doubt your tutors will see the attraction I'm afraid!! ( The Deely Boppers bearing the ( flashing) legend " Legal Genius" may have more of the desired effect on that front)

Swiss Tony said...

Barmaid,

I would suggest that if your boob tube is a latte coffee colour then go for it. Respect and being liked are nothing compared to being ogled.

Funny in what you said about speaking posh. I was in court this morning and I watched 3 barristers in the waiting room, and I wondered if the BVC teaches us to speak posh and proper like. But then I have heard Minxy on that podcast so realise that you are either born posh, or common as muck. If the BVC could teach poshness, Minxy must have missed the lessons! In my defence Minxy, I do love your accent. It must disguise a multitude of sins!

Swizz

Barmaid said...

Don't believe a word of it Swizz, Lawminx is the original Sloane Ranger, she just puts on the Welsh accent because she's heard that the bar are really into diversity these days.