It is six and a bit years since I started LLB and it appears that in order to do well in Bar Vocational Exams, one needs to know a little bit about law - bugger, I knew that there would be a catch somewhere.
I'm always amazed how many 'must do' activities I can find in order to avoid doing any studying: washing, ironing, cleaning windows, paperwork, paying bills, texting friends, checking the oil and water on the car, annoying Barman, annoying Barman a bit more, waving at Barman mowing the lawn, making coffee for Barman mowing the lawn.......
I finally struck a deal with myself -"Barmaid, you may watch the men's Wimbledon tennis final, if, you have, at all times, an open book on your lap and occasionally gaze down at it and read a few words". So, a whistlestop journey of year one, LLB course work ensued. I've a funny feeling that much of what I revised is now obsolete, being six and a bit years old. No worries on the Public and Administrative stuff, as my notes on those subjects were timelessly condensed anyway - 'Judicial review is a thingy that you can do if someone in authority really p!**%s you off', "yep I've got that".
Onto crime now: Theft Act, Criminal Damage, Homicide, Inchoate Offences, Attempts, Assaults - pause to have a smirk at notes written on R v Wilson and R v Brown, show Barman what you are smirking at, who looks faint at the thought of having his wotsits stapled, but quite likes the idea of branding Barmaid's big fat ass, not for any kinky reason you understand, just for the sheer fun of it, if only he could find a branding iron large enough to cope with the momentous task. Pause again because the tennis is really, really good, then realise with dismay that there is a huge gap in Barmaid's notes because sexual offences were not covered, due to a change in the law and her uni being too lazy to update their study materials. But that's ok, Barmaid will just have to have a 'no sex, we're British' policy if she decides to become a criminal barrister.
This week Barmaid will tackle 'Yerp', no, not the continent itself (although she seems to recall from her school History lessons, a little chap with a moustache trying to do just that), just the E.C. law enveloping it. Seem to remember there are lots of Van's involved!
7 comments:
Hiya Maid,
Dont beat yourself up too much with reminding yourself of the basics - you'll be quite surprised how little of it is involved! ( a little contract mayhaps, an odd bit of tort, quite a lot of criminal evidence, but thats about it, really) The BVC is a STRANGE course, more skills focused than anything else, which takes a bit of getting used to. I think you would be best profited by going out and finding a nice book on advocacy, and giving that a read, particularly since it is this that forms a key component!
Thanks for that LM. Any advocacy books to recommend?
Your blog has vanished?
Hiya again Maid,
I'm having a few problems with my blog at the moment, blogger is trying to resolve them - hopefully I should be back in full rant mode before you know it!
There are a couple of "easy on the eye" books on advocacy out there; one that I am particularly fond of is called (surprise surprise) "The Devils Advocate" by Iain Morley; its a useful little pocket book that you can carry about with you and is easy to read; it also encourages you to practice - the key thing to do, since advocacy, both criminal and civil, carries the most weight on the course).
Another nice little book is simply called "Advocacy" by David Ross, QC. Its a bit more of a read than "The Devils Advocate", but I think the two go quite nicely together, and should provide you with some nice summer reading - nothing too heavy, but something to get you in the mood for the course!
I have the Devil's Advocate, and yes it is very good. Apparantly we all have to be irresistible, I've tried but Barman doesn't seemed to have noticed yet ;-)
I'll add the David Ross book to my wish list.
LM, thank goodness we don't need to do all this revision malarky. I have quite frankly had enough of that.
Having studied those subjects last year I had a sinking feeling reading Barmaids post about it.
So if I have this right, read the Devils Advocate (Got it, done it, been impressed) find a copy of Rossy boys book, and then take the rest of the summer off?
Way to go.
Swizz
ps Glad to see you again
Hiya Maid,
The point about bieng irresistible is quite a profound one I think, related to cultivating a sort of charismatic air such that the judge and jury arent left with much of a choice but to accept what you say as verbatim even if they dont particularly agree with it - David Pannick QC and Kier Starmer QC are two such advocates who are well worth observing if you get the chance - as to Barman not noticing your complete irresistability, then I suggest you swing a copy of either Blackstones Criminal Practice or Archbold ( depending on your provider) at/toward him - the weight of the law is really a great leveller, you kow......!!
LOL, Swizz, thats more or less what I was told when I started the BVC - AND I didnt have the benefit of bieng told to bone up on one's advocacy techniques ( this bieng the part of the course that counts for most of the weighting, funnily enough)The course is heavily skills based and concerns itself with written and oral communication skills, with a bit of law chucked in as a necessity , most of which you will find in the practitioners texts you will be given when you start ( NB; take a VERY LARGE bag with you to registration!!!) It doesnt harm to know a bit about contract and tort, as well as some criminal evidence but its not particularly devastating if you arent fully up to speed.
Thanks for the welcome back, its appreciated!!!
Hmm, irresistible, but to whom. I once had the misfortune to spend an evening at a dinner with one of the "pre-eminent public law QCs of his generation" *, who was most certainly irresistible to himself. Boy, did he love the sound of his own voice.
* source: the said QC.
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