The deed is done.

I have applied for my first ever pupillage!

Four in fact, through the cunning and imaginitively named Online Pupillage Application Service, or OLPAS as it is snappily abbreviated. Chambers are located in Sheffield, Manchester, Brighton and Canterbury. At least I think I have applied to these places, the confirmatory emails are believable but the general layout of the OLPAS website does rather leave something to be desired.

If the location of these chambers seems a little random, it's because they're the only provincial sets with a criminal practice who are open to offers at the Autumn OLPAS round. To be honest I still have my sights set at Chester, or possibly Exeter but one cannot afford to be cocky or picky in this game. In fact, if a bunch of tax barristers offered me pupillage I'd probably take it!

The course is settling into a rather nice rhythm, hopefully I'll settle with it soon and fraught scribbling at 2.30am will become a thing of the past {to be fair I've only actually had to stay awake that late once and it was my own fault - I'd been boozing at Lincolns Inn}.

One thing I will say for OLPAS is that at least it's free - the BVC application system costs £40 for the privilege of applying to spend over ten grand on a course which doesn't even guarantee you a pupillage let alone tenancy!