What can you do with a law degree? An interview with barrister, Chelsea Brooke-Ward

I've always had an interest in law

I grew up in Castleford and went to school in a council estate in an area that wasn’t very well maintained – there was a lot of crime, including in my family. I remember thinking “there must be more to life than living like this.”

So, I enrolled at Leeds Beckett to study law part-time in 2009. I remember going to witness a trial, and I knew then that I wanted to be a barrister. But I didn’t pass anything in my first year, so I dropped out. My heart wasn’t in it, and I quickly realised I couldn’t just dip in and out of a law degree, so I became a professional dancer instead and fell pregnant with my daughter.

After Skyla was born, I knew I had to try again and reach for my dreams. I wanted a career that wasn’t going to have a ceiling and being a barrister would still allow me to practise my love of performing, just in a different way. But instead of dancing, this time I wanted to perform for justice.

Getting pupilage is difficult

After university, I started the one-year Bar Professional Training Course, working towards securing pupillage which is where you spend six months shadowing a senior barrister around court and helping with paperwork, then in the second six months you get your own cases.

The number of applicants is only growing for pupillage. Once you pass the Bar, you normally only get five years to get a pupillage, or you have to re-sit.

I didn’t fit the stereotypical mould of what a barrister should be, but I think that worked in my favour

I was a single mum, from a rough area, who’d been a dancer, stilt walker and fire breather. I knew I had to work so much harder. I’d sit in Crown Court watching barristers, so they knew who I was and remembered me. It’s a tight-knit community and they like familiarity, so I was really hands-on and showed initiative and motivation by offering to help them. They kept inviting me back, and one senior barrister became my mentor - he gave me a lot of guidance, introduced me to key people, and gave me a reference for scholarship. I now mentor law students from Leeds Beckett, it’s nice to be able to give back.

Before I was a barrister, I owned a successful business

Being a business owner and employer, I developed a keen interest in employment law, which fuelled my ambition to join the Bar. I quickly developed experience in employment litigation through pro-bono and consultancy work with employment firms in Leeds, before starting my pupillage at Park Square Barristers.

I now run a busy employment practice

I manage both advisory and litigation work in the Tribunals and County Courts, representing claimants and respondents across all levels of work, from preliminary hearings, judicial mediations to multi-week trials. I have experience across the range of employment matters, acting in claims involving unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing, equal pay, worker status, redundancy, minimum wage and breach of contract.

My paper and advisory practice ranges from pleadings, opinions and policy drafting, covering both black letter law and topical matters such as social media, dress code policies and flexible working. I advise on exit negotiations and settlement agreements on behalf of employees and employers, as well as advising during disciplinary and grievance processes.

No two days are the same

I’m a self-employed barrister, so I can pick and choose how many hours I work and how many clients I have. As a junior barrister, I want to make a reputation for myself and build my client base as much as possible, so I work hard. I travel around the country a lot meeting new people, and I love being in court representing my clients – there’s nothing better than putting on some great shoes and a suit and performing my absolute best for my clients. I am passionate about getting them the best outcome and advocating for better working relationships. Work and money make the world go round.

My day starts at 04:30

I get up at 04:30 and go to the gym, then I’m home by 06.30 where I do some gratitude journaling. I give my daughter breakfast and take her to school, then I’m back home usually for a client conference if I have a trial. Court starts at 10:00 and lasts until 13:00 when we break for lunch and have another conference about what’s happened in the case so far. I go back into court at 14:00 until 16:30 and then collect my daughter and take her to her extra-curricular clubs. I then do some house chores, have some family time before finishing some work in the evening.

My diary often changes, but I try to plan out my week as much as possible in advance.

A successful barrister needs to be approachable

It’s not just about being a good advocate - you need to be able to get on well with solicitors and clients, network at the Bar and work the circuit, and offer clients good value. I like to write everything out, go the extra mile to produce skeleton arguments and draft letters of claims – it’s often the little things that add value for my solicitors.

Don’t concern yourself with what a stereotypical barrister should be

Don’t think that because of your personal circumstances you can’t make it as a barrister. Look at me! If you’re from an underrepresented group, now is the time to become a barrister because the bar is making big changes to remove bias and class barriers.

I’ve just been made Head of the Employment Team at Park Square Barristers, I’ve written a book about how to value employment discrimination cases, which will be released this summer, and I’m also writing an autobiography about my journey to the Bar called “Diary of a Pupil”. I started it in lockdown with the intention to give it to my little girl to inspire her, but it’s now with a publisher.

I’m also working on a website that will be a resource for aspiring barristers and give them everything they need to get through a 12-week pupillage placement. With the money I make from my books, I want to fund a pupillage programme for someone from an underprivileged background. I really want to see more people succeed.

If you want to find out more about Chelsea’s work or books, please visit:

• Diary of a pupil instagram
• Diary of a pupil website