Breaking news. Doctors to be trained in women’s health. I’ll say that again. Doctors are now going to be trained to treat the other 51% of the UK’s population. They will, it seems, be trained to stop ignoring women’s pain and to deal with women’s specific health needs. It’s 2022!

Self-deprecation

Well worth reading the whole thread

Gorne Wood is a fragment of Ancient Woodland & a remnant of London’s Great North Wood. But it’s in trouble. Local community has *5 days to raise last 2% of funds* needed to secure & restore the site for wildlife & people. Read more/give/RT to support this change on the ground.👇

Why does my Twitter feed have a cartoon picture of some kind of husky?

On the Richard Sharp cartoon. Martin Rowson's apology is fulsome but startling for what he doesn't acknowledge. The "vampire squid" trope was antisemitic when used of Goldman Sachs in 2010. jewishnews.co.uk/opinion-why-ha…

Could you or someone you know help save Mary’s life Mary is 6 weeks old and is currently top of the UK donor register. Time is desperately short and she needs a liver transplant. Her family, from Hartlepool, are asking if anyone would be a living donor to help save Mary. If

Despite government figures showing that only 4% of estates incur inheritance tax, a third (34%) of UK adults believe they and their family would benefit from the abolition of inheritance tax, including two in five (39%) 2019 Conservative voters.

Today, I had the privilege of talking to Mariella Frostrup about Heather Rogers KC. Media law doyenne. Colleague. Friend. It is here at 37:55. Ten minutes was not long enough to do her justice. thetimes.co.uk/radio/show/202…

Many people have to experience painful deaths not because it’s inevitable but because we don’t fund palliative care services anywhere near well enough

Congratulations to everyone celebrating a pupillage offer today. It's a massive achievement you've worked so hard for; enjoy it! Commiserations to everyone who didn't make it. It's a tough day. I'm a bit skeptical how much a twitter thread can help, but for what it's worth...

For context, I made basically two multi-year runs at pupillage and a career at the independent Bar. First, just out of Bar School and then again after about five years Free Representation Unit (FRU). Didn't make it. Also, obviously, saw a lot of volunteers go through the process.

My basic view is that there is a very small % of people who are simply genuinely brilliant and bound to get pupilage. Although my experience is that they're as stressed / terrified as everyone else.

But most successful applicants aren't much different to many of the people who didn't get it. There is a lot of luck, because there are lots of good people applying for a small number of places.

When distinctions between candidates are small, it comes down to small things. And there is a lot of luck in having everything line up. A good interview day + a legal question in your wheelhouse + Toughest competitor decides they prefer another Chambers = Success!

You could have exactly the same factors spread over three different chambers and three panels will conclude that you're an excellent candidate -- but just a step behind other excellent candidates.

That's where the rule of thumb that if you're getting interviews, you have a good chance to make it in the end comes from. You're rolling the dice and waiting for the cards to come out in the right order. I do think that's broadly right.

Nearly two decades on, not getting pupillage remains one of the most significant events of my life. I can still recall, in excruciating detail, some of the interviews. Life would no doubt be very different if I'd spent the last decade or so or so in independent practice.

Proud as punch to go to the Palace last week with my co-parent Isabelle Trowler CBE (and our wonderful young men) to pick up her gong 🥇 #Investiture