A Day in the Life of a Senior Junior, Gillian Crew

Hi, I’m Gill, I’m 1998 Call. I joined 42 in August 2020 (a global pandemic is always the perfect time to make a major career move, right?!) and practice as a senior junior in the employment team, mainly for respondent clients. I’m writing this from my hotel room in an exotic, far flung destination (i.e Leeds) mid full merits hearing. As if the promise of travel to such glamorous destinations is not enough to cause you to rush to apply for pupillage at 42, let me try and persuade you with a snap shot of life at 42 for a senior junior.

As you will have heard time and time again, no one day at the Bar is the same, and it’s true. My life is a mix of longer final hearings, which are generally back to being in person again, and shorter hearings which can be dealt with by video or telephone. I can honestly say that my employment law practice has gone from strength to strength under the watchful eyes of the excellent clerks at 42, who are always available for practice meetings and happy to help if you need anything during the week.

If it’s a day where my hearing is by video or telephone, I generally do the hearing from home, on the basis that my cat makes some excellent points to assist the judge and the coffee is better than chambers. The rest of the day will be spent having conferences with clients for upcoming hearings, preparing upcoming hearings and getting the written side of my practice done. If it’s a tribunal day, it’s generally an early start, with a strong skinny flat white or two, to power through, then evening homework to make sure I picked up on all those excellent points I made in tribunal (or the points I missed and need to make the next day!)

But wherever I am I always try and make some time to exercise as it’s important to have balance as the life at the Bar is demanding. For me, its boxing and some gym time, or it might just be a walk outside to get some fresh air. Balance is truly valued at 42 (and not just a drink in both hands sort of way) and there are stress busting massages regularly available for members to take advantage of in chambers, which I can thoroughly recommend. 

However, no day would be complete without checking in with the rest of my wonderful employment team colleagues. They are a wonderful bunch – check out our Youtube channel to see the fascinating seminars that we have done recently. Although a lot of us work remotely, there’s always help available if you need it, whether that’s on the Whatsapp group about a complicated TUPE point (or an argument over the best crisps) or someone to chat to no matter how junior or senior you are. It’s fair to say that meeting up in person with the team is one of my favourite things about 42, be that at the monthly drinks or for a social after employment group meetings.

So if any of the above sounds like a little bit of you, what are you waiting for, the meaning of life, the universe and everything is of course …42.

26th Jan 2023

Gillian Crew

Call 1998