Nina Reinach, a second six month pupil, comes to Chambers from a varied academic and working background which allowed her to gain experience in Chambers’ main practice areas – crime, family, civil, and regulatory law. She worked as a Crown Court Clerk, where she covered all Crown Court matters, particularly sex offences. Her work as a Legal Associate saw her working with barristers on immigration matters, including visa applications, appeals, and refugee and asylum applications. As a Law Reporter in the Civil and Family Group, she covered cases in Employment Tribunals, the High Court, and the Court of Appeal. Her reports were published through the ICLR in the Weekly Law Reports. 

We sat down with Nina to hear more about her background and experience as a pupil barrister...

1. Can you share your journey so far as a pupil barrister at Unit? How have you found it?

I have found it incredibly exciting and rewarding. It is no exaggeration to say that I wake up every day and am genuinely excited to go to work (usually to court). Some may think this is bizarre, and I'm somewhat surprised too, after hearing a litany of horror stories about pupillage on my way to the Bar, but I feel incredibly fortunate to have had such a wonderful and enriching experience. 

I learned a lot during my first six from my supervisor, Jennifer Brenton, but also from other members of Chambers when I attended court with them. I am part of various group chats for junior members in Chambers which offer support and advice and allow me to ask any questions and reach out for help when I need it. The clerks are exceptionally caring and organised - they always look out for me and give me the chance to dive in to the work I want to do. 

I have been so touched by the kindness and generosity of the people I have met, especially giving up their time to help me, or just to have a chat to check in.

I have been given many opportunities to try different things - from doing research and drafting in some very niche areas of law for senior members of Chambers, to being able to spend a day with members of Chambers in practice areas in which I have an interest but had not yet had the opportunity to see or pursue. I have felt included in every step of shaping my pupillage year and it has been such a privilege. 

 

2. Now that you’ve completed your first six and are in your second six, what aspects of crime, family and civil law are you most excited to delve deeper into?

Now that I am about two months in, I have really started getting my head around the basics - preparing my own cases, starting to develop my own style of advocacy, dealing with different clients and cases. 

I am most excited to build on this, to slowly take on more complex cases, more trials, different types of hearings, etc. At the start of my second six, I was given work that was quite straightforward. Now that my confidence is building, and the confidence of others in me, the work is now a mixture of straightforward cases, and work that is gradually more intricate and involved. 

I am incredibly happy with how things have progressed, am proud of the strides I have taken, and very much look forward to the path ahead.

 

3. As a junior barrister, how do you navigate the complexities of crime, family and civil law cases while still providing empathetic and sensitive support to your clients?

I manage the challenges by meeting them head on and with enthusiasm. Even if something seems difficult or daunting (as most things inevitably do, because it’s all new at the moment), I say “yes” to everything. I am excited about doing so. Every opportunity is one to learn and to develop my skills. Also, to navigate the complexities, it’s important to keep calm - to glide across the water at the surface, even if the feet are paddling furiously beneath it. 

Being keen, kind, curious, prepared, and patient at court (especially when things seem chaotic) is most important to me, not just for my sake in dealing with challenging situations, but also for my clients’. Dealing with clients involves really listening to them, paying attention to what they need, and genuinely caring not just about their case, but also about them as people, as individuals. To me ‘caring’, means being kind, adaptable, but also firm, and always courteous. It also means being ready to fight their corner and doing my very best and applying myself to, and in, every situation. 

The complexities of dealing with different areas of law seem to fall away when I focus on my client, ensure they feel heard and included, and to ensure that I show up for them with confidence and determination.