Indiscretion

I'm currently filling in an application form for one of the non-OLPAS sets.

OLPAS is the old name for what is now called the 'Pupillage Portal' - the central application system that many Chambers sign up to, to (supposedly) make applications easier to complete and more efficient - but almost everyone I know still calls it OLPAS. You can apply to a maximum of 12 OLPAS sets.

The non-OLPAS sets have their own forms, don't stick to the OLPAS time table and you can apply to as many of them as you like.

So, I'm currently filling in a form and one of the questions lists 12 different qualities a barrister might possess and asks you to list them in order of importance, showing your reasoning.

One of these qualities is discretion.

On Saturday night I went along to the house warming party of one of Ladyfemale's best friends. It was a thoroughly decent affair with lots of interesting people to meet.

I did however bump into a face I already sort of knew - a girl who was also friends with the Phantom. You see, the Phantom went to the same university as me, and also indulged in the delights of musical theatre - he was just a couple of years below me. So, although we didn't know each other we got to know many of the same people, and so were surprised when we ended up in the same class at BPP. Thus, over time I've got to know some of his extended friendship group.

I was talking to the girl (who we will call Clementine) and was discussing the Phantom and his particular reluctance when it came to pursuing another girl called Christine (what other name could I give for the love interest of a musical theatre loving lawyer called the Phantom?!). I explained in depth about how excited I was that he'd finally taken her to dinner a couple of times and that they'd been to the theatre and other nights out.

Clementine hadn't known about these dates, so I took particular relish in the fact that I, for once, was the first to know something (hurrah, hurrah!!).

So the party ebbed and flowed, and we all said our good nights and I went home merry and satisfied.

Fast forward to last night. After our Drafting class (bore) the Phantom mentioned that he'd spoken to Clementine over the weekend and she mentioned our conversation. He went on to say that she was particularly surprised by the conversation given the fact that they (Phantom and Clementine), in fact, got together some time last week. Clementine particularly enjoyed me detailing how I'd been spurring on Phantom to pursue Christine for the last couple of months, and that he finally seemed to be getting some success.

Discretion is, obviously, incredibly important for a career at the Bar, but God knows where I left mine. I'm sure I had some at some point.