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Being a barrister

Halsall, SJ; (2017) Being a barrister. Doctoral thesis , UCL (University College London). Green open access

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Abstract

This study provides a conceptual bridge between barristers’ professional training and educational academic expertise, facilitating an intellectual dialogue between those two areas of professional knowledge. The need for such a dialogue is impelled by my discovery of a dearth of research into legal professionalism particularly in relation to concepts of social learning, apprenticeship and communities of practice (Lave and Wenger, 1991). Focussing on a snap-shot case study of a previously unexamined stage in the professional education and formation of barristers, I develop novel understandings of the complex process of becoming a barrister and of participants’ connections with the nested communities (Brannan, 2007) of the bar. From these understandings I then develop new theoretical perspectives on the notion of communities of practice (Lave and Wenger, 1991) and novel analytical approaches based on understandings of professionals’ motivational factors, (Parsons, 1939) and consensus formation (Goffman, 1959) underpinning professional formation. My study reveals a community of practice dedicated to excellence and a notion of service to others but also uncovers novel perceptions of sequestration and new understandings of new-comer/old-timer relations. The understandings uncovered here led me to create a new theoretical notion of learning terrains, a development of conceptions of learning territories (Fuller and Unwin, 2004, 2005) and my own novel notion of pervasive learning, a new perspective on participatory practice based learning. I conclude by contextualising my uncovered understandings and my theoretical refinements and developments in relation to some of the most recent theoretical developments in professional education and formation; including notions of comingling of propositional and practical knowledge (Guile, 2014a); workplace re-contextualisation (Guile, 2014b); and, professional apprenticeships (Fuller and Unwin, 2014). This additional contextualisation further enhances the value of my conceptual bridge in light of up to the moment understandings of professional learning and formation.

Type: Thesis (Doctoral)
Title: Being a barrister
Event: UCL (University College London)
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Language: English
Keywords: Barrister, pupillage, Inner Temple, inn, communities of practice, professional apprenticeship, sequestration, professional presentation, conceptual bridge, professional learning, professional formation, learning territories, re-contextualisation, pervasive learning, learning terrain, thwarting, legal professionalism, nested communities, professional motivation, consensus formation, participatory practice, professional education, workplace re-contextualisation, legal eduction, social learning, Bar, advocacy
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Education, Practice and Society
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1543382
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