Interview with Campaspe Lloyd-Jacob – Kate Nutter

Barrister and author, Campaspe Lloyd-Jacob

After spending all day reading textbooks and cases, I am incredibly lazy when it comes to reading for pleasure. I don’t want to think too hard about what I am reading, I want something funny, quick and witty. “Ophelia in Pieces” is exactly that, the story of a female criminal barrister and everything that comes with life - interviewer Kate Nutter.

At the launch Edwin Glasgow QC suggested that every BPTC student, or indeed anyone thinking of entering the Criminal Bar should read this book, in order to see the highs and lows that come with the profession. The author, former City GDL student, Campaspe Lloyd-Jacob (who writes under the pen name Clare Jacob) discusses life at City, the profession and the book.

You completed your GDL at City Law School, can you tell us a bit about your time there?

I read English and Italian as an undergraduate and in my last year, I decided I needed to do something so I was more employable. I needed a professional qualification. I met some barristers who seemed intelligent and enjoyed their work. I was also a fan of John Donne and John Webster who qualified as barristers. I was taken with the idea of the law being a training for my mind, in the same way as it was for poets and playwrights in the 17th Century. I decided to become a barrister to understand the world a bit better and more clearly.

Why did you choose City?

I had heard very good things about City. There are not very many places where you can do the conversion course, but City was by far the best. It had very good lecturers, who came from top universities, and a good mixture of lectures and seminars. It was a very intensive course, but I needed it because it was a quick entry into a career. I enjoyed my year at City University. It was very focused and there were lots of very interesting people. It was where I met my husband, who was on the same course.

Is there one thing that you wish you had known before starting law school?

I suppose I feel about this about university generally:I wish I had worked harder at university, because the harder you work, the more you get out of it academically. On the other hand it is impossible to say that, because the reason you are not so engaged with university work is because you are engaged in lots of other things and growing up. I have never regretted working too hard at something, but I have regretted not making the extra effort sometimes.

The lost footage – rediscovered! – Emily Allbon

Hidden treasure. Credit:Keith Bloomfield

Back in 2010 I persuaded a selection of our lovely students and alumni to do a series of video interviews.

Alas disaster struck when the cameraman went majorly AWOL during editing and the footage seemed lost to Lawbore forever:-( However they have been miraculously uncovered so we'll be featuring a new one each week for the coming few months.

Big apologies to the kind-hearted students/alumni who gave their time for this, only for it to vanish. Thankfully no-one has a terrible haircut they should be embarrassed about now.

Future subjects include a trainee at PriceWaterHouseCoopers Legal, a commissioning editor at a legal publishers, an IP agent, a government legal service lawyer and a solicitor at a global shipping firm.