Benchmark revisited part 6

Becoming a bencher of Lincoln's Inn was a delightful and much treasured experience (see Benchmark of Success posted on 02/07/08.). Since it is to do with the Inn it is not a change of career path as such. Nonetheless it is an important part of anyone's professional life to become a bencher of their Inn.

Lest I developed any delusions of grandeur (which I would not have done anyway) the allocation of committees (where choices presumably went on seniority) would have speedily removed them. Most of my activities for the Inn relate to training and guidance in respect of new barrister/pupils/students. I therefore thought that one of the committees which dealt with such activities would suit me. As an afterthought, my preference was "if not those then anything apart from the finance committee". I was duly allocated to the finance committee. As it happens, it has proved to be very interesting and so it is a committee I would choose to stay on for the future if possible.

The first night of dining as a bencher seemed very strange. Although I have dined in the Inn many times both as a student and then barrister, I obviously never took in completely (although I recognized it immediately when I saw it) that the benchers wore gowns. It was only about 90 seconds before we were all supposed to troop into dinner (in reverse order of seniority so I together with another new appointee were the first two in) that I realised that I was going to have to wear a gown. For one awful moment I thought that I needed my silk gown and was supposed to have brought it, but then I was told that gowns were provided. Once that potential catastrophe was overcome, I then walked into the Great Hall, where I was introduced and then bowed to those assembled before taking my place. This all seemed very strange. I recall at one dinner when I was a student looking up at the benchers who were assembled there and thinking how very ancient they all looked. As I went in on this occasion I couldn't help wondering if any of the students were having exactly the same thoughts. What is astonishing is that it hardly seems any time at all since I was sitting there as a student.

Having negotiated the tricky first dinner, there is then the question of going into Hall for lunch. I know of one barrister, now a High Court Judge, who literally kept dining as a barrister (rather than with the benchers on top table) for nearly 2 years after being made a bencher, until being prevailed upon to actually lunch at top table. There is a set etiquette as to where you are to sit on top table. When I became a bencher, I recalled being told that it was absolutely imperative to follow the etiquette, but after the few glasses of wine which followed the ceremony I could not exactly recall what it is that it was absolutely imperative that I did or did not do. That put me off going to lunch for a while. When I eventually went it felt very strange (although the one thing I have found is that all the benchers go absolutely out of their way to make you feel at home). The benchers go into the Great Hall through a different entrance to that used by barristers and students. It is opposite the library. I have obviously been up those steps many times and turned right to go to the library, but going left past a sign marked "benchers only" seemed strange. I had the curious feeling that one of the staff was going to challenge me and ask what I was doing there and that I was going to have to persuade them to get out the list out that they could see that I was really a bencher. (Needless to say they knew exactly who I was and this was an entirely groundless fear). Helpfully I was also shown which seat I needed to sit in. (Basically you take the next available space on alternate sides of the table so that no one is ever left as it were "stranded").

I think it illustrates this simple point. At each stage of your legal career, it takes a little bit of getting used to for it to sink in that you have arrived at that particular level.