The honest answer to 'what practice area should I do?' is: narrow enough to be credible, broad enough to be useful. Here is the framework we use with members.
01The two-and-one rule
Pick two practice areas you can speak about substantively, plus one adjacent area you are 'open to'. That mix signals conviction without rigidity — exactly what most chambers are listening for.
02Test, do not declare
Mini-pupillages, marshalling, court visits and reading specific judgments are tests. Treat each as an experiment that might falsify your interest, not confirm it.
- Two minis in your top area.
- One mini deliberately outside your comfort zone.
- A reading list of five recent leading cases per area.
03Watch your language
Avoid 'I am passionate about' until it is true. Replace it with 'I have spent the last year working on…' — specifics persuade where adjectives do not.
Key Takeaways
- 1Two committed areas plus one adjacent.
- 2Treat exposure as testing, not confirmation.
- 3Replace passion claims with specifics.
L
The Lexstery Team
Lexstery editorial
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