Crown Office Chambers welcomes three new pupils
Chambers is delighted to welcome Liana Turner, Colleen Cumbers and Benn Sheridan who start their pupillage this week.
Head of Pupillage, Farrah Mauladad KC says: “Pupils are an integral part of Chambers, and we are delighted to welcome Benn, Liana and Colleen. They will have the opportunity to learn from, and work with, barristers across all our core practice areas in a modern and friendly setting”.
Liana Turner
Prior to pupillage, Liana read Law at the University of Nottingham, graduating with a first-class degree and placing second in her cohort. She subsequently read for the BCL as a South Square Scholar, achieving a distinction, before joining the injury department at Stewarts Law LLP as a paralegal, where she gained experience in personal injury and clinical negligence claims.
Colleen Cumbers
Prior to pupillage, Colleen read French and German at the University of Oxford, graduating with a First Class degree in 2020, before completing the MA Law Conversion at the University of Law, in which she was awarded a Distinction and the Dean’s Award for best overall performance in her cohort. She subsequently completed an LLM, graduating with Distinction, before undertaking the Bar Course at the Inns of Court College of Advocacy.
She has received scholarships from the Inner Temple, including a Bar Course Major Scholarship and the Duke of Edinburgh Entrance Award. Colleen has also won several advocacy competitions, including the Aqeel H. Noorali Moot Cup, the 2 Hare Court x KCL Mock Trial, and the Oxford Bar Society Non-Law Moot, as well as serving as President of the Inner Temple Debating Society. Alongside her legal studies, Colleen has worked as the Bar Coordinator for Legal Cheek and volunteered with a number of charitable organisations, including Advocate and The Defendant, for which she was awarded the University of Law Provost’s Award for voluntary work.
Benn Sheridan
Prior to pupillage, Benn read History at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was a scholar and graduated with a First Class degree in 2018. After graduating, Benn worked in journalism, writing for publications including Literary Review (where he was editorial assistant) and Private Eye. He then completed an MA in Political Thought at UCL and Queen Mary (Distinction) in 2020. Benn converted to law at City University, graduating with Distinction, and completed the Bar Course at the ICCA (Merit).
During his GDL and Bar Course, he mooted and debated extensively, reaching the finals of Quadrant Chambers’ contract law moot and Lincoln’s Inn’s debating shield. In the year before pupillage Benn worked as a paralegal in Travers Smith’s Dispute Resolution department. While there, he worked on insurance and employment matters, and drafted elements of the firm’s response to the Law Commission’s Arbitration Act consultation. He then completed a six-month intensive language course in Lyon, France, developing non-native fluency in French.