eat one's dinner, eat for the bar

[vil]

Dear teachers,

Would you be kind enough to tell me whether I am right with my interpretation of the expression in bold in the following sentence?

To please his family, Julian was still reading for the bar and eating his dinners; but like many barristers who are too sensitive for the rough-and-tumble of their profession, Julian had already turned to journalism. (Aldington’s “All Men Are Enemies”, part III, chapter II)

eat one's dinner = eat for the bar = study law

Thank you for your efforts.

Regards,

V

[BobK]

Julian was studying, but 'eating ones dinners' was (and still is) a pre-requisite of becoming a barrister. A barrister (in British law) has to be a member of 'chambers' - a set of rooms that is the HQ for a 'company' of barristers. Becoming a member depends on eating a number of formal dinners.

There's a bit of background (but not much) here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chambers_(law)

b