Pupillage

Chambers aims to offer two fully funded 12 month pupillages each year, although this number may change. These pupillages are advertised through the Pupillage Gateway system and are dealt with in accordance with the Gateway timetable. The Pupillage Gateway can be found here:

http://www.pupillagegateway.com

The 12 month pupillages offered are funded. For pupillages starting from 2024 the award will be £35,000, made up of £17,500 in the first six months and guaranteed earnings of at least £17,500 in the second. The award includes the award of £2,000 given by chambers towards travel expenses incurred during pupillage. Additionally, chambers will fund a pupil’s attendance on any course that he or she is required to attend by virtue of being a pupil.

4 King’s Bench Walk is a common law set with expertise across all aspects of civil, criminal and family law. Chambers encourages pupils to gain experience in all areas during the course of pupillage so that pupils can then make an informed decision as to where their skills and interests lie. Typically, pupillage is divided between three supervisors, each typically practising in a different area of chambers’ work. In addition to gaining an insight into their supervisors’ practice, pupils will also work for, and go to Court with, other members of Chambers. Advocacy exercises are also introduced towards the end of the first six months. Once in second six priority will be given to a pupil’s own caseload. Pupils can expect to be in Court most days once in the second six and will be required to undertake all aspects of Chambers’ practice areas, including both Claimant and Defendant work in civil, for example in Personal Injury work, and prosecution and defence work in criminal proceedings. This includes a requirement to apply prior to commencement of 2nd 6 to be a Grade 1 prosecutor.

Chambers attaches great importance to pupillage and always aims to recruit its junior tenants from its pupils. Pupils are not in competition with each other, with there being sufficient places in chambers for all pupils that are taken on.

We expect pupils to have excellent academic credentials and to have obtained relevant experience. We also look for articulacy, demonstrable forensic ability, an interest in chambers’ areas of work and genuine commitment to the Bar.

We encourage pupils to participate in all aspects of the work and social life of chambers at an early stage and we are both known to be, and consider ourselves, a particularly friendly and approachable group of people.

Recruitment Process

Pupillage vacancies are advertised through the Pupillage Gateway.

Written applications are given marks in three categories, namely i) the answer on case law ii) commitment to, and suitability for, the Bar and chambers and iii) academic and analytical ability. There are two rounds of interviews, with the first interview likely to last for around 15 minutes and the final round lasting for around 30 minutes. The final round interview will generally involve a debate question, a legal question (which could take the form of analysing legislation or making submissions in a ‘hearing’) and questions designed to assess an applicant’s skills.

Chambers is an equal opportunities employer. Members of the pupillage selection and interview panels have received training in respect of equality and diversity in the field of recruitment.

Third Six Pupillage

We encourage applications from those who have already completed twelve months of pupillage. With a growing caseload within chambers we currently require third six pupils who will predominantly undertake criminal and employment work. However, third six pupils will also be able to experience work within the other areas of chambers’ practice. If you wish to apply for a third six with us please send a copy of your CV along with a covering letter, marked for the attention of the ‘third six pupillage secretary’.

A Week in the Life of a 4KBW Pupil (1)

I began pupillage at 4 King’s Bench Walk in October 2024. My current supervisor is Chris Bryden. Chris’ main areas of practice are Chancery and Financial Remedies. Whilst 80% of my time is spent shadowing Chris, 4KBW is a varied mixed set and I am with different members of Chambers at least once a week. In this blog, I will take you through my average week during my ‘first six’.

The hours I am expected to be in Chambers are 9am to 6pm but I usually like to get in a little bit earlier as I am more productive in the mornings, and it gives me time to settle and look at my day. I will usually arrive around 8.30am.

Monday

Chris has given me a papers day before a mediation on the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, to review the papers. The court bundle is roughly 200 pages. At the beginning of my first six, this seemed a lot to get through but as I learn and understand more about this area of law, I am able to focus better on the more relevant information and documents. Once I have read and analysed the papers, I discuss the case with Chris and give him my opinion of our client’s case, including the strengths and weaknesses of it and where I believe the case might settle, if I believe it will.

Chris has also given me an old case of his to read and draft an opinion on. I read the papers, making notes as I go along. The topic is malicious prosecution, and I will need to head to the Inner Temple library during the week to find some textbooks, Westlaw and Lexis guidance on the topic (whilst Chambers provides me with access to these research databases, not all textbooks are available). Around 6pm, I head home.

Tuesday

Today is the mediation I was preparing for on Monday. As mediations are mainly remote and can often finish late, I am working from home. The mediation does not start till 9.45am so I do some preliminary research on malicious prosecution on Lexis and Westlaw to streamline my research at the library later in the week.

During the mediation, I take a careful verbatim note of what is said. The advantage of remote mediation, especially in the way Chris handles them, is that there is a lot of no-camera, muted time whilst you wait for the other side to discuss your offer. During this ‘off-time’, I work on my attendance note to minimise work later in the evening. The case settles in principle around 5pm and Chris sends me a draft settlement agreement at 6pm to review before it is sent to the instructing solicitors to go over with the clients and then forwarded to the other side. At 7pm, the other side comes back with some minor notes which are agreed. After the mediation ends, Chris asks me for my three learning points of the day. Luckily, I know to expect this question from him now and had made note of what I observed throughout the day so I am not caught off guard. Once I log off the link, I finalise my attendance note for another hour or so and send it to Chris to review and send to the solicitors.

Wednesday

In the morning, I attend a remote conference with Chris with a client who wishes to have advice on a professional negligence claim against solicitors. The conference is not until mid-morning so I read the papers sent by the client thus far beforehand. After the conference, Chris asks me to draft an opinion on this case for two weeks’ time. I use the afternoon to write my attendance note and carry out research for my opinion on malicious prosecution. After 6pm, I leave Chambers and head home. Between 8pm and 10pm, I work on my opinion, setting out the relevant facts, sifting through my research to identify the most relevant parts and setting out the structure for my legal analysis.

Thursday

I am heading out with the newest tenant in Chambers, Daniella Adeluwoye. She is representing a defendant at Willesden Magistrates’ Court in a trial for failing to provide driver information and speeding. This is the kind of case I will be instructed in during my second six so I am very keen to see what I should expect. As I am not required to take an attendance note, I make the most of it to observe and take practical notes. When I arrive, I meet Daniella in the robing room. We look for the prosecutor to ask them to drop the case based on the defendant’s defence. The prosecutor has 10 trials on that day and has not received instructions from the CPS. The trial is set to proceed when the prosecution offers the defendant a plea deal. After consideration and discussions with Daniella, the defendant chose to go ahead with the trial. The first two cases have overrun and whilst we were listed third, the fourth case’s defending barrister needs to attend another hearing in the mid-afternoon and is given precedence. Whilst we wait for our case to be called, Daniella and I sit at the back of the court to observe, or wait outside with the client. I also use some of the down time to work on my malicious prosecution opinion. We are called into court at 3.30pm and Daniella is successful: the defendant is found not guilty. I head straight home from court as it is 5pm by the time we are finished. I don’t want to be rushing to finish my opinion tomorrow so write the bare bones including the legal framework. I finish my workday around 11pm.

Friday

In the morning, I am attending court with Josh Stamp-Simon in a small claims hearing in the County Court at Clerkenwell and Shoreditch. As with Daniella, I do not need to write an attendance note and so observe how the trial works as I have no experience of this sort of work, and I will be instructed in similar work once on my feet. Each pupil in Chambers is assigned a mentor from the most recent tenants to discuss pupillage and life at the Bar more generally; Josh is my mentor. We haven’t crossed paths in a while so once court is over, Josh and I walk back to Chambers together and briefly stop to have coffee and a general chat about pupillage and any concerns or questions I might have. Once back in Chambers, I make the most of the afternoon to finish my opinion and submit it by the 6pm deadline. A few people from Chambers are in today so we are going for some drinks nearby. Chambers’ drinks, whether formal or informal, are always a nice way of seeing what people in Chambers are up to and meeting new members.

I am three months in, and I have experienced a wide range of work at 4KBW, from the more senior end (such as shadowing our Head of Chambers Gavin Holme in the Court of Appeal on a sentencing matter) to the more junior end (as can be seen from Thursday and Friday). Pupillage with 4KBW is hard work but it is interesting work and, more importantly, I am surrounded by friendly and supportive people at all levels.

About me

I obtained a law degree at undergraduate level and initially considered the path of solicitor. After I graduated, I spent five months as a clerk intern in an international family law firm, shadowing barristers in court daily and caught the Bar bug. During this time, I also began studying for the New York Bar exam which I passed in February 2021, following Covid-delays. During the pandemic, I worked as a paralegal in a partner-only commercial firm handling a variety of matters. I undertook the BTC in 2021-2022 and was called to the Bar in October 2022. I also have a master’s in public international law and was a member of the winning team of the Jessup International Moot Court 2023. Having completed all requirements, I was admitted to the New York State Bar in June 2023. In the year I obtained pupillage, I was the Anglo-French paralegal in a top-ranked firm’s family department.

A Week in the Life of a 4KBW Pupil (2)

I started Pupillage at 4 King’s Bench Walk in October 2024. My first supervisor was Katherine Illsley and my current supervisor is Chris Bryden. I am just over a month into my second six. In this article, I hope to provide some insight into the average week in the life of a second six pupil at 4KBW and convey a sense of the common law experience.

Monday

I have a hearing in the Magistrates’ Court today at 2pm. It is a speeding offence, and the Defendant is facing the imposition of penalty points taking him to a total of 12. I am instructed to persuade the Bench not to impose a 6-month ‘totting’ ban on the basis that such a ban would lead to exceptional hardship. I will be doing a lot of this type of hearing in my second six. However, this is only my second hearing in the Magistrates’ court, so I spend a lot of time preparing.

I spent some time yesterday reviewing my instructions and reminding myself of the relevant law. This morning, I head to Chambers for 09:00 to carry out more detailed preparation, collecting my £1 Pret filter coffee on the way. I prepare a document clearly setting out the key facts and relevant law. I loosely draft my closing submissions. Exceptional hardship applications require the Defendant to give evidence, so I also prepare a structure and some questions for the examination-in-chief. My Co-Pupil, Clara, is also in Chambers this morning, and we discuss our respective cases. She also has a driving matter this afternoon. I have found it very helpful to sense-check my cases with Clara. She has been a great source of support throughout pupillage, especially since the start of the second six; I am grateful to have been able to navigate this stressful (and exciting!) time with her.

I leave Chambers just before lunch as it takes an hour or so to get to the court. I grab a sandwich and coffee on the way, which I have on the train. I flip through a few sections of the Blackstone's Magistrates' Court Handbook, which I have found helpful to carry in my bag at all times.

I arrive at court at 13:00. My client is already in attendance. Before my second six, I anticipated that I would find client conferences a difficult exercise in masking my inexperience. In reality, I am focused on the case and not troubled by such thoughts.

My client expands upon the information set out in my brief, and I have to quickly incorporate the new information into my examination-in-chief plan. They have also brought with them various supporting materials, including letters of support from family members, and documents pertaining to their employment. I quickly review these and advise the client as to which I think will be useful to provide to the Bench. I amend my closing submissions to include references to the letters of support.

As is the norm in the Magistrates’ court, there is a busy afternoon list. The case is not called until 16:30. In the interim, I try to get on with other work but find this to be impossible. I eventually give up and continue to tweak my examination-in-chief and closing submissions. The adrenaline I felt upon arrival has long since dissipated. It quickly returns, however, when the case is called.

I conduct the examination-in-chief, checking my document to make sure I have elicited all the points I noted down. It feels slightly surreal to conduct an examination-in-chief with a real client, having done it so many times on the Bar Course. Surreal, but good.

Following the evidence, the Bench are eager to retire. I inform them that I will be making closing submissions on behalf of my client. I am told that I should be brief and not rehearse the evidence. It is late in the day; I do not want to test the Bench’s patience. However, I am there to represent my client and make appropriate closing submissions on their behalf. I adapt my submissions, focusing on providing a summary of the evidence that succinctly captures the reasons why I say a six-month ban would result in exceptional hardship. I also focus on speaking deliberately and clearly, as I have felt a tendency to rush since being on my feet. I already feel an improvement.

The Bench retire. I am relieved to have made my submissions, but anxious as to the outcome. The Bench return after 15 minutes. They do impose a ban, but it is reduced from six to three months. I consider this to be a good outcome in the circumstances, and I feel a wave of relief and satisfaction at having secured it. I have found there to be something singularly self-affirming about preparing a case, attending court, and securing a positive outcome – all on my own. The resulting buzz, for lack of a better word, has been one of my favourite aspects of my second six.

I leave Court after 17:00. I have a papers day in Chambers tomorrow, and so I decide to take the evening off. It is difficult to predict when I will have evenings free during the week, and so I try to make the most of this when it happens.

Tuesday

I get to Chambers for 9:00 and plan my day. I have a Small Claims hearing tomorrow which I have yet to receive the papers for.

In the meantime, I write my attendance note for yesterday’s hearing. I have a tendency to write quite lengthy attendance notes but am trying to make these more succinct as the pressures on my time increase.

The attendance note is finished and sent to my instructing solicitor by 11:00. I have not yet received the papers for my hearing tomorrow. I thus spend time looking at papers for hearings later in the week.

Chris, my supervisor, is in the room working, as he usually is when not in court. Since getting on my feet, Chris has been fairly laissez-faire in terms of leaving me to work on my own cases, to an extent that I had not quite anticipated. However, he always takes time to talk through any concerns that I have, and, when I am in Chambers, I will often seek his advice. I have found this to be one of the important benefits of having a supervisor that I see very regularly in Chambers.

After lunch, I find out that tomorrow’s hearing has been vacated. This is fairly common for Small Claims matters. At about 15:30, however, I am informed that a new case has been placed in my diary for tomorrow morning. It is an interim hearing in a Stalking Protection Order (‘SPO’) case, and I am instructed on behalf of the Applicant, the Metropolitan Police. Jason, our Family and Civil Managing Clerk, recently added me to the Met panel, and this is my first instruction arising.

I shadowed a member of Chambers, Tabitha Everett, on a SPO case a few months ago, and so I have some passing familiarity with them. However, I am aware I will have some work to do to be sufficiently up-to-speed by tomorrow. The first thing I do is read the bundle in full, twice. It is 100 pages or so. I find it helpful to know the facts of the case before conducting legal research, as this helps me focus on what is relevant for the specific hearing. I do not take any notes on the first read through. On the second read through, I note down some of the key facts and dates.

It is now approaching 17:30, and time seems to be passing very quickly. I decide to ask for help in the ‘Mentors’ WhatsApp group, which is a forum for me and Clara to ask questions of junior members of Chambers, namely, Tabitha, Josh Stamp-Simon and Daniella Adeluwoye. This group has been utterly invaluable since getting on my feet, and to say that Josh, Tabitha and Daniella have been generous with their time would be a great understatement. Surely enough, I receive a wealth of helpful pointers to help me prepare. It turns out that Josh and Tabitha are in Chambers, and we talk through the case in person. I begin to feel more relaxed. I carry out some more legal research and leave Chambers at 18:45.

After a shower and a quick dinner, I am back at it. I am glad I took the opportunity to relax yesterday evening. I finish my legal research and draft submissions for the hearing. I finish work at around 23:00.

Wednesday

I get up slightly earlier than usual, at 6:30. I spend more time on my submissions before leaving for court.

At court, I have a conference with the officer in the case and confirm my understanding of the facts. My opponent arrives, and we have a discussion prior to the hearing. My opponent is significantly more experienced than I am – he is over 15 years’ call. It is undeniably intimidating to go toe-to-toe with a more experienced opponent. However, this is a very common scenario, and I feel more robust in the face of it as my second six continues.

The hearing commences. My opponent and I make back-and-forth submissions for over an hour, but I don’t notice the passing of time. The feeling when the hearing is over makes up for yesterday’s late night. I was successful on the main issue, and I was happy with some of the submissions that came to me on my feet. Whilst the submissions I had written out were a useful fall-back, I am learning that, in the heat of the moment, I often do not have the luxury of time to consider my notes in detail. I am grateful for the time that I spent reading the bundle, as internalising the facts enabled me to respond to certain points assuredly without having to look at my notes.

I head back to Chambers and write my attendance note. I then begin preparation for tomorrow’s Small Claims hearing. I leave Chambers at 18:00. I do some more work when I get home, but, as my hearing is in the afternoon, I don’t work beyond 21:00 or so.

Thursday

I head into Chambers in the morning to continue preparing for my Small Claims hearing. I am representing the Claimant in a Road Traffic Accident case. I spent yesterday reviewing the parties’ witness statements and exhibits in order to understand their respective versions of events. I also spent time on Google Maps seeking to gain a better understanding of the road layout. My initial assessment is that the evidence better supports the Defendant’s version of events, and there are some apparent inconsistencies in the Claimant’s evidence.

This morning, I need to prepare my cross-examination of the Defendant’s driver. I am struggling with this, as I have not identified any obvious weaknesses to probe. Fortunately, there are other members of Chambers in the Common Room, whom I am able to discuss the case with. They assist me with preparing the cross-examination, identifying areas of the witness statement that are worth exploring.

I head to court just before lunch. On arrival, I have a conference with my client, who provides an explanation for the inconsistencies I had noted in my preparation. This explanation somewhat changes my case theory, and I adapt my notes accordingly.

The hearing commences. The Claimant gives evidence, which I try my best to make a note of whilst adding relevant details to my closing submissions. I then cross-examine the Defendant’s driver. Despite my earlier apprehension, the cross-examination goes well. The Defendant’s driver is inconsistent with his witness statement in several important respects, and, having spent the morning considering the statement in detail, I am able to pick up on these inconsistencies. Ultimately, the Claimant is successful, and the experience is hugely satisfying. I am learning that you can never quite anticipate how a case will play out; even when the papers point in one direction, the outcome can shift entirely depending on the evidence presented on the day.

Whilst at court, I am informed that my Small Claims hearing for the next day had been vacated. I am somewhat pleased; this gives me time to write my attendance note, and there is a networking event in Chambers this evening that I will now be able to attend without concern.

I arrive back in Chambers at 17:00 and spend an hour on my attendance note. The networking drinks begin at 18:00. Networking events have been a fairly regular occurrence during pupillage, and pupils at 4KBW are generally expected to attend where they can. I enjoy the drinks, as they provide a good opportunity to unwind and chat with other members of the profession in an informal context. I get home at 22:30, clutching two full pizzas left over from the drinks.

Friday

I spend the morning in Chambers. I finish my attendance note from yesterday’s hearing, and, as my day is clear, start looking ahead at next week’s cases. The leisurely wind down to the weekend seems too good to be true. It is. At about 11:00, I receive a call from our Managing Criminal Clerk, Rick. Rick asks whether I can attend a bail hearing in the Magistrates’ court at 14:00 this afternoon. Somewhat apprehensively, I confirm that I am able to attend. This is my first bail hearing.

The papers seem extensive at first glance. The Defendant has pleaded guilty to multiple counts of assault and is awaiting sentence. I send a message into the Mentors group asking for advice on how to prepare in the limited time that I have. As usual, I receive extremely prompt and helpful responses and am assured that I will be able to prep sufficiently in the time.

I speedily review the papers and make a note of the key facts. I then turn to reviewing the relevant law. I need to determine whether the Magistrates’ Court has the power to hear an oral application for bail in the absence of a written notice. The time to leave for court quickly arrives, but I have not quite finished my legal research. Fortunately, I am able to identify the relevant provision of the Criminal Procedure Rules whilst on the tube. I also review the relevant section of my trusty Blackstone's Magistrates' Court Handbook.

I arrive at court and, having signed in with the Usher, have a conference with my client in the cells. Having shadowed criminal practitioners during my first-six, the cells are a familiar environment. However, it is nevertheless surreal to be here on my own. I have limited time with my client in which to take relevant instructions.

Having spoken to my client, I head back up to court for the hearing. It is somewhat daunting to face an experienced prosecutor, particularly as this is my first bail hearing, but I soon find my feet. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, bail is not granted. I return to the cells for a further conference with my client, who will remain in custody pending sentence. This serves as a vivid reminder of the stakes in criminal proceedings, and I am still getting used to the pressure that comes with this.

I get back to Chambers at 16:30 to find that some members are going for drinks. After a stressful afternoon, I am happy to join. Evening drinks are a regular occurrence in Chambers, and I find them to be an excellent way of getting to know people, picking up pointers, and unwinding. Throughout pupillage, I have benefitted substantially from ‘the rule’, according to which pupils do not pay for their own drinks. I talk through today’s hearing with one of the juniors, which I find reassuring. I leave at around 20:30.

Over the weekend, I will take Friday evening and the entirety of Saturday off. I try to do this every weekend, as I find it important to have at least one full day to decompress. I will spend Sunday afternoon/evening preparing for whatever next week has in store, however, as I have sought to demonstrate, I can never fully anticipate what will be coming my way.