Mini-Pupillages and Pupillage: Overview and Tips

Mini-Pupillages Mini-pupillages are the ideal way to find out firsthand what life is like as a barrister; you will gain an insight into how chambers work, what day-to-day activities a barrister undertakes, whether you are suited to the role, and which areas of the law interest you. For those committed to pursuing a career at the Bar, this is essential experience to gain How to search for opportunities use the Pupillage Portal website, www.pupillageportal.com, and www.lawcareers.net, as well as publications such as the Pupillages Handbook, Chambers and Partners Student Guide and the Training Contract and Pupillage Handbook How to apply some chambers use application forms, but you will mainly be applying with a CV and cover letter. Make sure you always tailor your cover letter to the particular set you are applying to a generic application is unlikely to be successful. Keep your cover letters concise and to-the-point, since the ability to be succinct is important for a barrister When to apply some chambers will take on mini-pupils throughout the year, whilst others have set deadlines and will only offer mini-pupillages at particular times of the year. Monitor application deadlines carefully as you dont want to miss your chance of applying to a set youre especially interested in some deadlines are as early as December, whilst others are before Easter Duration most last a week, but some chambers are willing to have you for just two or three days, and others even offer a one-day mini What you might do shadow a barrister, go to court, read through papers and discuss cases with your supervisor What you might learn make detailed notes about your experiences: what surprised you? what did you find out about the daily life of a barrister? what did you learn about a particular area of law? how did the experience change your perception of a barristers role? Your ability to talk in some detail about your experiences will be important in future pupillage interviews How many mini-pupillages? its generally recommended that you do at least three; its important to show chambers your commitment to the profession and that you have thoroughly researched the role of a barrister and your suitability for it. You may wish to do more than three to find out about a range of different types of chambers but if you do significantly more, dont feel obliged to list them all on your CV or application; lots of mini-pupillages can make you look unfocused

It can also be very helpful to talk to barristers on an informal basis; use any contacts you have within the profession, and take a look at the Oxford Careers Network on the Careers Service website (www.careers.ox.ac.uk) a database of alumni who are prepared to share their career experiences with current students. The Inns of Court are an invaluable source of advice and contacts; they can help you in a range of ways, including with their sponsorship schemes, where BVC students are matched with a sponsor or mentor, who is a qualified barrister Assessed mini-pupillages some chambers will only consider pupillage applications from students whove completed an assessed mini with them. As an assessed mini-pupil you can expect to be given additional tasks such as producing a written legal opinion on a particular case or giving a presentation on a specific point of law

Pupillage What is Pupillage? The training period you need to complete in order to become a practising barrister: typically 12 months in a single set of chambers, divided into two sixes the first six is non-practising and the second six is practising, i.e. you may have the chance to start doing advocacy and running your own cases in the second six month period. It is possible to undertake two 6-month pupillages in different sets, but such opportunities are increasingly rare Researching chambers its vital to do your research before applying. Use resources such as the Pupillages Handbook (www.pupillages.com), Chambers and Partners (www.chambersandpartners.com), Chambers and Partners student guide (www.chambersstudent.co.uk) and the Legal 500 (www.legal500.com) to find out more about chambers. Also try to attend the annual National Pupillage Fair which takes place in March and is attended by over 70 pupillage providers (www.targetpupillagefair.co.uk) Keep up to date with the legal press: read the Lawyer (www.thelawyer.com) and Counsel Magazine (produced by the Bar Council every month www.barcouncil.org.uk/memberservices/CounselMagazine) Choosing sets the type of factors you might want to consider include: o What are chambers particular areas of expertise? o What is the breakdown of the work e.g. how much employment law do they do, and who does what? o How is their pupillage programme structured? o Do pupils undertake their own work in the second six? o Do pupils only have one supervisor or are they moved around different supervisors? o How are pupils assessed? o What is chambers record for retaining pupils as tenants? o How much is the pupillage award? Can you draw down some of it early for the BVC year? How does remuneration relate to earnings in the second six? o Can you get an idea of the culture/working environment of the set? o What is the selection procedure and what criteria are chambers seeking? Applying the majority of chambers recruit through an online system called Pupillage Portal (previously known as OLPAS) available at www.pupillageportal.com. This system was recently changed and now consists of a First Round of applications, which takes place in March/April, followed by a Clearing Pool, which opens in September, replacing the previous Autumn Season

The First Round of applications opens in March, at the same time as the National Pupillage Fair, and closes at the end of April. Candidates can apply to up to twelve chambers in this round, and will be able to tailor each application to the individual sets to which they are applying. If unsuccessful, candidates can then apply through the Clearing system in September Other chambers there are a number of sets that do not recruit through Pupillage Portal and to which you must apply directly. These providers are all advertised on the Pupillage Portal website, which contains information on every available pupillage vacancy; however they have their own deadlines and application procedures. Its important to research chambers individual deadlines, which are sometimes very early (before March) use the Pupillages Handbook and the Pupillage Portal website for details. Ensure you tailor your application to the individual set Tips for applying o Its important to give specific and convincing reasons for why you want to become a barrister. Think about how your experiences have shaped your career aspirations and try to make your reasons individual and different; lots of candidates give very similar reasons for wanting to go to the Bar. o Demonstrate that youve researched the profession thoroughly and are fully aware of what the role of a barrister entails. o When describing your mini-pupillages, avoid giving general descriptions of what you did (e.g. went to court, read cases) and instead be specific about what you learnt from your experience and what you found interesting. o Make sure you pull out the relevant aspects of all your non-legal experiences too, in particular any experience of public speaking or performing. o Above all, demonstrate total commitment the Bar being a barrister requires extreme dedication and chambers will be looking for candidates who are 100% committed to the profession.

Angela Dale Careers Adviser February 2009 (updated May 2009)