Pupillage

OUR PUPILLAGE APPLICATION PROCESS IS NOW CLOSED

Pupillage Brochure

For a complete guide to pupillage at St Philips Chambers please download our Pupillage Brochure.

This recently published document provides details of what you can expect if you are successful in attaining pupillage with us, how to maximise the chances of submitting a successful application and also hear from some of our recent pupils, now tenants.

Investing in your future

We are looking for exceptional and well-rounded individuals with good intellectual ability and a practical approach to problem solving. We are more interested in your potential than your background. In 2024 we are recruiting a minimum of 6 pupils across all specialisms to start October 2025.  The Pupillage award for 2024 will be £50,000, with £25,000 payable over the course of the first eight months. We expect you to earn a similar amount in your second six and we provide a billing guarantee of £25,000 for this second six period.

We will meet the costs of the courses which are compulsory during Pupillage. Upon the satisfactory completion of the first six months, we provide you with your own copy of one substantial practice text for your specialist area such as: Archbold; Civil Procedure Rules (“The White Book”), or the Family Court Practice (“The Red Book”).

What our former pupils say

“There is an emphasis on finding your own voice and making the most from what you’ve been taught.”

“Everyone wants you to do well and you will be given every opportunity to show that you’re up to it.”

“Criticism is constructive, and praise is genuine.”

What to expect

Our 12-month pupillage offers a blend of education, encouragement and independence, designed to be both stimulating and enjoyable.  During your first six months, your pupil supervisor will make sure that you experience different specialisms within your chosen area of law and the contrasting styles of our members.  You will attend court and conferences with members, be involved in legal research, and collaborate on cases in a tailored program designed to build your knowledge and experience.  During your second six you will be able to do your own advisory and advocacy work in order to gain invaluable experience and learn the skills that will allow you to build a successful practice as one of our tenants.

With all St Philips’ practice groups, we only offer a pupillage if tenancy is available at the end of it, and we will do everything we can to support you to get there. Despite our size, we are a friendly and approachable team who always make time to support more junior barristers, especially pupils and junior tenants. You will find help and advice freely available from members at all levels of seniority, as you find your feet and continuing through tenancy as you develop your own practice.

We take great care in the selection of our pupils and are looking not only for intellectual ability and advocacy potential, but also mental stamina and good judgment. If you have these qualities, then we welcome your application, whatever your background.

 

Key dates and Application Process

7 Feb 2024 @ 5.00pm

Our submission window has closed. No further applications or amendments are allowed

8 Apr 2024

First round interview evenings – Week 1

We will be running first round interview evenings remotely; these will take place in the week commencing 8th April 2024.

15 Apr 2024

First round interview evenings – Week 2

We will be running first round interview evenings remotely; these will take place in the week commencing 15th April 2024.

29 Apr 2024

Final round interviews

Interviews will take place, in person, in Chambers week commencing 29th April 2024.

10 May 2024

Offers made

St Philips Chambers will make their offers of Pupillage on this date.

 

Pupillage Videos

We have created a number of short videos to bring to life pupillage at St Philips; how we structure pupillage, what you can expect to be undertaking during your first and second six and also what it is like to be based in Birmingham.

You will hear from our Head of Pupillage Ali Tabari alongside recent pupils, and now tenants, Raghav Trivedi, Chevan Ilangaratne, Meredith Rawsthorne and Tamsin Sandiford.

Pupil Barristers 2023

The eight pupils who commenced their pupillages at St Philips in October 2023

Pupillage Process Review

In 2023 we produced a pupillage report which explains our process, gives feedback on what worked well for the successful candidates and did not work as well for the unsuccessful candidates, and provides some useful information for anyone interested in applying to chambers in the future.

A copy of that report is available to download below.

St Philips Chambers Pupillage Process Review

Equality, diversity and inclusion

Chambers is committed to equal opportunities for its barristers and staff, and its diversity data is available at https://st-philips.com/about/ .

Chambers goes far above and beyond the minimum requirements for equality, diversity and inclusion. It was one of the first sets in the country to obtain a Certificate of Recognition from the Bar Council in recognition of the work of its Wellbeing Committee; it has signed up to the 10,000 Black Interns programme, and has published its own Anti-Racist Statement.

The Equality and Diversity Officers for chambers are Sophie Garner and Colin Baran.