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Don Turner explains why the habits, relationships and commercial understanding you build during pupillage can prove just as valuable as legal expertise
Starting pupillage is a great achievement and an exciting time, but it can also feel overwhelming. Most pupils understandably focus on surviving the next conference, preparing the next piece of work or developing their advocacy skills. But while they are learning how to become a barrister, it is also worth understanding what is needed to build strong foundations for the next stage: tenancy.
Getting tenancy can feel like the finish line, but it is just the start of a very different challenge. Many of the foundations for a long-term career at the Bar are built during pupillage, so use this time wisely.
The pupils who tend to make the smoothest transition to tenancy are not necessarily the brightest academically or the strongest advocates on paper. Often, they are the ones who use pupillage to build good habits, professional relationships and commercial awareness alongside their legal skills.
Pupillage is not simply about proving you are competent enough for tenancy. It is also an opportunity to learn how Chambers works, how clients think, how practice teams operate and how to build a sustainable career.
While primarily focused on the chambers environment, many of the points in this article will apply to pupils at the employed Bar and their employer/organisation; some aspects may uniquely apply to the chambers structure, but such is the flexibility of a barrister’s career that movement between the employed and self-employed Bars is increasingly common.
It is understandably common for many pupils to focus almost entirely on legal knowledge and advocacy. Of course, these matter enormously but the next stage, tenancy, requires much more than technical ability.
As self-employed professionals operating within a business environment as a part of a collective, you will notice that each member of Chambers will have differing levels of success in their practices. This is often not based on technical achievement alone, but on many other human and leadership qualities. The earlier you understand this, the better foundations you can build to ensure that tenancy comes easier.
Observe how Chambers operates and evaluate:
Watch everything, gain an understanding, find role models and work out what is going to make you ultimately a successful barrister within Chambers.
Many pupils focus almost entirely on impressing barristers. That is understandable, but do not underestimate the value in understanding the relationship between members of chambers and staff.
One of the biggest mistakes pupils can make is treating clerks and support staff as separate from their professional development. They are not just employees looking after your diary and day-to-day running of the business; the dynamic is far more complex.
Your practice team will be made up of people managing your diary, spotting opportunities, speaking to solicitors, promoting you to clients and supporting your growth through your whole career. Often, they will become some of the most important people in your professional life.
You do not need to become everyone’s best friend, but the strongest pupils and tenants tend to:
Good business relationships are built on consistency, professionalism and excellent interpersonal skills. Early development of your relationship with your practice team will pay dividends throughout your whole career.
No one expects perfection during pupillage. Mistakes will happen, and that is entirely natural while you are learning. However, you will be judged on your reliability, your professionalism, and your respect for other people’s time and workloads.
Being easy to work with is often underpinned by being dependable; someone who instinctively understands what is needed to operate effectively alongside other professionals. Throughout your career, and increasingly in your personal life through social media, it is important to remember that you are representing not only yourself, but also Chambers and its wider membership.
Focus on and master:
Reliability may sound unremarkable, but it is one of the most valuable professional traits at the Bar. These personal skills can often make the difference between building a successful practice or a mediocre one. In some cases, decisions around tenancy can hinge on these qualities alone, because your actions affect the wider Chambers’ environment.
Many instructing solicitors would rather work with someone dependable and easy to deal with than someone brilliant but disordered.
The reality is that members of chambers are not only assessing whether you can technically do the job. They are assessing whether you are person they can invest in over the long term.
Like it or not, you are entering the world of self-employment. Chambers provides a significant advantage through its structure, support systems and collective reputation, but your long-term success will still depend heavily on your own business skills.
You are not simply becoming a barrister; you are also building and managing your own business. The earlier you understand that reality, the easier it becomes to make better decisions about relationships, reputation, client service and practice growth.
Pay attention to:
A surprising number of junior barristers struggle because they assume their brilliance and technical ability alone guarantees a successful practice. It does not.
The Bar remains a ‘people business’. The barristers who thrive are often those who combine competence with visibility, reliability and strong professional relationships.
Confidence at the Bar usually comes from good groundwork and repeated exposure, not necessarily having an outwardly confident personality.
Pupillage gives you a relatively safe environment in which to develop confidence. It is never too early to ‘show up’ and be engaged with chambers life; slowly building your profile becoming part of the scene. There are lots of opportunities to get involved with the business of chambers and now is the best time to start.
Volunteer for opportunities where possible:
Many pupils avoid these situations because they feel too junior, uncomfortable or not welcomed. These activities, however, are often the exact experiences that make it easier for you to gain tenancy and ease you into good lifetime practices.
Fast forward to the end of your career and you will probably see things very differently. When many successful barristers look back, they often realise that their professional network played a huge part in their success. People buy from people, and they tend to buy from people they know, like and trust.
It is never too early to start building your network because meaningful professional relationships take years to develop.
Networking can feel intimidating as many pupils assume they have nothing valuable to say or contribute. In reality, networking is not limited to formal events or receptions. Successful professionals use the principles of networking throughout their entire working lives.
Pupillage is not a barrier to building relationships because networking is rarely about impressing people academically. It is usually about connecting with people on a human level.
You do not need to ‘sell yourself’. Good networking is often simply:
Small, genuine interactions are often far more effective than trying too hard to impress others. In How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie wrote:
‘You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.’
Few observations capture the reality of professional relationship-building more accurately.
The goal of pupillage is not to become a flawless barrister overnight. It is to build the foundations of a sustainable and professional career. Go easy on yourself. Ask questions and listen to feedback to assess your progression.
The pupils who make the smoothest transition to tenancy are often those who:
Legal knowledge will help you obtain tenancy, but professionalism, relationship skills and self-management will help you succeed once you get there.
Don Turner founded PME Training in 2013, delivering pragmatic management, coaching and consultancy exclusively to barristers’ chambers, working with professionals at all levels across England and Wales since its foundation. He is the author of Barrister Business (BlueGreenBD: 2026), the essential guide to the business of being a barrister and how to maximise your potential.
Starting pupillage is a great achievement and an exciting time, but it can also feel overwhelming. Most pupils understandably focus on surviving the next conference, preparing the next piece of work or developing their advocacy skills. But while they are learning how to become a barrister, it is also worth understanding what is needed to build strong foundations for the next stage: tenancy.
Getting tenancy can feel like the finish line, but it is just the start of a very different challenge. Many of the foundations for a long-term career at the Bar are built during pupillage, so use this time wisely.
The pupils who tend to make the smoothest transition to tenancy are not necessarily the brightest academically or the strongest advocates on paper. Often, they are the ones who use pupillage to build good habits, professional relationships and commercial awareness alongside their legal skills.
Pupillage is not simply about proving you are competent enough for tenancy. It is also an opportunity to learn how Chambers works, how clients think, how practice teams operate and how to build a sustainable career.
While primarily focused on the chambers environment, many of the points in this article will apply to pupils at the employed Bar and their employer/organisation; some aspects may uniquely apply to the chambers structure, but such is the flexibility of a barrister’s career that movement between the employed and self-employed Bars is increasingly common.
It is understandably common for many pupils to focus almost entirely on legal knowledge and advocacy. Of course, these matter enormously but the next stage, tenancy, requires much more than technical ability.
As self-employed professionals operating within a business environment as a part of a collective, you will notice that each member of Chambers will have differing levels of success in their practices. This is often not based on technical achievement alone, but on many other human and leadership qualities. The earlier you understand this, the better foundations you can build to ensure that tenancy comes easier.
Observe how Chambers operates and evaluate:
Watch everything, gain an understanding, find role models and work out what is going to make you ultimately a successful barrister within Chambers.
Many pupils focus almost entirely on impressing barristers. That is understandable, but do not underestimate the value in understanding the relationship between members of chambers and staff.
One of the biggest mistakes pupils can make is treating clerks and support staff as separate from their professional development. They are not just employees looking after your diary and day-to-day running of the business; the dynamic is far more complex.
Your practice team will be made up of people managing your diary, spotting opportunities, speaking to solicitors, promoting you to clients and supporting your growth through your whole career. Often, they will become some of the most important people in your professional life.
You do not need to become everyone’s best friend, but the strongest pupils and tenants tend to:
Good business relationships are built on consistency, professionalism and excellent interpersonal skills. Early development of your relationship with your practice team will pay dividends throughout your whole career.
No one expects perfection during pupillage. Mistakes will happen, and that is entirely natural while you are learning. However, you will be judged on your reliability, your professionalism, and your respect for other people’s time and workloads.
Being easy to work with is often underpinned by being dependable; someone who instinctively understands what is needed to operate effectively alongside other professionals. Throughout your career, and increasingly in your personal life through social media, it is important to remember that you are representing not only yourself, but also Chambers and its wider membership.
Focus on and master:
Reliability may sound unremarkable, but it is one of the most valuable professional traits at the Bar. These personal skills can often make the difference between building a successful practice or a mediocre one. In some cases, decisions around tenancy can hinge on these qualities alone, because your actions affect the wider Chambers’ environment.
Many instructing solicitors would rather work with someone dependable and easy to deal with than someone brilliant but disordered.
The reality is that members of chambers are not only assessing whether you can technically do the job. They are assessing whether you are person they can invest in over the long term.
Like it or not, you are entering the world of self-employment. Chambers provides a significant advantage through its structure, support systems and collective reputation, but your long-term success will still depend heavily on your own business skills.
You are not simply becoming a barrister; you are also building and managing your own business. The earlier you understand that reality, the easier it becomes to make better decisions about relationships, reputation, client service and practice growth.
Pay attention to:
A surprising number of junior barristers struggle because they assume their brilliance and technical ability alone guarantees a successful practice. It does not.
The Bar remains a ‘people business’. The barristers who thrive are often those who combine competence with visibility, reliability and strong professional relationships.
Confidence at the Bar usually comes from good groundwork and repeated exposure, not necessarily having an outwardly confident personality.
Pupillage gives you a relatively safe environment in which to develop confidence. It is never too early to ‘show up’ and be engaged with chambers life; slowly building your profile becoming part of the scene. There are lots of opportunities to get involved with the business of chambers and now is the best time to start.
Volunteer for opportunities where possible:
Many pupils avoid these situations because they feel too junior, uncomfortable or not welcomed. These activities, however, are often the exact experiences that make it easier for you to gain tenancy and ease you into good lifetime practices.
Fast forward to the end of your career and you will probably see things very differently. When many successful barristers look back, they often realise that their professional network played a huge part in their success. People buy from people, and they tend to buy from people they know, like and trust.
It is never too early to start building your network because meaningful professional relationships take years to develop.
Networking can feel intimidating as many pupils assume they have nothing valuable to say or contribute. In reality, networking is not limited to formal events or receptions. Successful professionals use the principles of networking throughout their entire working lives.
Pupillage is not a barrier to building relationships because networking is rarely about impressing people academically. It is usually about connecting with people on a human level.
You do not need to ‘sell yourself’. Good networking is often simply:
Small, genuine interactions are often far more effective than trying too hard to impress others. In How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie wrote:
‘You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.’
Few observations capture the reality of professional relationship-building more accurately.
The goal of pupillage is not to become a flawless barrister overnight. It is to build the foundations of a sustainable and professional career. Go easy on yourself. Ask questions and listen to feedback to assess your progression.
The pupils who make the smoothest transition to tenancy are often those who:
Legal knowledge will help you obtain tenancy, but professionalism, relationship skills and self-management will help you succeed once you get there.
Don Turner explains why the habits, relationships and commercial understanding you build during pupillage can prove just as valuable as legal expertise
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