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For those aspiring to a training contract and a career as a solicitor, the Vac Scheme is a hard to earn rite of passage, often taking up an entire summer, immersing oneself in the (often corporate) culture of the firm. Work experience is, perhaps, a little less formal, and with no fixed endgame. Mini-pupillage is supposed to offer a tantalising glimpse into the mysterious world of chambers, shadowing experienced barristers in their trips to court, meeting with their clients (often in the cells), and seeing the courtroom from a seat slightly closer to the action that merely sitting in the public gallery. Equally, a mini-pupil can find themselves sitting in a conference as the barrister advises the client, looking at a set of papers, or going away to undertake legal research. Each set of chambers offers something slightly different, and because a barrister’s life is rarely simple, it is often a simple matter of luck as to what you might see during your placement.
At first blush, the purpose is to see barristers in action, but you can go down to the local court to do that. Mini-pupillage is about getting a feel for the day-to-day pressures under which barristers find themselves and seeing the soft skills at first hand. It might put you off the Bar in a way that the glossy adverts and TV dramas might not. You should be trying to answer four questions:
(1) Do I want to do this, or something else, and why not the alternative?
(2) Where do I want to be based, and why not the other places?
(3) Is there a specific area of law I want to undertake, and why not the others?
(4) Am I good enough?
The short answer is: as many as it takes to answer those four questions, and, unless there’s a good reason, no more. Some crime, some civil, some family, maybe London and a provincial set, balanced with some work experience with a solicitor and you should be well on your way. Doing 15 criminal mini-pupillages and nothing more is wasting your time, and theirs.
Each set of chambers will have a different approach. Some want a formal application form, just as if you were applying for a full blown pupillage. Some want a detailed letter, and some hand them out at random. Some offer placements as prizes for mooting competitions or the like. The simplest way is to look at the website, normally under Recruitment if there’s nothing more obvious, and follow the instructions, particularly as regards deadlines for applications. An amazing number of people simply cannot follow the instructions. There is still a feeling that you have to know somebody in chambers before you can get in, but the reality is that most schemes are hopelessly over-subscribed, and there will inevitably be people who get a place who you think are no better than you. Ignore them. Make your own luck: write a good application, hang around at court and note the names of the barristers you see. Speak to them if you get a chance. Drop their name on your application. Ask them directly. Think about how you would like to receive an approach if you were in their position. If you’re going to court, dress smartly: you might be comfortable in jeans or leggings, but you don’t know what opportunity might arise. Ask the ushers which court might be interesting to go and watch, and which barristers to approach. Be polite: ask whether it might be possible to learn what the case is about so that you can get the most out of it. If the barrister looks like thunder, get out of their way.
Probably not. Some chambers have access schemes which give a modest grant to cover travel costs, but you’re taking up a barrister’s time and you’re not the only one who wants to do so. If chambers offer 20 or 30 places a year, they’re not going to want to make financial offers on top. When I ran the Deans Court scheme, we got 500 through the doors in six years. There’s no way we could have done that had we paid people.
You don’t want to overstay your welcome, and most sets are now trying to get as many through the door as possible. Even a one-day placement can be inordinately valuable in getting an impression of chambers as an organisation, or getting the chance to speak to a busy barrister. Never be put off by how short the experience might be: you’ll be blown away by how much information you’ll get given. Most placements are two, three or five days. It’s rare to get more than a week.
Some sets of chambers use mini-pupillage as a formal assessment process for deciding their next pupils. This means that there’s likely to be more structure and potentially formal exercises to be undertaken. An unassessed mini-pupillage is normally for the benefit of the student, not chambers, but be aware that even if it’s said to be unassessed, they’re keeping an eye out for the good ones.
Again, it depends. If they use an assessed mini-pupillage format, chances are that you’ll have to jump through that hoop. Be aware of what you want to get out of a placement, both when you apply and when you turn up. I turned down a mini-pupillage at Deans Court because I already had five such offers, but spent a day there before accepting my pupillage.
You’ll have done your research before applying, and should have an idea about the sort of work that you’ll see, but speak to the receptionists or clerks when you arrive, get a feel for who you’ll be with, and think about the impression that you want to make. You might be in court, in chambers in conference, sitting in a barrister’s room looking at papers. Who knows? Apart from anything else, mini-pupillage is often a seat of the pants exercise where every day is different: you wanted to know what a barrister’s life is like, didn’t you? You will normally be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement before you start: you’re privileged to get a placement and certainly not entitled to be there.
Whether assessed or not, this is a pseudo-interview: the barrister might not actually care that you’re in jeans and a woolly jumper, but the client will. This is your chance to piggy-back with a professional, and it’s your chance to make that all-important first impression. Suited and booted is always the best look. It doesn’t have to be fancy or a three-piece, but a dark suit, plain shirt or blouse, and sensible shoes go a long way. Having seen floral print dresses and Peruvian woolly jumpers, don’t expect to be invited back. Think what you’d wear for a pupillage interview and you shouldn’t go far wrong.
Bring a pen and a notebook, but ask if it’s ok to take notes. Take your cue from the barrister – pulling out a cheese sandwich and munching away in conference is not going to endear you to them. Listen, but remember that you have no standing here: mini-pupils who want to give the client advice, no matter how well meaning, are not going to be popular. If you think that there’s something important to say, because you’ve just read a new case on that issue, wait until you can speak to the barrister separately, and ask whether this is a case where the new case of X might be useful. Think about what the client is seeing: it’s one of the most important days of their life, and they’re being asked to share that stress not just with the barrister and solicitor, but a glorified work experience individual on a two-day placement. Fade into the background.
The clients might want to know your opinion, but unless the barrister specifically asks you, keep quiet, watch and listen. If in doubt, ask.
Bring a pencil and a notebook, draw three columns, and think about recording things you liked, didn’t like, and want to think about later. Use a pencil so you can move them to a different column as necessary. Do that every day, and you’ll have 15 nuggets by the end of the week. Don’t ask the same questions again and again: you’ll just get the same answer. Think about what you want to learn from this barrister, these chambers, this experience.
Really? No.
You can apply to Deans Court and if you get in, I’m likely to be around and willing to chat, even for 10 minutes, but I can’t take people directly anymore. If you want to know what I’d teach you, I can recommend The Mini-Pupillage Workbook.
For those aspiring to a training contract and a career as a solicitor, the Vac Scheme is a hard to earn rite of passage, often taking up an entire summer, immersing oneself in the (often corporate) culture of the firm. Work experience is, perhaps, a little less formal, and with no fixed endgame. Mini-pupillage is supposed to offer a tantalising glimpse into the mysterious world of chambers, shadowing experienced barristers in their trips to court, meeting with their clients (often in the cells), and seeing the courtroom from a seat slightly closer to the action that merely sitting in the public gallery. Equally, a mini-pupil can find themselves sitting in a conference as the barrister advises the client, looking at a set of papers, or going away to undertake legal research. Each set of chambers offers something slightly different, and because a barrister’s life is rarely simple, it is often a simple matter of luck as to what you might see during your placement.
At first blush, the purpose is to see barristers in action, but you can go down to the local court to do that. Mini-pupillage is about getting a feel for the day-to-day pressures under which barristers find themselves and seeing the soft skills at first hand. It might put you off the Bar in a way that the glossy adverts and TV dramas might not. You should be trying to answer four questions:
(1) Do I want to do this, or something else, and why not the alternative?
(2) Where do I want to be based, and why not the other places?
(3) Is there a specific area of law I want to undertake, and why not the others?
(4) Am I good enough?
The short answer is: as many as it takes to answer those four questions, and, unless there’s a good reason, no more. Some crime, some civil, some family, maybe London and a provincial set, balanced with some work experience with a solicitor and you should be well on your way. Doing 15 criminal mini-pupillages and nothing more is wasting your time, and theirs.
Each set of chambers will have a different approach. Some want a formal application form, just as if you were applying for a full blown pupillage. Some want a detailed letter, and some hand them out at random. Some offer placements as prizes for mooting competitions or the like. The simplest way is to look at the website, normally under Recruitment if there’s nothing more obvious, and follow the instructions, particularly as regards deadlines for applications. An amazing number of people simply cannot follow the instructions. There is still a feeling that you have to know somebody in chambers before you can get in, but the reality is that most schemes are hopelessly over-subscribed, and there will inevitably be people who get a place who you think are no better than you. Ignore them. Make your own luck: write a good application, hang around at court and note the names of the barristers you see. Speak to them if you get a chance. Drop their name on your application. Ask them directly. Think about how you would like to receive an approach if you were in their position. If you’re going to court, dress smartly: you might be comfortable in jeans or leggings, but you don’t know what opportunity might arise. Ask the ushers which court might be interesting to go and watch, and which barristers to approach. Be polite: ask whether it might be possible to learn what the case is about so that you can get the most out of it. If the barrister looks like thunder, get out of their way.
Probably not. Some chambers have access schemes which give a modest grant to cover travel costs, but you’re taking up a barrister’s time and you’re not the only one who wants to do so. If chambers offer 20 or 30 places a year, they’re not going to want to make financial offers on top. When I ran the Deans Court scheme, we got 500 through the doors in six years. There’s no way we could have done that had we paid people.
You don’t want to overstay your welcome, and most sets are now trying to get as many through the door as possible. Even a one-day placement can be inordinately valuable in getting an impression of chambers as an organisation, or getting the chance to speak to a busy barrister. Never be put off by how short the experience might be: you’ll be blown away by how much information you’ll get given. Most placements are two, three or five days. It’s rare to get more than a week.
Some sets of chambers use mini-pupillage as a formal assessment process for deciding their next pupils. This means that there’s likely to be more structure and potentially formal exercises to be undertaken. An unassessed mini-pupillage is normally for the benefit of the student, not chambers, but be aware that even if it’s said to be unassessed, they’re keeping an eye out for the good ones.
Again, it depends. If they use an assessed mini-pupillage format, chances are that you’ll have to jump through that hoop. Be aware of what you want to get out of a placement, both when you apply and when you turn up. I turned down a mini-pupillage at Deans Court because I already had five such offers, but spent a day there before accepting my pupillage.
You’ll have done your research before applying, and should have an idea about the sort of work that you’ll see, but speak to the receptionists or clerks when you arrive, get a feel for who you’ll be with, and think about the impression that you want to make. You might be in court, in chambers in conference, sitting in a barrister’s room looking at papers. Who knows? Apart from anything else, mini-pupillage is often a seat of the pants exercise where every day is different: you wanted to know what a barrister’s life is like, didn’t you? You will normally be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement before you start: you’re privileged to get a placement and certainly not entitled to be there.
Whether assessed or not, this is a pseudo-interview: the barrister might not actually care that you’re in jeans and a woolly jumper, but the client will. This is your chance to piggy-back with a professional, and it’s your chance to make that all-important first impression. Suited and booted is always the best look. It doesn’t have to be fancy or a three-piece, but a dark suit, plain shirt or blouse, and sensible shoes go a long way. Having seen floral print dresses and Peruvian woolly jumpers, don’t expect to be invited back. Think what you’d wear for a pupillage interview and you shouldn’t go far wrong.
Bring a pen and a notebook, but ask if it’s ok to take notes. Take your cue from the barrister – pulling out a cheese sandwich and munching away in conference is not going to endear you to them. Listen, but remember that you have no standing here: mini-pupils who want to give the client advice, no matter how well meaning, are not going to be popular. If you think that there’s something important to say, because you’ve just read a new case on that issue, wait until you can speak to the barrister separately, and ask whether this is a case where the new case of X might be useful. Think about what the client is seeing: it’s one of the most important days of their life, and they’re being asked to share that stress not just with the barrister and solicitor, but a glorified work experience individual on a two-day placement. Fade into the background.
The clients might want to know your opinion, but unless the barrister specifically asks you, keep quiet, watch and listen. If in doubt, ask.
Bring a pencil and a notebook, draw three columns, and think about recording things you liked, didn’t like, and want to think about later. Use a pencil so you can move them to a different column as necessary. Do that every day, and you’ll have 15 nuggets by the end of the week. Don’t ask the same questions again and again: you’ll just get the same answer. Think about what you want to learn from this barrister, these chambers, this experience.
Really? No.
You can apply to Deans Court and if you get in, I’m likely to be around and willing to chat, even for 10 minutes, but I can’t take people directly anymore. If you want to know what I’d teach you, I can recommend The Mini-Pupillage Workbook.
The Chair of the Bar reports back
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, explains how global events can influence the performance of pensions and ISAs, and why taking a long-term approach to investing is often the most effective strategy
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, discusses what family law professionals need to know about hallucinogens, from the main hallucinogenic drugs encountered in family proceedings, to their effects and the testing options available
Harmony Christian Ministries is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
By David Green
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, examines the forensic science underpinning hair drug testing, its evidential scope and limitations, and why it remains the gold standard for evidencing patterns of drug use in family proceedings
Developing a tech start-up demands a different definition of excellence to the Bar, says Saara Idelbi. The co-creator of Advocatr on entrepreneurship, AI advocacy training, and matching the thrill of a killer cross-examination
At the start of her term, Chair of the Bar 2026 Kirsty Brimelow KC set out a series of priorities for the year ahead. One of those priorities was children in the justice system
As the world becomes more digital, Barbara Vinagre Mota examines international research into the mental health consequences of judges’ exposure to graphic and immersive evidence, highlighting the importance of support systems
Reviewed by Daniel Barnett
James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain until 27 September Rothko in Florence at Palazzo Strozzi until 23 August Reviewed by Stephen Cragg KC
