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Any pupillage candidate worth their salt knows they are in for a rocky ride. It is an undeniable fact that there is a chronic problem around supply exceeding demand, aggravated post-pandemic, as a number of chambers postponed recruitment cycles 2020/21. More candidates than ever are experiencing increased pressure, given the five-year time frame in which to qualify and secure pupillage.
Add in the fact that chambers, unlike law firms, aren’t traditionally set up with slick human resources departments to manage the application process – but rather rely upon the goodwill of their members to volunteer for a place on the pupillage committee – and you have the perfect storm for potential lack of transparency and consistency.
Back in my day (the 1995/96 pupillage round) you’d apply with covering letter and CV to each and every chambers known to man, woman and child in the hope that you might hear back from a very small percentage. Securing that elusive interview, never mind a successful pupillage offer, could often feel like your life’s work.
Things continue to improve. Today’s Pupillage Gateway allows for a more accessible, above-board process. Certain chambers are going out of their way to create a fairer process. For example, individual barristers at Kings Chambers and 23 Essex Street have offered specific feedback to those unsuccessful. The process at Bank House has benefitted from a major overhaul and now provides a very structured process, an information sheet about what to expect, and transparency in how the second written round and interview is marked. Detailed written feedback is offered to all applicants as a matter of course, and verbally for all those reaching the second round. Individual candidates’ personal circumstances are also taken account of where necessary.
The process is not for the faint-hearted: be prepared elsewhere for the possibility of rejection by silence. You may not hear back from some chambers at all. Equally, don’t expect any feedback about either your paper application or performance at interview. There have even been the occasional horror stories, like the erroneous interview offer withdrawn at the 11th hour, the night before it was due to take place.
The emotional fallout is real. The process has been described as relentless, brutal even, as candidates’ resilience is repeatedly tested. Having said that, some reassurance can be gleaned from this, knowing that you are not alone. Even now, 25 years on, I recoil as I recall (as if it was yesterday) one instance where my degree results were not only dissected but shredded by senior practitioners. My 21-year-old, fresh-faced self was left reeling from the derision of apparently having a ‘drinker’s degree’.
It is important not to fall into the trap of believing that your own sense of self/happiness rests entirely upon the outcome: never overlook the already brilliant skills you have that brought you to the point of application.
This isn’t the forum in which to discuss what systematic improvements could be made to the pupillage process. Instead, the focus here is on helping applicants to optimistically embrace the process by equipping themselves with strategies to best handle and succeed within it. My obvious starting point is to encourage students to enter the process with eyes wide open.
There’s lots of advice out there about ‘grafting until you are blue in the face’ to get to where you want to be. Of course, a life at the Bar takes lots of dedicated hard work but hand in hand with an imperfect system comes an element of good fortune. This is where the most tenacious and creative thinkers gain that all-important edge, by creating their own luck. Just as networking is important when finally at the Bar, in business and many other aspects of life, as a would-be pupil creating your own network, you can gain some useful insights to support success.
Consider aligning yourself with a good mentor to guide, encourage and reassure you. Ideally, this would be someone with recent experience or insight into the application process, who can give you feedback to tweak any future application form and assist you in your approach/performance in interview.
If you don’t have a mentor readily at hand, think about how you can get one: you may wish to start by following people on social media to get a true flavour of life at the Bar. Often free offers of assistance on the pupillage application process are made on Twitter and LinkedIn, for example, and these are opportunities not to be missed.
Equally, there are many specialist associations you can join as a barrister in training, to connect with a supportive bunch willing to share experiences about the process, warts and all. If, having been unsuccessful, you think the chambers may offer some form of feedback, don’t shy away from asking for it – it’s rare but, when given, can be hugely insightful and informative for future learning and growth.
Aside from an element of luck, what skills can you acquire or develop, then, to successfully navigate the process? Alongside tenacity, you will need to dig deep on your resilience reserves:
Successfully navigating the process also takes work on your mindset:
Finally, to that end, keep going. Keep going until such time as you decide you’ve achieved success. No one else. Success as defined by you.
Nikki Alderson is a former criminal barrister. She is now a specialist coach supporting chambers and law firms to attract, retain and elevate female talent within the legal profession and empowering female lawyers to achieve career ambitions: www.nikkialdersoncoaching.com. She is also a keynote speaker, author of Raising the Bar: empowering female lawyers through coaching and tweets as @NikkiAlderson2.
Any pupillage candidate worth their salt knows they are in for a rocky ride. It is an undeniable fact that there is a chronic problem around supply exceeding demand, aggravated post-pandemic, as a number of chambers postponed recruitment cycles 2020/21. More candidates than ever are experiencing increased pressure, given the five-year time frame in which to qualify and secure pupillage.
Add in the fact that chambers, unlike law firms, aren’t traditionally set up with slick human resources departments to manage the application process – but rather rely upon the goodwill of their members to volunteer for a place on the pupillage committee – and you have the perfect storm for potential lack of transparency and consistency.
Back in my day (the 1995/96 pupillage round) you’d apply with covering letter and CV to each and every chambers known to man, woman and child in the hope that you might hear back from a very small percentage. Securing that elusive interview, never mind a successful pupillage offer, could often feel like your life’s work.
Things continue to improve. Today’s Pupillage Gateway allows for a more accessible, above-board process. Certain chambers are going out of their way to create a fairer process. For example, individual barristers at Kings Chambers and 23 Essex Street have offered specific feedback to those unsuccessful. The process at Bank House has benefitted from a major overhaul and now provides a very structured process, an information sheet about what to expect, and transparency in how the second written round and interview is marked. Detailed written feedback is offered to all applicants as a matter of course, and verbally for all those reaching the second round. Individual candidates’ personal circumstances are also taken account of where necessary.
The process is not for the faint-hearted: be prepared elsewhere for the possibility of rejection by silence. You may not hear back from some chambers at all. Equally, don’t expect any feedback about either your paper application or performance at interview. There have even been the occasional horror stories, like the erroneous interview offer withdrawn at the 11th hour, the night before it was due to take place.
The emotional fallout is real. The process has been described as relentless, brutal even, as candidates’ resilience is repeatedly tested. Having said that, some reassurance can be gleaned from this, knowing that you are not alone. Even now, 25 years on, I recoil as I recall (as if it was yesterday) one instance where my degree results were not only dissected but shredded by senior practitioners. My 21-year-old, fresh-faced self was left reeling from the derision of apparently having a ‘drinker’s degree’.
It is important not to fall into the trap of believing that your own sense of self/happiness rests entirely upon the outcome: never overlook the already brilliant skills you have that brought you to the point of application.
This isn’t the forum in which to discuss what systematic improvements could be made to the pupillage process. Instead, the focus here is on helping applicants to optimistically embrace the process by equipping themselves with strategies to best handle and succeed within it. My obvious starting point is to encourage students to enter the process with eyes wide open.
There’s lots of advice out there about ‘grafting until you are blue in the face’ to get to where you want to be. Of course, a life at the Bar takes lots of dedicated hard work but hand in hand with an imperfect system comes an element of good fortune. This is where the most tenacious and creative thinkers gain that all-important edge, by creating their own luck. Just as networking is important when finally at the Bar, in business and many other aspects of life, as a would-be pupil creating your own network, you can gain some useful insights to support success.
Consider aligning yourself with a good mentor to guide, encourage and reassure you. Ideally, this would be someone with recent experience or insight into the application process, who can give you feedback to tweak any future application form and assist you in your approach/performance in interview.
If you don’t have a mentor readily at hand, think about how you can get one: you may wish to start by following people on social media to get a true flavour of life at the Bar. Often free offers of assistance on the pupillage application process are made on Twitter and LinkedIn, for example, and these are opportunities not to be missed.
Equally, there are many specialist associations you can join as a barrister in training, to connect with a supportive bunch willing to share experiences about the process, warts and all. If, having been unsuccessful, you think the chambers may offer some form of feedback, don’t shy away from asking for it – it’s rare but, when given, can be hugely insightful and informative for future learning and growth.
Aside from an element of luck, what skills can you acquire or develop, then, to successfully navigate the process? Alongside tenacity, you will need to dig deep on your resilience reserves:
Successfully navigating the process also takes work on your mindset:
Finally, to that end, keep going. Keep going until such time as you decide you’ve achieved success. No one else. Success as defined by you.
Countering the gatekeeper agenda, troubling news on earnings disparities, spreading best practice in chambers, Pro Bono Week 2023, and the Rules of War
By David Cosway (with the help of ChatGPT)
Due to advances in research, technology and techniques, AlphaBiolabs can now offer alcohol testing for head hair samples that are just 1cm in length
With the explosion of interest in governance and the growing need to be multi-skilled to keep career options open, adding an extra string to your bow is not without its merits. The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland (CGIUKI) Fast Track for the Chartered Governance Qualifying Programme could be ideal for experienced professionals to reach chartered governance status
The 2023-24 COMBAR mentoring scheme for underrepresented groups is now open for applications - deadline extended to 12 October 2023
The Hodge Professional Mortgage proves more popular with women
The North Eastern Circuit Leader on his trailblazing career, turbulent early years of practice and his mission to equip all barristers, regardless of their characteristics, with the opportunity to thrive. Interview by Glenn Parsons
From a CPS pupillage to Director of Legal Services at one of the largest prosecutors in England and Wales Michael Jennings describes the interesting and varied life an employed barrister in public service can lead
In 2022 Behind the Gown asked the Bar Standards Board to acknowledge online misogyny and sexism. One year on, the regulator’s revised Social Media Guidance doesn’t go far enough in confronting this issue, say Stephanie Hayward and Charlotte Proudman
Growing your junior practice via international conference and how to fund the trip: Daria Gleyze, Emile Simpson and Sajid Suleman share what they gained from the ChBA BVI Conference
Countering the gatekeeper agenda, troubling news on earnings disparities, spreading best practice in chambers, Pro Bono Week 2023, and the Rules of War
