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Being perfectly honest, I cannot tell you how lucky I feel to never have to go through the pupillage application process ever again.
It is a long, daunting and exhausting process. Often, when you finally get to the end... you have to go through it all over again in a few months’ time. And that’s after all the years of hard work and thousands of pounds spent, just to get to that stage. I remember it well.
But, speaking as one of the fortunate ones who came out the other side, I want to take this opportunity to urge you not to give up. This job is an absolute privilege. The junior Bar is crying out for enthusiastic and committed young barristers like yourselves.
It is a very demanding job, and so the application process is necessarily a difficult one. Chambers want to ensure that they only offer to candidates that they know are committed to the profession, and to them, and have outstanding potential. They commit an awful lot of time (much of which is on a voluntary basis, in the evenings and weekends) and money into recruiting, training and supporting pupils, and so naturally they want to make sure that whoever they offer to is worth the investment.
So please do not be disheartened by the process, as it serves a purpose.
To help lighten the load, I have asked myself, with the benefit of hindsight, what I wish I had known when I was in your shoes only a very short while ago. I have put together a shortlist of tips, insights and advice that I hope will be of help to you in your applications and interviews.
I am sure that I cannot be the only one for whom the honest answer to the inevitable ‘so, why do you want to join our chambers?’ for some of my applications was simply ‘... because you’re offering a pupillage and I really want one’. Needless to say, I was not offered interviews at any of those sets.
And that is because chambers will be able to tell from a mile away if you’ve applied to them just for the sake of it. You must have good reasons for applying and be able to give a convincing answer as to why you want to do pupillage with them.
Things to consider include the following:
It is a subjective question, and the answer should be obvious to you. You will naturally have favourites; you just need to work out why they are your favourites. You must ask yourself what it is you want to get out of pupillage (no, not just a practising certificate – it must be more than that!), and whether or not you will survive or thrive at that set. By all means, there is no harm in speculative applications, but don’t be surprised if you don’t get invited to an interview there, and be careful not to sacrifice time better spent on other things.
It sounds obvious, but you may be surprised at the reality of day-to-day practice. It’s a very tough job which can be brutal at times, particularly at the criminal Bar. You should be aware that, from the early stages, many people do drop out of this career for various, and understandable, reasons. Chambers will only take you seriously if they are confident you will see it through. Think how you can demonstrate that – being candid about the job and why you want to do it, and going in with your eyes open to the challenges, are key.
This extends not only to the job as a whole, but to the practice areas in which you want to specialise. For example, there will almost always be a ‘why crime?’ question – make sure you have a convincing answer.
Applicants often worry too much about the number of mini-pupillages, mooting competitions or debates that they have done. Of course, these demonstrate key skills, commitment and insight, but most applicants will have done something similar.
Ask yourself, what makes you stand out? What makes your application memorable and showcases your personality? Almost any experience can be used to demonstrate particular skills or attributes which will make you a good pupil/barrister, so be creative (within reason of course). If you can explain this in a persuasive way, then that demonstrates good advocacy at the same time – which is our entire purpose as advocates.
I have saved my most important tip for last. Don’t be disheartened if you don’t get as many interviews as you were hoping for, or not with the set you really want to join. It took me three years of applications, but I have ended up at the set that I can’t see myself ever wanting to leave. One of the best silks I have ever come across told me it took them six years to get their offer! Tenacity and resilience are key skills that a barrister needs. You could be the most effective advocate the world has ever seen, but if you lack resilience, you won’t be successful.
Asking for feedback, being candid about the weaknesses of your application and demonstrating proactive steps taken to resolve those in between application rounds will only make you a stronger candidate next time, and demonstrates your resilience and commitment to this job.
If you aren’t successful, get up, dust yourself off, reflect, and then go again.
I hope you have found the above helpful. All that remains is to wish you the very best of luck, and I hope to see you in a robing room soon.
Ross Ludlow is a barrister at Drystone Chambers. He joined as a tenant in October 2024 after successfully completing his 12-month pupillage there.
Being perfectly honest, I cannot tell you how lucky I feel to never have to go through the pupillage application process ever again.
It is a long, daunting and exhausting process. Often, when you finally get to the end... you have to go through it all over again in a few months’ time. And that’s after all the years of hard work and thousands of pounds spent, just to get to that stage. I remember it well.
But, speaking as one of the fortunate ones who came out the other side, I want to take this opportunity to urge you not to give up. This job is an absolute privilege. The junior Bar is crying out for enthusiastic and committed young barristers like yourselves.
It is a very demanding job, and so the application process is necessarily a difficult one. Chambers want to ensure that they only offer to candidates that they know are committed to the profession, and to them, and have outstanding potential. They commit an awful lot of time (much of which is on a voluntary basis, in the evenings and weekends) and money into recruiting, training and supporting pupils, and so naturally they want to make sure that whoever they offer to is worth the investment.
So please do not be disheartened by the process, as it serves a purpose.
To help lighten the load, I have asked myself, with the benefit of hindsight, what I wish I had known when I was in your shoes only a very short while ago. I have put together a shortlist of tips, insights and advice that I hope will be of help to you in your applications and interviews.
I am sure that I cannot be the only one for whom the honest answer to the inevitable ‘so, why do you want to join our chambers?’ for some of my applications was simply ‘... because you’re offering a pupillage and I really want one’. Needless to say, I was not offered interviews at any of those sets.
And that is because chambers will be able to tell from a mile away if you’ve applied to them just for the sake of it. You must have good reasons for applying and be able to give a convincing answer as to why you want to do pupillage with them.
Things to consider include the following:
It is a subjective question, and the answer should be obvious to you. You will naturally have favourites; you just need to work out why they are your favourites. You must ask yourself what it is you want to get out of pupillage (no, not just a practising certificate – it must be more than that!), and whether or not you will survive or thrive at that set. By all means, there is no harm in speculative applications, but don’t be surprised if you don’t get invited to an interview there, and be careful not to sacrifice time better spent on other things.
It sounds obvious, but you may be surprised at the reality of day-to-day practice. It’s a very tough job which can be brutal at times, particularly at the criminal Bar. You should be aware that, from the early stages, many people do drop out of this career for various, and understandable, reasons. Chambers will only take you seriously if they are confident you will see it through. Think how you can demonstrate that – being candid about the job and why you want to do it, and going in with your eyes open to the challenges, are key.
This extends not only to the job as a whole, but to the practice areas in which you want to specialise. For example, there will almost always be a ‘why crime?’ question – make sure you have a convincing answer.
Applicants often worry too much about the number of mini-pupillages, mooting competitions or debates that they have done. Of course, these demonstrate key skills, commitment and insight, but most applicants will have done something similar.
Ask yourself, what makes you stand out? What makes your application memorable and showcases your personality? Almost any experience can be used to demonstrate particular skills or attributes which will make you a good pupil/barrister, so be creative (within reason of course). If you can explain this in a persuasive way, then that demonstrates good advocacy at the same time – which is our entire purpose as advocates.
I have saved my most important tip for last. Don’t be disheartened if you don’t get as many interviews as you were hoping for, or not with the set you really want to join. It took me three years of applications, but I have ended up at the set that I can’t see myself ever wanting to leave. One of the best silks I have ever come across told me it took them six years to get their offer! Tenacity and resilience are key skills that a barrister needs. You could be the most effective advocate the world has ever seen, but if you lack resilience, you won’t be successful.
Asking for feedback, being candid about the weaknesses of your application and demonstrating proactive steps taken to resolve those in between application rounds will only make you a stronger candidate next time, and demonstrates your resilience and commitment to this job.
If you aren’t successful, get up, dust yourself off, reflect, and then go again.
I hope you have found the above helpful. All that remains is to wish you the very best of luck, and I hope to see you in a robing room soon.
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
