Mini-pupillage

• Recruitment
• Introduction from Mukul Chawla QC
• Education
• Mini-pupillage
• The Pupillage Committee
• Selection of twelve-month pupils through OLPAS
• Obligations of pupil supervisors
• Applications for third six pupillage
• Recruiting Tenants from the pool of pupils
• What happens when you start a pupillage in Chambers
• After pupillage
• Rights and entitlements of a pupil at 9-12 Bell yard
• Duties as a pupil
• Useful telephone numbers

Each year Chambers offers approximately fifteen week-long unfunded mini-pupillages.

During the week you will be in court every day. We try to ensure that you see as diverse a range of court work as possible.

Although Chambers is unable to pay mini-pupils' expenses, we will not expect you to travel to see cases being heard in courts outside the London area. This does not preclude mini-pupils from travelling further afield should they wish to see matters of particular interest.

Placements are restricted to applicants who have studied or are already studying for a law degree or equivalent qualification, or who have secured a place to do so, or who have gained or are studying for a non-law degree and are interested in coming to the Bar. We are not able to offer mini-pupillages to candidates who have not yet commenced undergraduate studies.

Application procedure

Applications for any given year should be sent, preferably by e-mail or alternatively by post, for the attention of Daniel Sternberg (d.sternberg@9-12bellyard.com), who is responsible for organising mini-pupillages. The closing date for applications is 31st March, after which date applications will not normally be considered.

Applications should consist of:

• a CV
• a covering letter explaining in no more than 200 words the applicant's interest in a career at the Criminal Bar.

It is extremely helpful if candidates state in their application the dates during which they will be available for a mini-pupillage. Please bear in mind that the more flexible candidates are the more likely they are to secure a mini-pupillage. In the event that a mini-pupil cancels an assigned week Chambers may not be able to provide an alternative date.

Consideration of applications

Applications will be judged on merit. All the information given by each applicant in his or her CV will be considered, but particular weight will be given to academic qualifications and the applicant's reasons for his or her interest in a career at the Criminal Bar.

Equal opportunities

We recognise that mini-pupillages are part of the established route of access to the profession. Therefore Chambers is committed to an equal opportunities policy which does not discriminate on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, political beliefs or disability. If a successful candidate has a disability we will endeavour to arrange their mini-pupillage to suit their requirements (i.e. at courts local to them, with parking facilities etc.).

Elizabeth Smaller is the Equal Opportunities Officer.

Results of the application procedure

We try to fix the date for each mini-pupillage at the outset, which is why we ask applicants to include all available dates in their application letter. As long as these are known in advance, dates can be allocated prior to the start of a mini-pupillage.

Successful applicants will receive a letter containing advice about what to wear, setting out the arrangements for the start of their week and a map to help them find Chambers.

Successful applicants will be notified by email and should then contact Hal Watson on the Friday prior to the commencement of the mini-pupillage to find out where they will be, and who they will be shadowing on the following Monday. Daniel Sternberg is also available to answer any queries successful applicants may have prior to the week assigned to them.

Confidentiality

According to Bar Council policy, each mini-pupil is asked to sign an undertaking to maintain confidentiality in respect of all the sensitive and confidential information he or she may hear or read about during the mini-pupillage.

Reports

A report can be prepared on request at the conclusion of the mini pupillage which will be passed to the Pupillage Committee for consideration should a mini-pupil subsequently apply for pupillage. It is not a requirement of these Chambers for applicants for pupillage to have first completed a mini-pupillage within Chambers.