We are committed to a considered expansion of our Chambers and have a policy of recruiting and training pupils with a view to them being taken on as tenants at the conclusion of their pupillage. The most important element of this process is to develop talented barristers from the start of their careers.
We usually offer two pupillages per year, but we only recruit our pupils via the Pupillage Gateway.
Training
Our pupillage training programme promotes support, equality and fairness. As a pupil in Chambers, you will have three pupil supervisors, for four months each, with whom you will receive extensive experience in public and private law work.
In addition, we have devised an advocacy training programme for our pupils to prepare them to undertake their advocacy and paperwork from the first day of their second six months. Second six pupils appear regularly in court. As a pupil, you will be in frequent contact with members of Chambers, and you are encouraged to approach members if you have any questions while also developing your legal knowledge base from private research.
Award
From October 2025, each pupil will receive a pupillage award of £25,000. We pay our awards in equal instalments in the first nine months of pupillage. Travel expenses outside of Zone 6 are provided during this period.
In addition to the pupillage award, we guarantee second-six earnings of £15,000. Therefore, pupils can earn a minimum of £40,000 during pupillage. During second-six, on average our pupils bill between £20,000 to £30,000 for work undertaken and receive between £10,000 to £18,000 in actual fees during their second six months. Chambers recoups none of the money earned.
A further benefit is that our pupils are exempt from paying rent. Furthermore, first-year tenants pay a reduced basic rent in their first year of tenancy in Chambers.
Third Six Pupils
Third Six pupils do not pay basic rent but do pay a clerking fee of 5% on fees received. If taken onto Third Six pupillage, the same arrangements for reduced rent will apply in the first year of tenancy.
What we look for
We select our pupils on the basis that we will be training prospective tenants. It is our established practice to recruit tenants from our pupils, and we focus in particular on developing our pupils into well-rounded and strong advocates.
Alongside the ability to present a persuasive case, we look for candidates with:
- a strong academic record;
- a commitment to the Family Bar, evidenced by relevant work experience, mini-pupillages, and pro bono work; and
- excellent interpersonal skills.
Candidates with a degree result lower than 2:1 rarely reach the first round of interviews unless mitigating circumstances include exceptional life skills and appropriate professional experience.
Interviews
All our interviews are held in Chambers. Please let us know if you have any accessibility requirements.
Mini-Pupillage
We welcome applications for mini-pupillages from those who are keen to pursue a career at the Family Bar and offer the opportunity shadow members of our busy chambers for one week’s mini-pupillage per applicant.
Applications may be sent in at any time but will be considered in January and June of each year.
Candidates must be aged 18 or over and be in the final year of an undergraduate degree in law or beyond.
Due to sensitive nature of the work that we do, all mini-pupils must sign a confidentiality agreement prior to the commencement of their mini-pupillage.
Please get in touch with mini-pupillage@4bc.co.uk by email, attaching a cover letter, CV and availability dates. Student visits are not available.
