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The Pupillage Interview/Acceptance/Rejection Thread 2012

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Two days to get the CPS applications in. Does anyone else think that the application is the very worst kind of civil service nonsense.

I followed their links to do a mock "situational awareness" test. One of the questions was:

On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is "completely disagree" and 5 is "completely agree" please rate the following statement: "I treat everyone equally".

My immediate answer is "1". I literally do not treat everyone equally. Of course I don't. I treat my fiancee very differently to how I treat chuggers. I know what they're getting at, and I know they want me to answer "5" but it's just so badly drafted.
Reply 541
Original post by Mini Pupil
Two days to get the CPS applications in... .


I must do the app tomo. The website says the application process closes on 9th. So is it correct that the last day for applying would be tomo and not the 9th?
It's ambiguous, but yes I agree, the best time to get it in would be tomorrow.
Reply 543
May I start by apologising if these questions are irrelevant or dumb but they have been agitating me for years now.

Guys you know how pupillages are usually divided up into three sections: first, second or third sixes. According to my last pupil master (during a mini), I was told that in reality your actual pupillage lasts more than a year and a half. Well what I am struggling to grasp is how do you actually learn the tricks of the trade?? Is it like mini-pupillages where you just follow a senior around giving advise and photocopy etc. i know in your third-six, You actually carry out some basic work but then how comes your pupillage is longer than 18 months?


Secondly, you earn the basic in your third-six according to area of practice and sets but then is it true that your yearly salary triples? I am almost certain it doesn't because it seems too good to be true and my mate is pulling my leg but there aint no harm in asking. What is reality financial wise based on average joe in average crime/family or property sets??
Pupillages are, traditionally, broken down into first and second six. In the first six you do not have any rights of audience (except in certain tribunals - but we all have those already). You will be doing legal research, drafting opinions/advices for your supervisors, and generally getting to know your way around the system and your chambers.

In the second six you can start to develop a practice in your own right. You will, of course, be constantly supervised by a member of Chambers, and you won't be doing anything too complex, but the Clerks will start trying to find something for you to do - so you can earn some money.

In terms of cash, the first six will be paid via an award - a direct grant from chambers' funds. The second six will be a mixture of an award and guaranteed earnings. Anything above the guaranteed earnings is just your money (minus tax and clerks - some sets don't charge clerks fees during pupillage). Currently the minimum award is £1,000 a month. In the first six this is tax free. Depending on the practice area you may earn a lot more than that.

In terms of the third six, this is effectively a trial period at a new set. I don't know of anyone who has completed a full year pupillage with a set and then taken on a third six with them - normally if they keep you on, they give you tenancy (as I said, I know of no one, it doesn't mean it hasn't happened). A third six comes about if you don't get tenancy in your pupillage set, and you look to go elsewhere. The other set will not just take a punt on you, they will want time to evaluate you so they do another, shorter pupillage called the third six. I say shorter, but a friend of mine did a 9 months third six. Crazy. Unlike normal pupillage, the third six can turn into tenancy at any time - it's a good way to get your foot in the door of a new set.

Third sixes are funded differently from set to set, as far as I'm aware there's no funding requirement, some will fund you, some will give guaranteed earnings, some will just treat you like a tenant. Think of it as a probationary period.

Your earnings at the bar can not be precisely estimated - it depends on how good you are and how lucky you get. In terms of the areas you're looking at most criminal pupillages will pay the minimum £1,000. Family will pay slightly more than that, and property will pay slightly more again (all estimates, I don't know for certain). All I can say for certain is that, at the criminal bar, unless you are at a top, top set the firsy few years will be incredibly financially demanding.
Having said all that, having had a look through your past posts (trying to find what your warning points were for), unless you do a lot of growing up, fairly quickly, pupillage is not something you need to worry about. Your comments about "robbing stuff off indians" and accusing others of being "gay" because they have a different sense of humour to you would, perhaps, not do you many favours.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by Mini Pupil
Having said all that, having had a look through your past posts (trying to find what your warning points were for), unless you do a lot of growing up, fairly quickly, pupillage is not something you need to worry about. Your comments about "robbing stuff off indians" and accusing others of being "gay" because they have a different sense of humour to you would, perhaps, not do you many favours.


Trust no one, suspect everyone. Especially when they come on to threads like this asking such questions as that above.
Reply 547
I do apologise sincerely if my comments on other posts have come across as rude childish or anything other than what you expected- believe me when I say it that I can be very muture and understanding. Nevertheless, thank you very much for your help and your post has clarified my perspective.
Reply 548
Original post by PuppHunter
Hi team, a couple of months ago I posted a link to my blog: http://mini-pupil.blogspot.co.uk/

If any of you started following it, I apologise that it's been sparse for the last little while - I actually created two blogs, one anonymous, and one with my name on it. Sadly, my auto-uploader was sending my posts to the non-anonymous one, so they've not been showing up in the blog linked above. I'm in the process of transferring the posts across to the anonymous one now, so please do keep checking back (if you're interested) for new content.


fantastic blog! look forward to reading more, thanks :smile:
Reply 549
Original post by nearmiss
fantastic blog! look forward to reading more, thanks :smile:


Thanks! More will be appearing soon. (I'm pupphunter, new name)
Reply 550
Original post by Wildman
Has anyone come across a more ridiculous application form than the CPS? Splitting the competency answers into two boxes? Just make the box bigger ffs.


Yes I find it quite confusing too. Do they want us to just carry on writing or should we start the second box with a new paragraph???
Has anyone heard from Farringdon yet? Or 18SJS for that matter?

Have not been on this thread in a while. Reading back very quickly, it is very concerning to read about 9BR, a set that I probably would have applied to this window had there been a pupillage going!
Reply 552
Brick Court Chambers interview invites are out!
Reply 553
Original post by oakdrift
Brick Court Chambers interview invites are out!


Wow. Thats so quick given the deadline was only couple of weeks back. Seems to be really good chambers. Hope the others would be like BC too!
Reply 554
I was shocked at first. It's an invite for an assessed mini, if successful interview for pupillage.
Reply 555
Original post by oakdrift
I was shocked at first. It's an invite for an assessed mini, if successful interview for pupillage.


That's great news. Congrats!!!
Indeed, many congratulations.
Reply 557
Thank you for your kind wishes.
To anyone who's applied to the CPS or knows about its inner workings:

In the uploading CV section have you uploaded a CV with your references on it? It seems there's no box for writing referee details on the form, but the candidate guide doesn't say you need to have references on the CV you upload.
I'm just asking because as the CV can only be two pages I'd rather put one without references with more previous experience on it than one with references if they don't want them at this stage.

Thanks for any help.
Reply 559
Best of luck to all.

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