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The Pupillage Interview/Acceptance/Rejection Thread 2012

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Original post by yellowhannah33
There are services available offering training for pupillage interviews and general advice about your application. They are, in my experience, brutally honest about where you are good and what you lack.

I used these guys: http://www.judicialappointmentstraining.co.uk/pupillage-interviews.php it isn't cheap, £225 per hour (I just had one hour) but I found it incredibly useful. I was interviewed by a junior of some 11 years call from a top set in his field, who had sat on their pupillage committee for eight years. I had the training interview on a Thursday and I had two interviews that weekend. At one set I translated my first round to a second round and at the other set I got pupillage.



HA! I can't believe I never heard of this before. Very clever of this company - its a good gap in market and Im sure they make very good buisness. Seriously though, from what I've read I would strongly advise everybody who can afford it to give it a go...

Cheaper option and what I did though....get your Inn to put you infront of somebody who sits on a pupillage panel in a set that has a similar/ same practice to your general choice (obviously they won't put you infront of somebody who is ACTUALLY AT the set even they are available). These interviews tend to be, I would imagine, equally useful.
Original post by tnedutS waL
Love the name :rofl: how's George? :biggrin:


George is great, although that may change when she discovers I'm sacking off the Criminal Bar and chancing my arm at Construction. (This way I'll walk into silk!)

Btw, what's with the negative feedback? I seem to be getting a lot of that lately...
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 1282
Hello everyone!

Has anyone had any further information re first interviews with Trinity in Newcastle??
Reply 1283
Original post by priscilla28
Hi all,

i've got a second rejection from fountain court, i soooo wanna die, im depressed, gutted, frustrated.

As for other 9, still under consideratn but for essex court and 11kbw it says application still under consideratn but also says decision made on the 24th, what is that meant to mean? i'm in tears at mo, im so damn of an idiot


I totally know how you feel and all I can say is that you just have to find a way to not take a 'no' from chambers as personal. Pupillage is literally a lottery and at the end of the day you just have to keep trying. I genuinely believe that if you want a pupillage, you will get one. You might not get it immediately but you will get it if you keep trying year after year so look on the bright side :smile:
Original post by Mmmbop
Hello everyone!

Has anyone had any further information re first interviews with Trinity in Newcastle??


Do you mean interview times/detailed information? I've had nothing more yet - PP is still saying "no interview times available" to me when I click on to book a time. I emailed today about it, so will let you know if I get any reply through.
Reply 1285
Original post by wig_wannabe
Do you mean interview times/detailed information? I've had nothing more yet - PP is still saying "no interview times available" to me when I click on to book a time. I emailed today about it, so will let you know if I get any reply through.



Yes the times and other details, worried about when it is so I can get time off work :s Well I just emailed them too hahaha so will let you know :smile:

Can I ask, did you apply to other Newcastle sets?
Original post by priscilla28
Hi all,

i've got a second rejection from fountain court, i soooo wanna die, im depressed, gutted, frustrated.

As for other 9, still under consideratn but for essex court and 11kbw it says application still under consideratn but also says decision made on the 24th, what is that meant to mean? i'm in tears at mo, im so damn of an idiot


Hi Priscilla,

Firstly, I hope that you're feeling better now. Have you got close family and friends in RL that you can talk to about this? Please don't suffer in silence; get the support of people who love you.

I know rejections are disappointing. However, if you're truly as upset as you're suggesting, have you considered that your reaction to rejections says more about your prospects as a barrister at the moment, than the fact that you've been unsuccessful in your applications to a couple of very prestigious sets?

How much experience do you have in the areas of law that you'd like to practise in? As I'm sure you're aware, silks at sets like Garden Court and Doughty Street defend potential terrorists and war criminals. Have you thought about the emotional toll of that sort of work? I have ties with one of the sets that you've applied to and having socialised with one or two barristers there I can tell you that those with a sensitive disposition would not be well-suited to pupillage there.

I don't know what stage you're at in your education, but if you're not on the BPTC yet, I'd advise that you see how the rest of the pupillage season pans out, then take a deep breath, put law out of your mind for a few days and think about all the things that really matter to you in life. You'll either come back to your studies with renewed vigour and potentially a new and improved approach to getting pupillage, or you might wonder what on earth you're putting yourself through so much pain for. Please don't think I'm suggesting you give up on your ambition; I'm just advising you to step back from this process and start to view it more dispassionately, or you're only going to upset yourself further and maybe start to lose sight of exactly why you want pupillage in the first place.

I apologise if any of this comes across as patronising or unkind. I don't have pupillage, I'm on 3 rejections out of 13 applications so far and I'm fairly certain that trend is going to continue. However, I'm dealing with the disappointment by taking on more voluntary work, looking for more legal jobs, making a list of places to apply next year, etc. Keep your mind busy with practical solutions to your problems and your emotions are less likely to get the upper hand. I know that's easier said than done, but I imagine that barristers have to take that approach every day to cope with the stresses of the job.

Best of luck for the rest of the season; hopefully we'll both have some good news soon.
Reply 1287
Charter Chambers first round invite by email
Original post by andymt
Charter Chambers first round invite by email


Well done. Rejections are out through the Portal as well.
Original post by Mmmbop
Yes the times and other details, worried about when it is so I can get time off work :s Well I just emailed them too hahaha so will let you know :smile:

Can I ask, did you apply to other Newcastle sets?


Nope, only Trinity! No reply yet but if a few of us have emailed then at least they know there's an issue. Unless perhaps information has been sent by post and got slowed down by bank holiday post.
Original post by dustbinbeaver
To anyone else who applied to Lamb Building: according to the Pupillage Pages, invitations to interview were out by telephone last week. Another application bites the dust.


Don't be disheartened, I only just received my call for an invite to interview this morning! There is still hope!

All interviews are being held on the 16th June.
Reply 1291
Lamb Building have just called with interview invite - there's still hope.
2 down following charter rejection.
No email through yet, but I just checked the CPS website and my results are up - am pleased that I got through to the next round: yet another bloody online test.
Reply 1294
CPS inductive reasoning test email invites are out by email.
Reply 1295
Thanks Mini Pupil, I just checked the CPS website I'm through too. CPS Inductive Reasoning Online Assessment to be completed by the 14th June 2012.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by Jessica88
Yep, it was sent to [email protected], I sent it on the 14th may and then on the 16th I received an email from [email protected] stating it had been received and asking me to do the equal opportunities. Perhaps because I sent it early they had time to get back from me, the email I received said I would hear back before the end of June.

I hope that helps.


Email confirmation of 15 New Bridge Street application now received; looks like it's not a black hole this year!
Dear all,

Thanks a million for your sweet words of comfort and support.

I'm feeling a bit better today. Who knows though, sometime somewhere in the day another rejection could upset me. What a world of contingencies we are living in!!! Wonder when all the replies would be out!!!
Reply 1298
Also just received a Lamb Building interview by telephone! First interview of the season...terribly nervous and incredibly excited! Keep your phones free people, you many also receive a phone call soon! :smile:
MmmBop, thats very kind of you. Bless you x

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