The Pupillage Interview/Acceptance/Rejection Thread 2012

my thoughts are, if they want references later on they will ask for them.

has anyone received a decision re mini-pupillage from Exchange (Manchester)? I applied a couple of months ago and haven't heard anything. I think being offered a mini is a pre-requisite for being offered a pupillage interview there?

I think I have managed to bag a mini-pupillage at a very large criminal set that I have also applied to for pupillage.

Not sure the two are linked in that case though, I figure it can't hurt, and it takes my total of mini's to the required 3 with a couple of very good, and quite famous, sets in the list, which can only go to impress pupillage panels.

Total minis to the required 3.... I thought we were meant to have done at least 6? any more than that and we were to only select the most relevant ones on applications?

Surely the more the merrier? You don't have to mention them all on a pupillage application but the more you undertake, the greater your breadth of knowledge about the profession and different areas of law. That way you can also pick and choose which ones you want to put on which (non-OLPAS) application (if I'm applying to an all-family set I'd much rather harp on about all the family minis I've done and keep schtum about the chancery ones).

I'm also fairly certain that there isn't a set number because there isn't a set pupillage panel- some may prefer you to keep it brief and assume that you're only telling them about your best 3, others may be impressed by a long list and assume that if you give them 3 that's because you've only done 3.

Hi ThirdTimeLucky,

I think you're correct.

I read somewhere that they will be commencing another recruitment round in October for the 2013 intake.

Does anybody know exactly when the CPS legal trainee scheme application closes tomorrow? I know it says 9 May but will that be close of business or midnight?

My Internet has gone down and I can on get on this forum on my mobile.

I shall have to try and get online somewhere tomorrow! Last minute.com

Thanks and good luck to the thousands that will be applying to the CPS.

Yh last time I spoke to a recruiter, am pretty sure he said put 6 down but do as many as you can cos You learn and network with people in the field. The one am struggling with is whether, in an interview, you are allowed to criticise a chambers in an interview or is that a definitely no!

Do you mean that you applied for a pupillage or a mini-pupillage?

I applied for a mini a few days before I applied for a pupillage. Chased them up today and they offered me a mini this summer. I'm definitely not reading it as anything to do with my pupillage application.

Have a read of their pupillage document- they say they're inviting people to first round interviews until 25th May. They mentioned that an assessed mini would be part of their interview process at some point- I can't remember if it was first or second round.

I'm not sure if a mini is a prerequisite. They asked about it on their form but perhaps just applying for one is sufficient to show commitment to chambers. They say they only invite 12 people to the first round interviews so it might be that in the face of the competition a mini ends up being a prerequisite but it doesn't mention any need to have done one on their pupillage document, which does go into quite a lot of detail about their assessment criteria.

I'm actually really impressed with the way they've gone about pupillage- assuming they stick to what they say they do seem to show a good level of courtesy and respect towards applicants.

I have left my "Referee section" on my CV just to be on the safe side.

Rang up 18SJS today. Apparently all the applications have been assessed but they're yet to have a meeting to determine who has been shortlisted- that meeting is expected to take place over the 'next week or two'. I asked about the fact that the provisional date is 26th May- just over two weeks away- and was told that it was just a provisional date but if they get it sorted in time they'll still stick to that date. Fingers crossed they move it to something that isn't guaranteed to be bang in the middle of exams.

I also spoke to their lovely receptionist yesterday who informed me that they'll be sending out both rejection and acceptance letters so if you haven't heard that doesn't mean you've been unsuccessful.

Thanks for the reply; I applied for mini-pupillage, followed by applying for pupillage a couple of weeks later. As the pupillage section of the website states 'we see mini-pupillage as a vital part of our pupillage selection process', it seems that being accepted for a mini (at some stage) is necessary to progress through the pupillage process. Think I may chase them up re the mini application. Congratulations on being offered one!

I agree that they really seem to go out of their way to assist applicants. Seems to be a bit more of a trend in that direction this year (ie email from 3 Hare Court notifying when first interview invitations will be released, and when they will be), which is fantastic!