The Pupillage Interview/Acceptance/Rejection Thread 2012

I agree, I secured no interviews in my third year at university and only a few last year when I was pre-BPTC, the average is certainly not 4-5 interviews. Saying that, I am non-Oxbridge (I did my LLB at Brunel) with little work-experience.

But, with a lot more experience and now being post-BPTC this year I have had 4 interview invites already (and no rejections).

I think that working as a Paralegal and volunteering in my field (crime) has really helped me. So don't be put off if you are pre-BPTC and don't secured any interviews. I am proof you can get interviews after a poor start!

When did you start off doing legal work and volunteering. I'm looking at doing some form of legal work in my first year when I start in september, but I don't know what the chances are that people actually accept first years. What was it like for you getting work and work experience.

Incidentally, this week's Silk has a takes a good sideswipe at mocking pupillage interviews.

Weep.

Thanks for the advice and encouragement Isherwood. My application was checked by careers advisers and barristers, but I still found mistakes in it afterwards so perhaps I should have given it to more people to look over. I think my three main problems are: poor answers to chambers-specific questions on my application, gaps in my CV and my choice of sets. Whilst it's a shame that I've made mistakes this year, hopefully those mistakes are remediable in the future. Many congratulations on your pupillage by the way.

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.

Hi Third Time Lucky

I had an email directly from TGC administrators, but the portal has been subsequently updated now.

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 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've not heard anything from Keating, 1CL or COC yet (other than a generic email from Keating stating that the first round interviews will be on 23 June, and the second round on 10 July).

Has anyone heard from any of the following?

Portal
Angel Chambers, Swansea
Apex Chambers, Cardiff
Broadway House Chambers, Bradford
1 High Pavement Chambers, Nottingham
Lincoln House Chambers, Manchester

Non-Portal
30 Park Place, Cardiff

Cheers