The Pupillage Interview/Acceptance/Rejection Thread 2012

Haven't heard either way from 42 Bedford Row, either. Probably not a good sign!

I was rejected after a second round there last year. All I can say is, both for first and second round, they massively staggered their invitations to interview. I think there was only one person phoning round inviting people, and I remember hearing someone being told they had an interview several weeks before me. I had completely written off my chances but then I got the phone call too. So don't lose heart; at this stage I would say you cannot tell whether you have been invited or not.

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

One final question - what on earth is the written exercise about? Will being pre-BPTC adversely affect my performance in your opinion?

Has anyone else heard from 9 Gough Square in terms of rejection? At the risk of sounding a bit whiney, I am a bit peeved that I haven't got an interview there - I worked for months on the application, had several people read through it and had two very good references (or so I have been told!) where am I going wrong??

It has been a few years since I have been called but I have been racking up the advocacy/legal experience in the sort of work they do - do you think experience counts against you with some sets?

I received an interview confirmation from 9 Gough Square last week.

I interviewed at Lamb Building last year. According to the lady on the telephone, they shortlisted thirty candidates for interview from four hundred applications. I'm not sure how those numbers compare with this year.

I was told by Bernie in my feedback session post-interview (which, by the way, was incredibly detailed and useful; he is a very nice guy), that the written exercise is used to choose between the top ten performers at interview. Ours was quite factual and didn't require a huge amount of legal knowledge. You also have the entire afternoon to work your way through it in between interviews.

Best of luck.

Thanks for chimera_5452. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a staggered approach to interviews...just out of interest, did you send in your application well before the deadline?

KBW Leeds - Still under consideration, silent rejection I wonder?

Hoping for staggered invites...

Massive HEH @ Shearn.

I like your attitude!

Has anyone else heard from 9 Gough Square in terms of rejection? At the risk of sounding a bit whiney, I am a bit peeved that I haven't got an interview there - I worked for months on the application, had several people read through it and had two very good references (or so I have been told!) where am I going wrong??

It has been a few years since I have been called but I have been racking up the advocacy/legal experience in the sort of work they do - do you think experience counts against you with some sets?

Thank you very much indeed - it does come as a relief that it is factual as opposed to legal, which would make sense considering they are interviewing people at different stages of studies. Also good to know that it is not timed, and therefore there is ample time (relatively speaking of course) to consider your answer.

This Bernie fellow sounds great from everyone's feedback - I look forward to meeting him!

Best of luck on you applications also! (provided you haven't already overcome this pupillage obstacle!)

The way I see it, this is a job where on any given day one might have to get a 5.30am train to the rain-swept County Court of Godforsakenshire, suffer the abuse of a tyrannical judge who likes to think he's the cat and counsel the mouse, spend the day being patronised by some oxbridge old boy whose voice starts so far back in his throat its almost as if his solicitor is speaking, lose your case, get called a w****r by your client before trudging back to chambers where your clerk makes a mockery of your dreams of independence and control of your practice by dropping a fat brief on your desk that must be ready by 9am, scuppering your plans to wrinkle the bedsheets of the buxom young thing with whom you had a date that evening.

If you can't take a few/lot of hits along the way (where 200+ very good people apply for every position and your worth is assessed on a snap judgement made by a tired, bored barrister who has had to read the same thing over and over and over) I figure real work would be a struggle.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!