[Pheonix1]

...



I've just finished my first year and am looking at applying for a few mini-pupillages!
Though, easier said than done! I don't even know where to start!?

There are like a billion chambers for each type of law- how do I decide which I'd like to apply to??!

Any advice would be awesome!
Much love you good people of TSR!

[InnerTemple]

Identify chambers which you think you would like to apply for should you decide to go down the barrister route. So, you might narrow it down by practice area, location, size etc.

You could also ask lecturers/any contacts to see if they have suggestions.

What areas of law are you interested in and what area of the country?

[Pheonix1]

Thats the issue!
There are a few ares I'd be interested in but I'm put off because of things like not having a second language ( i.e. looking in EU/ International law).

However, I like Tort/Personal Injury. Construction is quite interesting as well! ... I tend not to be the most decisive person on the fact of the earth =/

I'm looking for something in London.

Thank you for your help by the way

[Bar None]

If you go to https://www.pupillages.com/vacancy/s...ncy_search.asp you can filter Chambers by various criteria including whether they offer mini-pupillages. Make sure you set the "Search only for pupillages where the application deadline has not yet passed" option to No.

Hopefully that should help you narrow the choice down.

[jeffferson]

(Original post by InnerTemple)

You could also ask lecturers/any contacts to see if they have suggestions.

Just in response to the above comment, and only by way of caution and certainly not criticism, when it comes to asking uni lecturers about the Bar be a little cautious about what they say. I recently sat in on a meeting from a high profile UK law school and was astounded to hear that many lecturers thought there were in excess of 1,000 pupillages each year: indeed one foreign barrister lecturer said she understood there were around 10,000 pupillages. Now as many of you know that is simply not the case. In fact for successful 2012 BPTC candidates that did not graduate from either Oxbridge or one of the RG uni's there were only approximately 168 pupillages available (the raw data is available on the Bar Council website and you just need to do the stats)

On a similar note, a student told me how he was going to take up a PhD on the basis of what his lecturer had said about her years in practice at the UK Bar, thing was she never did practise as she couldn't get a pupillage. Now whilst I appreciate there are uni lecturers who hold the title barrister please be aware that in my experience a significant number of them have never been in practice at the UK Bar. I say this as I am a UK practising barrister and a part-time uni lecturer and am becoming extremely concerned at how often lecturers give out careers advice that for the greater part is incorrect. If you need information about the Bar then perhaps it is better to do some mini-pupillages and find out by not only observing what barristers do but more importantly by asking questions of them, at least then you will have a view based on contemporary experience and knowledge.

Sorry to be a bit gloomy but I am genuinely concerned about uni grads spending outrageous sums of money on professional training on the basis of what a uni lecturer might have said. Please be careful.

[InnerTemple]

(Original post by jeffferson)
-x-

Point noted.

Quite interesting too. I would have thought that students would ask a few questions of lecturers who only have the title of barrister and that it would become apparent that they had not actually practiced at the bar.

In any event, they may be useful when it comes to identifying chambers to apply to for MP, even if their careers advice is a bit second rate (and I would always recommend that students conduct their own research on options after undergrad).

[jeffferson]

Completely agree InnerTemple.

Unfortunately, many students rely on their lecturers and given the new student satisfaction template being implemented by universities it appears the latter are going to become more involved in giving careers advice, but as you say, the best course for undergrads etc is to conduct their own research.

[nulli tertius]

(Original post by jeffferson)
Just in response to the above comment, and only by way of caution and certainly not criticism, when it comes to asking uni lecturers about the Bar be a little cautious about what they say. I recently sat in on a meeting from a high profile UK law school and was astounded to hear that many lecturers thought there were in excess of 1,000 pupillages each year: indeed one foreign barrister lecturer said she understood there were around 10,000 pupillages. Now as many of you know that is simply not the case. In fact for successful 2012 BPTC candidates that did not graduate from either Oxbridge or one of the RG uni's there were only approximately 168 pupillages available (the raw data is available on the Bar Council website and you just need to do the stats)

On a similar note, a student told me how he was going to take up a PhD on the basis of what his lecturer had said about her years in practice at the UK Bar, thing was she never did practise as she couldn't get a pupillage. Now whilst I appreciate there are uni lecturers who hold the title barrister please be aware that in my experience a significant number of them have never been in practice at the UK Bar. I say this as I am a UK practising barrister and a part-time uni lecturer and am becoming extremely concerned at how often lecturers give out careers advice that for the greater part is incorrect. If you need information about the Bar then perhaps it is better to do some mini-pupillages and find out by not only observing what barristers do but more importantly by asking questions of them, at least then you will have a view based on contemporary experience and knowledge.

Sorry to be a bit gloomy but I am genuinely concerned about uni grads spending outrageous sums of money on professional training on the basis of what a uni lecturer might have said. Please be careful.

Further to this, anyone called more than 10 years ago may well have done a pupillage but been unable to obtain a tenancy as the bottleneck has been moved by funded pupillages.

[Pheonix1]

Right so:

-Check website
-Ignore lecturers (who haven't done the bar)
- And work my socks off!

Got it!!
Thank you for your advice InnerTemple, jeffferson, and nulli tertius!

[Pheonix1]

And thank you Bar None

[law101]

To find the top-rated* chambers in the areas you are interested in, check:
Legal 500 - e.g. for personal injury: http://www.legal500.com/c/london-bar/personal-injury
Chambers and Partners: http://www.chambersandpartners.com/UK-Bar
Chambers Student Guide also has some helpful information: http://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/

Then go on the chambers' website & see if they offer mini-pupillages. I personally think 3-5 mini pupillages is more than enough, especially if you're doing them in the same or similar area of law. You can then spend more time volunteering at legal advice clinics, doing FRU etc.

Some of these posts on mini-pupillages might be helpful: http://pupillageandhowtogetit.wordpr...ini-pupillage/

*top-rated might not necessarily mean best-for-you but it's a useful way to get a manageable list to start with.

[jjarvis]

(Original post by Pheonix1)
Thats the issue!
There are a few ares I'd be interested in but I'm put off because of things like not having a second language ( i.e. looking in EU/ International law).

However, I like Tort/Personal Injury. Construction is quite interesting as well! ... I tend not to be the most decisive person on the fact of the earth =/

I'm looking for something in London.

Thank you for your help by the way

You might take a look at Atkin, 4 Pump Court, Keating, Thirty Nine Essex Street--all of those sets (particularly the first three) do a good whack of construction work.

I did a very enjoyable mini at One Crown Office Row, which does some PI work and a lot of really good clinical negligence work. They also do public law, so are a good place to get a taste of several different things. You might try applying for a mini there.

[Pheonix1]

Thank youuuu all!!!

[divadb]

Hi all
I have just come across this forum and would like some advice.
I am currently embarking on studying law through the Open University to start a new career. Rather late in life I know given that I am 45 now, but I think it is never too late to do something new.

I am living in Belgium, and so would like to know if there is a a way to do mini pupilages from here, or would I have to come over to the UK on a regular basis to do them there. Also I would like to get some legal experience during the course of my studies. Would I be able to do this with local law firms (or UK law firms with a presence here - anyone know of any I could ask?)


Thanks, and looking forward to any comments

Cheers

David