The Pupillage Interview/Acceptance/Rejection Thread 2013

Think it's pretty clear that he meant that students who attend the same university are roughly equivalent academically whereas on the bptc course you will have students from places like Oxford and places like Bangor

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What a snobbish comment. Well done.

Reply 1381

Democratic_Despot

Original post by jimmy1234321

Think it's pretty clear that he meant that students who attend the same university are roughly equivalent academically whereas on the bptc course you will have students from places like Oxford and places like Bangor

Posted from TSR Mobile

In anticipation of censure, he is a more measured answer:

If his question is: 'Are some people with law degrees more intelligent than other people with law degrees?'

Then the answer is obviously yes, but not to a degree that slows down classroom learning.

Reply 1382

LawGal007

4

5 rejections - Garden Court,
1 Garden Court,
One Crown Office Row
5 Essex Court
Pump Court

Not feeling too great about starting the BPTC in September. No one wants me!😭 Oh well, their loss, I say😉

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Reply 1383

Els523

Am still waiting to hear from:

- St John's Chambers
- QEB (Queen Elizabeth Buildings)
- New Court Chambers
- Albion Chambers
- 3PB (Oxford)
- 9 St Johns Street Chambers
- Thirty Park Place
- Guildhall

Any news on the above? And, if so, when and by what means?

Thanks!

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Reply 1384

travellingbird

Someone I know got a Coram interview today. A handful of others have heard nothing from them despite rejections on Monday though.
Only Bournemouth for 3PB interviews too according to my friend who got one, so London and Oxford interviews still out there.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 1385

jimmy1234321

Original post by LawGal007

5 rejections - Garden Court,
1 Garden Court,
One Crown Office Row
5 Essex Court
Pump Court

Not feeling too great about starting the BPTC in September. No one wants me!😭 Oh well, their loss, I say😉

Posted from TSR Mobile

Don't feel too bad. A lot of us are in the same position

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Reply 1386

vh123

Has anyone heard from:

Wilberforce (Hull)
Broadway House (Crime)
15 Winckley Square
Angel
Albion
2BR
36BR

Or St Mary's following first round on Saturday?

Reply 1387

Dimbleworth

Original post by SevenAteNine

Do you know how people heard? Was it all of them?

Gateway email at 13:15 on Monday (no change on Gateway). Interviews on 13/14 July. I don't know about numbers.

Reply 1388

Bar-barian

My 5 outstanding are

36 Bedford
old square
guildhall
11 kbw
13 kbw

also my 3pb still appears as applied (though the Bournemouth interview is arranged)

Reply 1389

legallovely

Original post by vh123

Has anyone heard from:

Wilberforce (Hull)
Broadway House (Crime)
15 Winckley Square
Angel
Albion
2BR
36BR

Or St Mary's following first round on Saturday?

Not heard from wilberforce, broadway house or 15

Reply 1390

Innerchap

Original post by LawGal007

5 rejections - Garden Court,
1 Garden Court,
One Crown Office Row
5 Essex Court
Pump Court

Not feeling too great about starting the BPTC in September. No one wants me!😭 Oh well, their loss, I say😉

Posted from TSR Mobile

Please don't feel too bad about that. It is a disheartening process, and yes there is every chance it may not happen for you, but pupillage applications are an endurance trial. I don't know your CV or circumstances, or indeed whether I am patronising you and you have applied lots before. If so, I am sorry!

What I do know is that 5EC, where I have interviewed before, have over the past couple of years begun to expect a lot more from applicants, and they provide some good feedback to help us. A little depressing to constantly play catch-up but it is a great piece of advice, and I wish more Chambers were that helpful. What I also know is that a lot of Chambers' tenants have a year of Call that predates their starting pupillage. A lot of pupillages go to people after they complete the BPTC. Each round of applications is a learning curve. It is hard to pick yourself up after a lot of rejections, believe me I know, but take a bit of time, get the feedback and start to look what gaps you can fill, or if there is some niche experience you can get to help you stand out.

Best of luck, and don't be too down!

Reply 1391

FamilyPupil

1

Has anyone heard from:

Tooks
4KBW
Argent
1 Pump Court
1GIS
Blackfriars
Renaissance
36 Bedford Row?

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Reply 1392

vh123

St Mary's second round invites out via email sat 13th July :-)

Reply 1393

morelaw

Anyone with any experience of first round interview at 18 Red Lion Court? Any advice would be hugely appreciated.

Reply 1394

ex turpi

Original post by wannabebarista

I would second what PublicLawApplica has to say. Of course, your chances are dependent, to an extent, on the sets/area of specialisation you choose. It is definitely a good idea to look at the calibre of recent tenants/pupils taken on at your chambers of choice to see whether you are realistically in the running for a pupillage there.

However, in general you have to accept that you will be up against some very tough competition. Many people will have firsts (not 2.1s) from the top universities in the country. They will have several minis and scholarship awards/other prizes to boot. Frequently they will have reached the latter stages of mooting tournaments and they may have had some years in a working environment as well. All of this might put you (to be absolutely blunt) at a distinct disadvantage. Not that you should lose hope altogether, as different chambers have different entry criteria.

Getting a pupillage is really tough. Heck, even getting interviews isn't easy. So I would repeat the advice you received before; be very pragmatic about the path you are taking before and weigh up carefully whether it's a journey worth embarking on. If you do make the leap, you then have to steel yourself for a lot of rejection before that successful interview hopefully arrives.

Hi,

I agree with your posting and maybe sharing my experience with others will put things into perspective.

I am a medical doctor 13 years post-qualification and worked as a full-time GP and medicolegal adviser for a medical defence organisation. I have continued to work as a GP part-time during the GDL and BPTC too.

I have a first class BSc from UCL, a medical degree, a postgraduate medical qualification (Member of the Royal College of GPs - an exam-based qualification), several other postgrad medical diplomas, a commendation in the GDL, a prize for getting the highest mark in the year for the GDL dissertation (84), a scholarship from my law school for £2K towards my BPTC fees, a Lord Denning scholarship (worth £15K) from Lincoln's Inn, law school mooting experience (finalist), other legal competitions (finalist again in one of them), eight minis, marshalling with a Crown Court Judge (who is now one of my refs) and a few other bits and bobs.

Last year (during GDL) I had four first-round interviews but nothing else and no offers; this year, so far, I've had two interviews (which went no further) and have a third in the offing, but I'm getting a lot of out and out rejections too, most disappointingly and frustratingly from Clin Neg sets/pupillages e.g. Doughty Street yesterday.

I've had my app forms scrutinised by our excellent careers adviser and have had a mock interview with him, in addition to getting a colleague with pupillage review my Gateway form.

I think I know where I have omissions in my CV - no legal experience aside from being a medicolegal adviser for two years and no legal voluntary work; however it does seem that some chambers expect the almost impossible - see this page on Henderson website: http://www.hendersonpupillage.co.uk/why-you/introduction - some sets would like a hybrid of Superman, Mother Theresa, Gandhi, a High Court Judge and a virtuoso pianist it seems!

Any advice anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated - I have insight into the fact that I must have deficiencies in my application and quite possibly the forms themselves and my interview technique are letting me down too.

Good luck everyone :smile:

Reply 1395

2214Decatur

Five Paper Buildings (crime) has just changed to "First Interview" on gateway..! I don't know when, I only just noticed, and there are no time slots to book and no email... has anyone received an email or phone call from them?

Reply 1396

Innerchap

Just got the email from Serjeants Inn saying thanks but no thanks. Oh well, another bites the dust!

Reply 1397

Weatherwax

Status on Gateway changed to 'First Interview' for 5 Paper Buildings, but no email or phone call so far.

Reply 1398

parlourgames

Original post by GreenMatt

Thanks all! To be honest, I am really starting to think that (once you reach a certain threshold) getting invited to interviews is a bit of a coin toss. I thought my Cloisters application was better, but no interview there!

I had a first round interview at Cloisters. Unless you particularly enjoy facile survival scenarios you missed nothing. it was ridiculous and utterly tedious.

Reply 1399

third time lucky

4

Has anyone had a first round at Five Paper (commercial/employment) before? If yes, pointers appreciated!! Can trade Keating, 7kbw, 4 New Square first round tips from last year!

The Pupillage Interview/Acceptance/Rejection Thread 2013

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