The Pupillage Interview/Acceptance/Rejection Thread 2021

Hey!

Created a thread for this years pupillage round. Good luck to everyone.

Unfortunately it seems confirmed that there are fewer pupillage spots this year. Still hoping for adverts to go up continually over the next few days/weeks, but it's gonna be a really tough year. Best of luck to everyone.

Reply 2

Jcrim18

3

Hi both!

Unfortunately I just created this exact thread after doing a search on the student room and not being able to find one for 2021. I cannot work out how to delete my thread! Any ideas?!

Thanks

Reply 3

Jcrim18

3

Original post by tothebar18

Hi both!

Unfortunately I just created this exact thread after doing a search on the student room and not being able to find one for 2021. I cannot work out how to delete my thread! Any ideas?!

Thanks

Okay - fixed now! no worries

Reply 4

Jcrim18

3

Do we think that pupillage interviews will be held face-to-face or online?

Or a mix?

Original post by tothebar18

Do we think that pupillage interviews will be held face-to-face or online?

Or a mix?

I suspect there will be a mix depending on a range of factors, including where we are with the pandemic and regional restrictions generally by the time interviews come round, and whether sets can safely accommodate interviews in person. Though I do also expect that sets that prefer to hold interviews in person would be willing to hold an interview online for those who either cannot attend in person or who wouldn't feel safe doing so. That said, I'm obviously guessing and each set will make its own decision. I'm sure my set would prefer to hold interviews in person, as indeed I'm sure most would, and I do think that my set would be able to accommodate in person hearings. But my set also has rigorous procedures in place for coronavirus, and I have no doubt that the prospect of in person interviews would be risk assessed and there would be very little hesitation in taking them all online if it was felt that the risk was too great.

More broadly there is no doubt that this will be a tough pupillage cycle, and potentially worse than last year with the sudden cancellation of a lot of pupillage competitions. I am sure that a lot of sets will not recruit this year because of the impact of the pandemic on their work and income, even those that didn't recruit last year. Some sets have proved to be resilient in the face of the pandemic, and some practice areas now seem to be picking up, so there is certainly the prospect of some sets recruiting more heavily to take advantage of being in an unexpectedly strong position. But those sets will be in the minority, and overall I expect that it will be a very difficult environment for applicants this year. As ever I'll follow this thread to offer whatever help I can, and I wish all those who are applying the very best of luck.

Reply 6

ves3925

8

There are more sets advertising than I thought to be fair! Best of luck everyone.

Reply 7

Cornish44

9

Hello all, thanks for setting this thread up.

Have decided to take the plunge and apply yet again for the Bar. Unfortunately to date I have not been successful in securing financial support for the BPTC, so I'm (yet again) in the rather stressful position of applying for scholarships, pupillage, and for the BPTC, all at the same time. Expecting a very busy few months, as per!

Completely agree with those above who have mentioned that this year will be particularly tough - I've attended a few open days for various chambers over the last couple of months, and all of them have made the point that the number of places will be lower this year.

Best of luck to everyone :smile:

Reply 8

hopeful-lawyer

16

Do you apply for pupillage in second year?

Original post by hopeful-lawyer

Do you apply for pupillage in second year?

Of your law degree? Generally not. You would need to find a pupillage that starts in two years for that to be viable (to give you time to do your third year and then the BTC). The majority of pupillages are to start in the coming year, but even those sets that recruit on advance normally only recruit one year ahead. I wouldn't apply for pupillages in your second year personally. I'd say third year at the earliest. Even if you decided to roll the dice in your second year and convince a set to defer the pupillage for two years (which most will not be willing to do) you would likely be at a disadvantage on your application without even knowing with any certainty what your final degree classification will be. I don't think it's worth your time.

Reply 10

At-the-bar-48

7

Thanks for creating the thread, best of luck everyone

Reply 11

barwithacapitalb

6

This is slightly off-track: did anyone hear back positively from 7KBW for a mini in past few months?

Reply 12

Lostnotfoundyet

6

Hi all,

Just dropping in here to say my hunt for pupillage finally ended on Christmas eve after a painstaking five years!

I'm grateful to everyone over the years who have given advice and support on this thread.

I wish you all the best of luck!! 🙂

Reply 13

hopeful-lawyer

16

Original post by Crazy Jamie

Of your law degree? Generally not. You would need to find a pupillage that starts in two years for that to be viable (to give you time to do your third year and then the BTC). The majority of pupillages are to start in the coming year, but even those sets that recruit on advance normally only recruit one year ahead. I wouldn't apply for pupillages in your second year personally. I'd say third year at the earliest. Even if you decided to roll the dice in your second year and convince a set to defer the pupillage for two years (which most will not be willing to do) you would likely be at a disadvantage on your application without even knowing with any certainty what your final degree classification will be. I don't think it's worth your time.

Sorry for the late response, and thank you for clarifying! I have heard some people apply for TCs in second year, so wasn't sure if it could be done with pupillages! Could you apply in third year even if you want to do a masters also?

Original post by hopeful-lawyer

Sorry for the late response, and thank you for clarifying! I have heard some people apply for TCs in second year, so wasn't sure if it could be done with pupillages! Could you apply in third year even if you want to do a masters also?

No, you couldn't apply if you wanted to do a Masters, because it would then leave you in the same position as in second year, namely needing to find a set that could offer or defer a pupillage to start more than two years down the line.

Reply 15

barwithacapitalb

6

Does anyone know if, on Pupillage Gateway, all (or the vast majority of) sets require referees? If so, how did you persuade your referees to write to what feels like an exorbitant number of places?

Original post by barwithacapitalb

Does anyone know if, on Pupillage Gateway, all (or the vast majority of) sets require referees? If so, how did you persuade your referees to write to what feels like an exorbitant number of places?

All will as far as I am aware. But I believe referees are only asked to actually provide references if you are to be offered pupillage, or at least very close to it. I may be wrong about that, but certainly I've never seen a reference whilst sifting applications and, much like most jobs, my impression was that references only become relevant as one of the last steps before being offered the role.

Reply 17

barwithacapitalb

6

Original post by Crazy Jamie

All will as far as I am aware. But I believe referees are only asked to actually provide references if you are to be offered pupillage, or at least very close to it. I may be wrong about that, but certainly I've never seen a reference whilst sifting applications and, much like most jobs, my impression was that references only become relevant as one of the last steps before being offered the role.

Thanks a lot for clarifying this - extremely useful!

Reply 18

Cornish44

9

Hi all - Happy New Year!

A question on something tangentially related; I'm currently applying for the Bar Vocational course, and have discovered that I need to 'reactivate' my degree, because I qualified in 2014 and an LLB is apparently only valid for 5 years. I have to (1) pay a fee of £220 (ridiculous), (2) outline how I still have competence in all the Foundation areas, i.e. obligations, EU law, public law, etc etc, and (3) provide references which demonstrate this competence. I'd be more understanding if my LLB was from 1995 or something, but the 5 year timeframe feels absurdly short and I am not particularly inclined to start bothering people for references on this information.

Does anyone else have any experience with this process? Really grateful if you could get in touch if so.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 19

BHDon

7

Original post by Lostnotfoundyet

Hi all,

Just dropping in here to say my hunt for pupillage finally ended on Christmas eve after a painstaking five years!

I'm grateful to everyone over the years who have given advice and support on this thread.

I wish you all the best of luck!! 🙂

congratulations!

The Pupillage Interview/Acceptance/Rejection Thread 2021

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