The Pupillage Interview/Acceptance/Rejection Thread 2015

Reply 180

jcasey1989

1

Hmmm so do you think Hogarth were never actually advertising for Pupillage this year? If so, that was a waste!

Reply 181

typonaut

17

Did anyone get an acknowledgement from Hogarth at all? Does seem a bit early in the year to be putting next year's deadline up already (for pupillages commencing September 2017).

Reply 182

Chianti1

2

Has anyone applied for a mini pupillage at 5 Essex Court and heard back? :smile:

Reply 183

Marcus65

Original post by jcasey1989

Hmmm so do you think Hogarth were never actually advertising for Pupillage this year? If so, that was a waste!

Not sure but seems a bit keen for them to be looking for 2017 Pupils. I think they made an error. I didn't get a acknowledgement email and contacted Catherine Hanley who hasn't replied to my email.

Reply 184

Advocatis

So, aside from an increase in court fees, whether there is still access to justice and whether there should be a UK bill of rights, what other topical issues have people had crop up so far this year in interviews?

Reply 185

LLMer

1

Original post by Advocatis

So, aside from an increase in court fees, whether there is still access to justice and whether there should be a UK bill of rights, what other topical issues have people had crop up so far this year in interviews?

Depends what area of law you're interviewing for. I got asked about:

Ukraine, West Lothian question, are morality and law separate, benefits for EU immigrants, the status of the HRA, police powers, banning the veil in court, televising crown courts, and anonymity of sexual offenders (this was at mostly civil sets).

Reply 186

typonaut

17

Original post by Advocatis

So, aside from an increase in court fees, whether there is still access to justice and whether there should be a UK bill of rights, what other topical issues have people had crop up so far this year in interviews?

I got asked about the change in fees for employment tribunals, and then, no connection to current affairs: "which three people, living or dead, would you invite to dinner?" and "you're on your way to court, you see a report in the newspaper that the UKSC has made a decision that overturns the basis on which you were going to argue your case, the other side and the judge have not seen this report. What do you do?"

Reply 187

filthynines

2

I would be far more happy to answer the ethics question than the dinner one. Of course, I should be prepared for both.

Super excited for the large number of pupillage adverts which have just gone online.

Reply 188

Advocate360

Hi all,

It's my first year applying for pupillage and I've also applied for a BPTC scholarship from Inner. Has anyone got any advice for the scholarship interview from their own experience at any Inn? I come from a non law background so just curious.

Many thanks in advance😀

Reply 189

GreenMatt

4

I wouldn't stress about the BPTC scholarship interview (easy for me to say, I know!). They really aren't very savage...from my experience at Inner, it's like a first round pupillage interview. They ask you questions about your CV, why you're interested in law, and why you think you'd be good at it. If I remember correctly, you also have 30 mins beforehand to read a judgment and prepare to be asked questions on it. They aren't ludicrously complex....they are just about what the judges said, and why they came to the conclusions they did. I'd practise just reading over a few short Privy Council judgments beforehand and getting better at rapidly précising/analysing them.....that's what I wish I'd done, anyway. :smile:

Reply 190

Jiffer

Has anyone heard from Quadrant post final interview? I know the offers are supposed to be released tomorrow but there are whisperings of letters being received...

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 191

Advocate360

Original post by GreenMatt

I wouldn't stress about the BPTC scholarship interview (easy for me to say, I know!). They really aren't very savage...from my experience at Inner, it's like a first round pupillage interview. They ask you questions about your CV, why you're interested in law, and why you think you'd be good at it. If I remember correctly, you also have 30 mins beforehand to read a judgment and prepare to be asked questions on it. They aren't ludicrously complex....they are just about what the judges said, and why they came to the conclusions they did. I'd practise just reading over a few short Privy Council judgments beforehand and getting better at rapidly précising/analysing them.....that's what I wish I'd done, anyway. :smile:

Thanks for the advice, that's made me feel a lot better :smile:

Reply 192

lulu_dudette

14

Does anyone want to start the betting as to when we will hear from 7 Bedford Row. Interviews are supposed to be 28th March and I think it said they'll send something out before hand.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 193

PupilLAD

Original post by lulu_dudette

Does anyone want to start the betting as to when we will hear from 7 Bedford Row. Interviews are supposed to be 28th March and I think it said they'll send something out before hand.

Posted from TSR Mobile

We should know if we have been invited to interview or not by mid March according to their website.

Reply 194

boffdude

1

Original post by Jiffer

Has anyone heard from Quadrant post final interview? I know the offers are supposed to be released tomorrow but there are whisperings of letters being received...

Posted from TSR Mobile

Received rejection letter by post today, dated 4th March.

Reply 195

jcasey1989

1

Oh balls... sounds like this may have been a dead end for me then... I'm guessing you've still had no response from Chanley?

Original post by Marcus65

Not sure but seems a bit keen for them to be looking for 2017 Pupils. I think they made an error. I didn't get a acknowledgement email and contacted Catherine Hanley who hasn't replied to my email.

Reply 196

Jiffer

Original post by boffdude

Received rejection letter by post today, dated 4th March.

Thanks. My letter arrived today. Same date stamp as yours. A whole 24 hours of false hope.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 197

twinsectra

Hello all,

This thread is a bit of a blast from the past but I received an email today with a message from someone asking for advice. I thought that rather than replying to that one enterprising applicant, I would post a general response instead. I hope it is not too late for all of you. I got pupillage during my GDL year and am now a tenant, and therefore on "the other side" (and this was my first year sifting paper applications). I want to make two points:

The first - that however brilliant an application you write, and however brilliantly interviews are going, a large element of being successful is pure luck. Everyone who applies to the bar is self-selecting, and usually has been encouraged by objective standards to apply because they are good enough. This just means that you're competing against people who are just as good as you, and it makes the whole process quite random and dispiriting. Chambers have to find some completely arbitrary way of deciding who gets through and who doesn't, and it's unfair (especially when there are 500 applications for 2 spots). Of 40 applications on my desk, I had to select only 3 for interview. That meant 3 or 4 really good applicants didn't get through.

The second follows on from this - you need to get your foot in the door. This means recognising that on paper, all applicants (excepting a few outrageously good ones) look the same. I was in the not-outrageously-good category - with a 2.1 etc, so I realised that I needed to make my application stand out and be memorable. The form is a means to an end, it needs to be exclusively tailored to getting you an interview because the person reading it thinks - ok, this person doesn't sound boring and anonymous. So you need all the usual ingredients: academics, debating, mooting, minis, marshalling, and then something else that nobody else is going to have. In my case, I worked as a freelance journalist for a year and ended up on the floor of the fashion cupboard at Vogue with a box of shoes on my head! At least, that was memorable, even if it also indicated a worrying lack of spatial awareness.

Lastly, it is a horrible process. Not getting anywhere your first year of applying doesn't mean a thing and I know lots of barristers who only got pupillage their second or third attempt. And don't forget - you only need one offer!

Best of luck to you all. Remember to be memorable.

tw

Reply 198

msbrown

4

Original post by scotstudent

There seem to be several chambers not on Pupillage Gateway website this year. Notably Garden Court. Anyone know why?

Most chambers will be advertising on gateway in the next couple of weeks. Keep checking. I spoke to Garden Court at the pupillage fair this weekend, they said they will put theirs up next week :-)

Reply 199

typonaut

17

The pupilbase list has been updated, they claim to have 290 live pupillages, and have a twitterererer account @pupilbase

http://www.indx.co.uk/pupilbase/

Appear to be a few on there that are not currently listed on the Pupillage Gateway.

The Pupillage Interview/Acceptance/Rejection Thread 2015

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you