Expert tips from The University of Law to help you on your journey to becoming a barrister
The path to becoming a barrister can feel challenging at times – and reaching the point of being offered that all-important pupillage is, for many, an especially tough part of the process.
We’ve spoken to a handful of experts at The University of Law to get their tips on navigating your application and interview. They also share positive steps you can take if you don’t receive any offers this time around (spoiler alert: there are lots of things you can do to improve your chances for next year).
When to apply
The Pupillage Gateway opens in January, but Anna Williams, employability consultant at The University of Law, advises getting a head start on your application before then.
“From late November, vacancies are listed on the Gateway along with the specific questions chambers choose to ask. In addition, it is possible to prepare the parts of the Gateway application that are common across all chambers,” comments Anna.
So when should you get started? “November and December are a great time to be creating your content so that you have plenty of time to review and perfect it before the early February submission deadline,” Anna says.
Answering the pupillage application questions
There are three core questions that you’re likely to be asked on most pupillage applications. These are: why you want to be a barrister, why you’d be a good barrister, and why you’re applying to that particular chambers.
As pupil barristers – and co-hosts of The University of Law’s Future Pupils podcast – Amy Weir and Evie Smith are well placed to share their hard-earned words of wisdom.
For the first question, Evie advises focusing on your motivation to join the Bar. Reflect on your exposure to understanding of the Bar, drawing on experiences like mini pupillages and open evenings.
Amy explains that “this is a good opportunity to show why the realities of being a barrister is something that appeals to you: it needs to be specific to the Bar.”
When it comes to addressing why you’d be a good barrister, Amy recommends that you “highlight skills relevant to your area and back them up with strong evidence.”
You’re also likely to be asked why you’re applying to that chambers. Evie acknowledges that “not many people will have something groundbreaking to say about why they want that chambers.”
That doesn’t mean that there's nothing to write about, though. Evie advises that there are four areas that you could cover here, starting with “any direct experience with the chambers such as mini pupillages, webinars, insight evenings, articles written by members.”
“Secondly, niche areas of practice in that chambers and why they interest you. Thirdly, cases chambers has been involved in; fourthly, the less objective aspects of chambers – diversity, ethos and character,” Evie says.
Structuring your written answers
Evie advises that you “write your application like a barrister.”
“You need to make the task of them picking up your application and putting you in the ‘yes’ pile as swift as possible,” Evie explains.
To achieve this, Evie recommends “using the best techniques in terms of bullet point and numbering to get your points across. And you will get a lot of points for style of writing – that is the strongest piece of evidence a barrister will have that you are a good advocate on paper.”
Acing your interview
Most sets of chambers will hold two rounds of interviews before making offers. Amy and Evie share their experience of the kind of questions you can expect from each round.
While the specifics of first-round interviews will vary depending on the set, they’ll usually be about getting to know you with competency questions, one or two legal questions and, perhaps, a curveball question with no right or wrong answer that’s designed to show how quickly you can think on your feet.
When you’re preparing, Amy shares that “a good tip is to pick 4-5 competencies – which could also be based on the criteria they have for the pupillage application process – and think, which of my experiences best match that competency.”
For second-round interviews, applicants will often get asked to complete a legal advocacy exercise. These will vary depending on what area of law the chambers is focused on – so for a set that practises criminal law, for example, candidates might get asked to write a bail mitigation or plea application.
Ahead of the interview, Evie advises that “crib sheets will always help you. Prepare the structure, put it together on A3 paper and take that into the interview room with you so you can slot in the facts of each new exercise in each interview.”
Dealing with rejection
The reality is that getting a pupillage isn’t easy, and you’re likely to face multiple rejections before you get that golden offer – but so will everybody else.
Evie, for example, says that: “I had two proper goes at the pupillage process: I submitted about 15 applications during my Bar course and about 24 the year after.”
“Most barristers will have had tens if not hundreds of rejections – you're never alone in getting rejections and the best candidates get rejections. Don't give up if that's what you really want to do: persistence is key,” Evie adds.
Having been through the process, Evie shares that “it’s important to keep perspective on things.”
“You’ve always got to remember that when a chambers rejects your application, they’re rejecting an application – they’re not rejecting you – so you can change the formula of what you’ve included in the application and you’ll change the outcome.”
Trying again
If you don’t get offered a pupillage this time around, your next steps will depend on your individual circumstances.
The vast majority of chambers will accept applications after they’ve rejected you. Amy comments that “it’s common for people to apply to the same set. I applied to the same sets in my second year of applying and on the rejections I would get comments saying you can apply again – so don’t see rejections as the be all and end all of that set.”
Amy adds that “a lot can change in a year: you can build really valuable experiences that are going to give you an even better pupillage application.”
When it comes to securing a different result next time round, “it’s important to identify any experience gaps and try to fill these. That could mean a legal role in a law firm, such as a paralegal or case worker – this is especially helpful if the area of practice scaffolds pupillage aspirations,” says Anna.
“For some people a role as a solicitor’s agent conducting county court advocacy is the ideal next step as this role will build advocacy and client handling experience. Jobs within the courts or CPS and other branches of the justice system are suitable, as are jobs within organisations that work in the same spaces as the applicant’s practice interest for pupillage, eg an immigration charity or professional regulator,” Anna explains.
And if you decide that you don’t want to go for it again next year after all, your options will still be “extremely wide,” says Anna.
“The potential routes into the public sector, private sector and not-for-profit sector are almost boundless. The individual should identify what fields or industries most interest them and look for opportunities where their analytical, research, drafting and advocacy skills might be valued,” Anna continues.
“A Bar graduate should find that they have, through their years of study, developed a potent set of employability skills,” Anna finishes.
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