Brick Court Chambers


Pupillage

Pupillage


Pupillage at Brick Court Chambers is more than just the final step in qualification as a barrister. It is an opportunity to work with some of the leading practitioners at the English Bar, and on some of the most important and interesting cases of the day.

At Brick Court Chambers we recognise that our continued success depends upon our recruiting people of the highest calibre. For that reason, there is no Brick Court “type”. Provided that you have the ability and the determination to succeed as a barrister at the highest level, you will be welcome whatever your background.

The challenging nature of the work at Brick Court Chambers demands a high level of intellectual ability and a willingness to work hard. Not surprisingly, those who undertake pupillage with us have very strong academic backgrounds, although not necessarily in law. We are also looking for strong analytical ability and advocacy and communication skills, together with evidence of the resilience, determination and self-motivation which is needed to succeed at the bar.

We normally offer up to five 12-month pupillages. The award for 2026-27 is £75,000 divided as follows: £50,000 of the award is paid in equal installments during the non-practising pupillage with the balance of £25,000 being paid in equal installments during the practising pupillage.

On occasions we also consider applications for pupillage from established practitioners. As a general rule we would expect those who have less than 7 years’ experience to apply for and undertake a mini-pupillage, a full 12-month pupillage (even if the BSB has granted a dispensation from the full pupillage term) and to apply through the Pupillage Gateway (see further below). Applicants with more than 7 years’ PQE should visit our Tenancy page here.

We only ever offer pupillages to those applicants who we believe have a realistic prospect of ultimately achieving a tenancy.

The decision to offer a pupillage is made by the Pupillage Committee and is based on the applicant’s paper applications (mini-pupillage and Pupillage Gateway forms), the performance during the mini-pupillage, the performance on a standardised piece of assessed written work and the final interview (which involves an advocacy assessment).

The assessed mini-pupillage therefore forms an integral part of our selection process. We do not consider candidates for pupillage unless they have undertaken an assessed mini-pupillage with us. Information regarding assessed mini-pupillages including the application form, and deadlines for applications can be found here

As we are a member of Pupillage Gateway all applications for pupillage must be made through that system and in accordance with its timetable. As a result, even if you have applied for a mini-pupillage in advance of the Gateway process, you will still need to apply for pupillage through Gateway https://www.pupillagegateway.com.

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We normally offer up to five 12-month pupillages.
The award for 2026-27 is £75,000 divided as follows: £50,000 of the award is paid in equal installments during the non-practising pupillage with the balance of £25,000 being paid in equal installments during the practising pupillage.

The Pupillage Year

Each 12-month pupil is generally assigned to three different pupil supervisors during the year. All pupils are also assigned a senior mentor (KC) and a mentor (a junior tenant) at the outset of their pupillage from whom they can seek advice throughout the pupillage year. 

The breadth of work within chambers is often a reason for pupils coming to Brick Court Chambers. We think that a grounding in EU and Public Law is a benefit to any Commercial practitioner. Equally, the EU or Public Law practitioner needs to understand Commercial principles and litigation. A pupil can expect to see a range of work within chambers’ various specialisations during their pupillage. But we also can, and do, vary the emphasis according to personal choice: some pupils come to chambers with a clear view as to the area of practice in which they expect to specialise; others do not. We expect the choice of pupil supervisors to reflect your personal preferences in areas of work.

Pupils may have the opportunity to spend some time visiting the institutions and/or courts in Brussels, Luxembourg or Strasbourg. Chambers funds the travel expenses for each pupil to attend one hearing in the European Courts during their pupillage year if an appropriate opportunity arises. 

As well as being an important period of training, pupillage is inevitably also a period of assessment and we strive very hard to ensure that our assessment process is rigorously fair and objective. To that end, the Tenancy Committee seeks to collect as much information on each of our pupils from as wide a range of members of chambers as possible against the assessment criteria.

Each pupil supervisor provides a detailed report on all of a pupil’s work during the time the pupil is sitting with them, and every other member of chambers for whom pupils complete a piece of work provides a report on that particular piece (as well as providing detailed feedback to the pupil in person).

The Tenancy Committee arranges a number of advocacy exercises (typically 6-7) throughout the year, involving the making or defending of applications of the kind that junior tenants might expect to encounter in their first few years of practice, such as applications for summary judgment or security for costs. The first two exercises are not assessed, to enable pupils to ‘find their feet’ as advocates and to receive feedback from the panel.  After that, the exercises are assessed, although the training element remains very important.

In addition to the advocacy exercises and their work for their pupil supervisors and other members of chambers, all pupils complete the same six pieces of standardised assessed work. These are set by six different members of chambers and span the various specialisms within chambers. All standardised work is assessed ‘blind’ by the member of chambers who set it and, again, detailed feedback is then given to the pupils.

Pupillage is inevitably demanding but we do our best to make it as enjoyable and interesting an experience as possible. It is made clear to all pupils that it is quality and not quantity of work that counts. Pupils are not in general expected to work late into the evenings or during weekends, although the nature of practice is such that there will be periods when longer hours are necessary.

Pupils are welcomed into the social life of chambers. Shortly after pupillage offers are made, those who accept are invited to meet members of chambers, which may be by a reception or dinner. During pupillage, pupils will often have lunch with their pupil supervisors and other members of chambers, and are welcome at chambers' social events. There is usually a dinner or other gathering for pupils and junior tenants every term.

Above all, though, we believe that it is the high quality of work and training at Brick Court Chambers that contributes most to our pupils' satisfaction. As one pupil said to an interviewer from Chambers & Partners, "it was the easiest money I've ever earned because every day was just so interesting."

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The Tenancy Decision & Beyond

The Tenancy Decision

The Tenancy Committee monitors the work of pupils throughout the year and each pupil is given a frank and confidential assessment of their performance to date in January and again around Easter.

In July, the Committee reports to chambers and makes recommendations as to those pupils who should be offered tenancies. Those recommendations are based on all of the material collected by the Committee throughout the year: the three pupil supervisors’ reports, the reports on the standardised assessed pieces, the advocacy assessments and the reports of each member of chambers for whom work has been done.

Tenancies are always offered on merit, not on quotas. If you are good enough, you will be taken on. We aim to ensure that a consistent standard is applied to all pupils when assessing them for tenancy. We spend considerable time ensuring that our system is fair, consistent, and transparent.

After the Tenancy Decision

For those who are taken on as tenants, the early days of practice are exciting times. Experience has shown that all of our new tenants have rapidly established thriving practices. (The financial rewards for those who are taken on are considered below.) We are proud that all of the tenants we have taken on in recent times have remained with us, rather than leaving the Bar or moving to another set.

As part of chambers’ commitment to the ongoing training of our new members, chambers funds the attendance of all new tenants in the first three years in practice on the South Eastern Circuit Bar Mess Foundation International Advocacy Course at Keble College, Oxford.  Regular practice management sessions with clerks and more experienced members of chambers are also held.

We work extremely hard to find good homes for any of our pupils who are not offered tenancies here. The overwhelming majority find tenancies at other good chambers. In recent years these have included 4 New Square, 3 Verulam Buildings, Quadrant Chambers, 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square, Monckton Chambers, One Crown Office Row, 20 Essex Street and 11 King's Bench Walk.

Financial Rewards

Pupillage at Brick Court Chambers carries an award of £75,000 for 2026-27 (divided £50,000 during the non-practising pupillage and £25,000 during the practising pupillage). Up to £25,000 of the award can be drawn down during the year preceding pupillage (subject to chambers’ approval).

Often those who apply to us do not appreciate the extent of the financial rewards even in the early days of tenancy. Experience indicates that a new tenant at Brick Court Chambers will soon find their earnings matching or exceeding those of contemporaries elsewhere at the Bar or at City solicitors’ firms. Over the past three years average first year income exceeded £150,000 and average second year income exceeded £250,000 (in many cases by a considerable margin).

Chambers offers all new tenants an interest-free loan of £50,000, payable during the first six months of tenancy in monthly instalments. The loan is usually repayable within two years of the first draw down. Junior tenants are not required to pay room rent or chambers’ expenses in the first year of practice or until receipts total £80,000, whichever is the sooner. Chambers also offers generous financial arrangements for those members who wish to take maternity and paternity leave (for further details please go to the Equal Opportunities section of the Pupillage and Tenancy pages).