Pupillage

Blackstone Chambers is a member of Pupillage Gateway – the online pupillage application scheme promoted by our professional body, the Bar Council.  Any applications for pupillage at Blackstone Chambers must be made to us via Pupillage Gateway.

The Pupillage Gateway applications window for pupillage commencing in 2013 is now closed. The applications window for 2014 applications will open in April 2013.

More information about the application process can be found in our pupillage guide, which can be downloaded from this page. Full details of the Pupillage Gateway scheme can be obtained from the Bar Council website.

Potential applicants who do not fall within the Pupillage Gateway criteria should contact Julia Hornor, our Chambers Director, for further information.  In any event any application by such an applicant should follow the format of our mini pupillage application form, which can be downloaded from the mini pupillage section of this site.

Please note that our online brochure will refer to the Pupillage Portal, which has now been replaced by the Pupillage Gateway.

We believe that pupils should be involved in every aspect of their pupil supervisor’s work. We give our pupils a rounded overview of a barrister’s role, and equip them for the legal and practical challenges they will face in practice.

As a pupil at Blackstone Chambers, you will have four pupil supervisors through the year. Pupil supervisors are chosen to ensure that each pupil gets a solid grounding in the three core areas of Chambers’ work – commercial, employment, and public law. Beyond that core, you will experience your supervisors’ particular areas of expertise.  In recent years, for example, supervisors have been experts in areas including competition law, immigration law, and financial regulation.

Pupillage at Blackstone Chambers is very much a hands-on experience.  From your first day with your supervisor you will get stuck into whatever cases your supervisor is instructed on at that moment. The typical work involves doing first drafts of the documents which your pupil supervisor is working on. You will therefore develop a wide experience of drafting pleadings and other court documents, writing skeleton arguments and compiling written advices. You may also be asked to do a first draft of questions to be used in a cross examination, or to prepare opening or closing submissions.

You will also be involved in every step of the advisory and litigation process. Pupils attend conferences with clients, listen in on phone conversations where appropriate, and are encouraged to discuss the strategic, procedural and ethical elements of cases with their supervisors.

The emphasis which we place on the close working relationship between pupil and supervisor means that pupils do not do any additional work for other members of Chambers. You will be able to focus entirely on the cases which you are involved in on a day-to-day basis.

Because Blackstone pupils are exposed to such a wide range of legal areas, the whole year is non-practising, which means that pupils do not do any of their own work during pupillage. On the other hand, we strongly encourage our pupils to take on pro bono cases with FRU or other charities, and we will provide support and ensure that you have the time you need to dedicate to pro bono work.

We currently offer a pupillage award of £60,000 for pupillage commencing in 2013. Pupils may apply to draw down up to £17,000 during their BPTC year. These figures are not affected if, like many of our pupils, you are successful in obtaining further financial assistance from your Inn.

We have produced a general “Pupillage Guide” which will, we hope, provide you with answers to many of the questions you may have about pupillage at Blackstone Chambers.   This can be downloaded here.

Blackstone Pupillage brochure 2012.PDF (2972 kb)