Pupillage Vacancy Information
1KBW is an award-winning Chambers with broad excellence across all areas of family law. We house the very best advocates and advisers across the full spectrum of matrimonial finance work and children work, with all areas of practice being equally strong. This breadth is unmatched by any other leading set at the Family Bar.
1KBW has long been at the forefront of the development of family law, with members of chambers appearing in many of the most important and landmark cases in the highest courts over the last 20 years or more. If it is a leading authority, then we have usually been involved.
In relation to matrimonial finance, we deal regularly with high-profile cases and cases involving enormous wealth, complex and intricate assets and asset-holding structures, trusts and businesses, both UK-based and offshore. We also offer the highest quality representation to parties of much more ordinary means. We have many specialist counsel who regularly deal with cases involving trust of land disputes between cohabiting parties pursuant to TOLATA 1996 and also cases involving financial provision for children pursuant to Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989.
We also have a reputation for providing high quality representation, advocacy and advice, in all aspects of the law relating to children and we are immensely proud of the variety of expertise we offer. We are experienced in advising and acting in cases from high conflict, complex private law disputes for UHNW, to child abduction, to the most serious public law (care and adoption) proceedings, including infanticide and appalling situations of abuse and neglect. In certain situations, where a client is unable to afford representation, our barristers are willing to provide advice and act pro bono. We regularly deal with cases involving issues of human rights breaches, privacy, public interest immunity and media restrictions in respect of all the areas of child law work we undertake.
With a significant number of us practising across both financial remedy work and private law children work, we are regularly appointed to preside over both aspects of a case. We are the set of choice for cases where the parties wish the financial and children matters to be dealt with together, for example Schedule 1 and child arrangements, schooling and relocation matters. Many of us are expert in matters of jurisdiction as much of our work has an international dimension to it.
As a set we are among the earliest proponents of ADR – both private FDR and arbitration – and are fortunate to be home to many of the top umpires. With ADR now an integrated part of the resolution process, we are able to lead the way. We have a high number of barristers who can help parties reach a settlement by giving their opinion as to likely outcome on a neutral and impartial basis.
1KBW comprises 66 barristers, including 14 KCs. The set is widely acknowledged to have an unrivalled breadth of talent with leading and junior practitioners at every level of seniority. As well as some of the most eminent practitioners at the family bar, former members of 1KBW have included Baroness Hale, the current President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, Dame Judith Parker, DBE and numerous other members of the judiciary.
Our twelve-month pupillages are divided between different supervisors. Pupils are encouraged to attend court with members of chambers to gain first-hand experience at all levels of court. To help build confidence as an advocate, chambers provides regular in-house advocacy training, including mock hearings in front of the members of chambers who sit part-time as judges and in-house seminars known as ‘Masterclasses’ at which Silks and senior members of chambers speak on practice and procedure in the main areas of chambers work.
At 1KBW we are resolved to improving diversity and inclusion at the Bar and advancing accessibility to underrepresented groups.
We are committed to delivering a fair and transparent recruitment process and ensuring the retention our talented members. We were a founding partner of Bridging the Bar and are signed up to the 10,000 Black Intern Project. As well as this, we have devised specific initiatives, such as our Essay writing competition, to provide opportunities and experiences without boundaries. We have keen ambitions to do more.
We also participate actively in raising funds for charitable organisations, especially those with close associations to the legal profession, such as Advocate and Support Through Court. We are a Silver Circle Patron of Advocate on account of our fundraising. Many of our barristers undertake pro bono work on behalf of the charity, some being recognised with awards for their dedication to increasing opportunities for fair access to justice.
Members and staff contribute to a wide range of charities and events on a personal level, as well as collectively throughout the year.
We are particularly proud of our ‘industry first’ inaugural one-day family law conference which we hosted for 300 clients at the Royal College of Surgeons in September 2023 to raise significant funds for Advocate and Support Through Court. 35 members of chambers plus guest speakers delivered lectures and interactive workshops on the full range of family law topics including financial remedies, private and public children law, costs, experts, jurisdiction, publicity and ADR. We are repeating this event in 2025.
