Pupillage Vacancy Information
2 Hare Court regards pupillage as an essential investment in the future of Chambers and the Bar. Our approach is to offer thoroughly comprehensive training in all aspects of our work, so as to ensure that our pupils are provided with the best foundation for their professional careers and are able to uphold the traditions and standards of the Bar. This includes providing comprehensive in-house advocacy training, culminating in a mock trial at the Old Bailey before a member of the judiciary and members of Chambers.
Chambers selects articulate and well-motivated individuals who can demonstrate academic excellence, high standards of presentation and communication skills, sound judgment and a practical approach to problem-solving.
Funding
Chambers advertises up to two 12 month pupillages per year.
The funding for pupillages commencing in September 2026 onwards will be:
£30,000 award paid in monthly instalments during the first six months.
£30,000 guaranteed earnings during the second six months.
1st Six Months
During pupillage at 2 Hare Court you will have at any one time a junior supervisor, and a KC supervisor. You will spend four months with each team, working with three teams in total. In this way we can give you the best opportunity to experience work in different areas of crime, both defending and prosecuting, along with our other practice areas. You will share a room with one of your pupil supervisors and by moving rooms will have an opportunity to meet other members of Chambers. During your 1st Six (and 2nd Six when you are not in court) you are expected to accompany your pupil supervisor during the working week. All pupils will spend one month with Treasury Counsel or a Treasury Counsel monitoree, where they will observe senior prosecution work of the highest calibre.
During the 1st Six you will learn by reading briefs, preparing draft written work (e.g. case summaries, skeleton arguments, etc.), carrying out legal research for your pupil supervisor and other members of Chambers and attending court and conferences. This period is not only designed to ensure that you observe work which is interesting, informative and thought-provoking, but also to ensure that you are properly prepared to begin your own practice. Chambers uses the Bar Council Criminal Checklist as the basis of the work which should be undertaken in pupillage.
Pupils have to pay for their own travel expenses within the Greater London area. If your pupil supervisor is appearing outside this area, you are not expected to accompany them at your own expense. If this occurs the pupil supervisor will make arrangements either to organise free travel for you or for you to accompany another member of Chambers.
If your pupil supervisor is absent from Chambers (or working outside the Greater London area) for a prolonged period for any reason, Chambers will arrange for you to be assigned temporarily or permanently to another member of Chambers.
2nd Six Months
The emphasis during the 2nd Six will be on your own case load. Preparation for this stage will have been comprehensive during your 1st Six, and Chambers has considerable experience in ensuring that your progression to being ‘on your feet’ is accomplished smoothly.
At this stage your own practice will assume priority as far as your responsibilities are concerned, but you are still required to assist your pupil supervisors or other members of Chambers when you have capacity to do so. During this period, you can expect to be in court most days, if not twice a day, initially in the Magistrates Courts, but shortly thereafter in the Crown Courts where pupils will deal with matters such as pleas and directions, mentions, etc. before moving on and undertaking their own Crown Court trials.
The 2 Hare Court clerking team will ensure that work is fairly and evenly distributed between pupils, subject to the availability of the individual pupil and to the possibility of individual pupils being specifically requested by solicitors.
Equality Diversity and Inclusion
https://www.2harecourt.com/equality-and-inclusion/
How to Apply
Aspiring barristers are invited to apply to Chambers between 2 January 2025 and 6 February 2025 using the Pupillage Gateway application system to search for the relevant Pupillage Vacancy and selecting ‘Apply for this pupillage’.
In addition to the standardised Bar Council questionnaire, candidates will be asked to respond to the following questions from Chambers:
1. Why do you believe you will make a good barrister? (max. 1200 characters)
2. Why do you want to join our chambers? (max. 1200 characters)
3. What is the greatest challenge you have faced so far? (max. 1200 characters)
4. If there is anything else you would like us to know about you, please tell us here. (max. 1200 characters)
