Pupillage Vacancy Information
About Authorised Education and Training Organisation
42BR Barristers is a leading common law set, now with over 115 members. In September 2023, we moved to Staple Inn which has allowed us to enhance the way we work. Our new premises feature several newly refurbished conference rooms and breakout areas, fully equipped to accommodate in-person, hybrid and remote meetings and hearings. We will also be able to welcome clients to larger workshop-style events in our spacious seminar suite. Our new clerks’ room and staff working areas are all open plan allowing for collaborative working, while our modern members spaces will offer much needed privacy and comfort for those working in London.
Our members’ practices are broadly split between Civil and Family law. We are ranked as a leading set in Family: Children, Family: Matrimonial, Social Housing and Employment Law in the legal directories. We also have numerous members ranked in other areas across both directories.
Our pupils benefit from the experience of a broad spectrum of work, which includes:
- Clinical Negligence
- Personal Injury
- Family (including finance)
- Housing
- Contract / Commercial disputes
- Employment
- Professional Negligence
- Property-related matters including Landlord and Tenant.
- Public law and local government
- Coroner’s Inquests
- Animal Welfare
What we are looking for
Members of Chambers are instructed across a broad range of practice areas, by a diverse range of solicitors on behalf of private clients, insurance companies, local government and other public authorities, as well as directly by clients themselves. We seek exceptional candidates who have an interest in several areas of Chambers practice and can demonstrate a high level of self-motivation and intellectual ability. Coupled with the social skills to communicate with, and on behalf of, a wide range of clients we require our pupils and tenants to have a professional but compassionate approach.
We welcome applications from candidates who have degrees in subjects other than law and are taking (or have taken) the GDL. A minimum of a 2:1 at degree level (or prediction of the same) is usually a requirement, as is a Very Competent for the BPTC (if commenced or completed).
Structure of Pupillage
As a pupil at 42BR, pupillage is divided into two parts: the non-practising six months during which pupils shadow a pupillage supervisor; and the second, “practising” six months in which pupils may advise and exercise rights of audience on their own account.
Each pupil will be allocated to at least 3 different pupil supervisors during the twelve-month period, ideally for four-month periods, to ensure that they experience as broad a range of our work as practicable.
In the first six months of pupillage, we expect our pupils to gain experience in most of the areas 42BR has expertise in. This will include reading and working on papers, undertaking research, attending court, seminars, and conferences with their pupillage supervisors, and, where requested, taking notes.
During the second-six pupils can expect to appear in court in their own right on average three times per week. The clerks take care to ensure that work is distributed fairly between our pupils to ensure they gain the experience they require, although it has been known for pupils to begin to build loyal professional relationships with clients, even at the pupillage stage.
Our pupillage supervisors will be on hand to support and encourage our pupils throughout their training year, as well ensuring that a proper work/life balance is achieved.
Financial and Other Support Available
Pupils who commence their pupillage at 42BR in October 2025 will receive an award of £40,000. In addition to this, we guarantee earnings (NB. not receipts) in the second six months of £15,000.
Throughout a pupillage at 42BR, the £40,000 award will be paid in monthly instalments, via direct debit.
During second six, should our pupils not meet the minimum earnings of £15,000, they will receive a top-up from Chambers.
The awards are reviewed annually.
42BR fund for any compulsory course that pupils are required to undertake.
Equality Diversity and Inclusion
42BR is committed to ensuring that no-one within Chambers, whether a barrister, member of staff, client, contactor, pupil, mini-pupil or student, receives less favourable treatment (directly or indirectly) on the grounds of age, gender reassignment, marital status or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, disability, race including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, or religion or belief.
42BR is a diverse and forward-thinking Chambers. Two of our members were recently chosen by the Bar Council to be Social Mobility Advocates in their ‘I Am The Bar’ campaign. We also have a member who is a Mentor for Bridging the Bar.
We work with Advocate to provide legal representation to those with deserving cases who cannot afford to pay for our services. We actively encourage our barristers to use their professional legal knowledge to benefit those who are disadvantaged, under privileged or have difficulties in accessing legal advice. Many members are active supporters of Advocate and we are viewed as a core resource by them. One of our junior members sits on Advocate’s Young Bar Executive Committee and more recently we have signed up to Advocate’s ‘Chambers Pro Bono Framework’.
The London Legal Walk takes place annually to raise funds for London Legal Support Trust, the Free Representation Unit, and Advocate. These bodies make a valuable contribution to preventing homelessness, resolving debt problems, gaining care for the elderly and disabled, and fighting exploitation. 42BR take part each year in a bid to raise awareness.
As part of our on-going support of our more junior members, 42BR has a mentoring scheme in which members below 5 years call are paired with more experienced members. The scheme is designed to facilitate conversation between mentor and mentee to promote well-being, mental health and personal and career growth in Chambers.
We are also in the process of setting up a mentoring scheme in which all members are offered general support, including guidance when returning from parental leave, sick leave, assistance with applications for judicial appointments or any other concerns.
We have several initiatives, outlined below, which ensure everyone has the same opportunities to access the Bar.
42BR’s Schools Outreach Programme is grounded in our ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion. The aim of the programme is to provide access to information about becoming a barrister to those from under-represented or ‘non-traditional’ backgrounds, specifically those from non-fee-paying schools.
Similarly, 42BR offers a University Outreach Programme which works in a similar way to the Schools Outreach Programme, outlined above, but for university students.
42BR is proud to support the Bar Council’s "10,000 Black Interns" initiative, in which we offer an internship to a student of Black African, Black Caribbean, and/or Black British heritage, including those of mixed Black ancestry.
42BR also runs a funded internship scheme to engage those from minority backgrounds, who have completed Bar school, but are yet to obtain pupillage. The purpose behind the programme is to enable interns from minority groups to improve their prospects of beginning a career at the Bar through educational and career development opportunities. An Internship Committee ensures the fair recruitment of interns and ongoing support during their time in Chambers.
We have a team of Equality and Diversity Officers who meet quarterly throughout the year.
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’.
Candidates will be asked to respond to the following questions from Chambers:
1.Why do you believe you will make a good barrister? – 1200 characters
2.42BR undertake work across a range of practice areas; which areas are you most interested, and why? – 1200 characters
3.Why does a mixed set appeal to you? – 1200 characters
4.Are you able to start in 2025, 2026 or either?
