Please Note: The application deadline for this job has now passed.
Pupillage Vacancy Information
About Authorised Education and Training Organisation#
5 King's Bench Walk is one of the UK's leading criminal law sets and was ‘Chambers and Partners’ Crime Set of the Year in 2019. Chambers has fifty three members, including seven KCs and two junior treasury counsel.
We prosecute and defend in equal measure and members of chambers regularly appear in some of the most serious and high-profile cases in the country, including in cases of serious and organised crime, serious fraud and terrorism. We principally practise in courts in London and on the South Eastern Circuit, although we also act in cases across the length and breadth of the country. As well as general crime, individuals in chambers have expertise in diverse practice areas such as courts martial, inquests, actions against the police, extradition, and licensing. We have a small team in chambers who specialise in family and civil work.
Chambers undertakes a substantial and increasing amount of privately funded work.
Prosecuting or defending, publicly funded or private we strive to provide the highest standards of advocacy.
Structure of Pupillage
5KBW are seeking to recruit two pupils to begin in October 2025. We take on pupils with a view to recruiting them as tenants and take pride in our strong record of recruiting pupils to tenancy.
During pupillage, successful candidates will spend their first six months accompanying their pupil supervisor to court each day, although there will also be opportunities to spend time with more junior tenants, to experience life in the magistrates’ court and on less serious Crown Court cases. In the second six months, our pupils can expect to spend every day in court, conducting their own cases, which will include some Saturday court work, by rota. We ordinarily anticipate pupils will undertake a ‘third six’ prior to making offers of tenancy.
We pride ourselves on offering pupils a fully rounded education, which includes regular workshops from senior members of chambers, fortnightly in-house advocacy training and seminars on interesting and novel cases. These sessions also provide a great opportunity to allow pupils to get to know members of chambers, away from court. We are a friendly set and take an interest in making sure our pupils are comfortable and well-supported, as well as ensuring we get to know our pupils personally and professionally.
Financial and Other Support Available
We offer a pupillage award of £40,000.00, comprised of £20,000.00 in the first six months and a guaranteed income of £20,000.00 in the second six months. A payment of £1000 is provided to assist with travel. None of our pupils pay rent and for the first three years of tenancy, new tenants pay reduced rent to Chambers.
Equality Diversity and Inclusion
Chambers has a firm commitment to equal opportunities and encourage applications from those who do not consider themselves from what may be perceived as the ‘typical’ background, irrespective of age, race, religion, belief, sexual orientation, gender or disability. We are committed to providing a work environment in which all individuals are treated with dignity and respect. We are committed to the furtherance of Equality and Diversity and promoting access to the legal profession and to the Bar.
We have a dedicated Equality and Diversity Committee made up of practicing members of chambers through which we support a number of programmes promoting diversity. We have a partnership with the 10,000 Black Interns project and this year welcomed two interns who spent four weeks with us at 5KBW to be repeated again next year https://www.10000blackinterns.com/. We also work closely with the Bridging the Bar Scheme https://bridgingthebar.org/and and have a close relationship with the London Academy of Excellence in Tottenham where we have provided careers mentoring, advocacy workshops and work experience.
How to Apply
Aspiring barristers are invited to apply to chambers between Wednesday 3 January 2024 and Wednesday 7 February 2024 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:
- Why do you believe you will make a good barrister? (Character limit 1200)
- Why do you want to join our chambers? (Character limit 1200)
- What law would you enact or change and why? (Character limit 1500)
- Has the time come for trial by Judge alone? How else can the backlog be reduced? (Character limit 1500)
