Pupillage Vacancy Information
5 Paper Buildings has been instrumental in shaping criminal law for over 100 years. Members have played parts in some of the most memorable cases known to our legal system, from the Profumo affair and the Great Train Robbery to Blue Arrow and, more recently, Libor and Euribor, the News International phone hacking cases, and Operation Yewtree.
No longer a “pure crime set”, 5PB has specialist teams involved in regulatory work, professional disciplinary tribunals, health and safety/product safety, inquests, courts-martial and public inquiries (including Covid, Infected Blood, Brook house, Dobbs, and the Undercover policing inquiry).
Currently there are just over 51 members of chambers, 11 Silks, and 10 recorders and part time judiciary.
Members have experience of working in many other jurisdictions. Work is often undertaken in Hong Kong, Singapore and the Caribbean, as well as in Europe.
Chambers accepts instructions from solicitors, government departments, prosecuting authorities and in-house lawyers. Chambers also accepts instructions from foreign lawyers and government agencies. Many members of chambers also accept direct access instructions.
We take pride in our friendly atmosphere, the quality of our advocacy and client care, and of chambers' case management and clerking, resulting in cost-effective use of clients' resources and court time.
We are committed to promoting equality of access to the legal profession, though our mini-pupillage scheme and our annual mooting competition aimed at students from as wide a range of universities as possible.
See https://www.5pb.co.uk/pupillage
Financial and Other Support Available
£40,000: £30,000 Award plus £10,000 Guaranteed Earnings
The award of £30,000 is paid in the first six months, together with £10,000 guaranteed earnings in the second six months.
Our pupils do not pay clerks' fees on earnings.
Up to £1,000 of the award can be provided in advance once the BPTC has been successfully completed.
Equality Diversity and Inclusion
See https://www.5pb.co.uk/about/equal-opportunities
We encourage applications from all applicants, whatever their background or circumstances, and will seek to make whatever reasonable adjustments or other arrangements required to enable applicants to apply for, and participate in, pupillage.
Prospective applicants are very welcome contact Andrew Johnson on aj@5pb.co.uk in order to discuss accessibility arrangements.
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:
Q1 - Why do you want to undertake your pupillage at 5PB? (max. 1200 characters)
Q2 - What skills do you have that will make you a successful advocate? When have you used those skills in your life to date? (max. 1200 characters)
Q3 - What was the most effective piece of advocacy you have seen? This could be a piece of advocacy you have seen at court during a mini-pupillage, or a persuasive speech or other piece of public speaking. (max. 1200 characters)
Q4 Why does diversity at the Bar matter? (max. 1500 characters)
Q5 - What is most significant challenge you have faced so far? How did you deal with it? (max. 1200 characters)
Q6 - If you could change one law, what would it be, and why? (max. 1500 characters)
Q7 - Why do you want to practise at the criminal Bar? (max. 1200 characters)
