Pupillage Vacancy Information
5 Pump Court is a progressive, diverse multidisciplinary set with specialist practice teams in civil, family and criminal law.
About 5 Pump Court
We offer two pupillages per year - one mixed practice and one specialist family pupillage. We want to recruit pupils who have a good understanding of what a career at the self-employed Bar entails, and are energised by the thought of frequent advocacy across a wide range of work. We treat our pupils as future tenants from day 1, and look for exceptional candidates who are looking to build a successful career with us.
We are looking for candidates who can demonstrate the following:
- High level of academic achievement (minimum 2:1 degree in any subject);
- Excellent advocacy skills and the ability to persuade people to your point of view;
- Good quality analytical skills; the ability to assimilate complex factual information quickly and accurately and to explain it in relation to the relevant law;
- Good communication skills, including the ability to explain complex legal issues verbally and in writing;
- Outstanding inter-personal skills and the ability to form effective working relationships with colleagues, solicitors and clients.
Structure of Pupillage
We provide three pupil supervisors over the course of the year in order to ensure that you get exposure to a wide variety of work. For the mixed practice pupillage, the supervisors will be drawn from each of our practice areas. For the specialist family pupillage, the supervisors will cover private children law, public children law and financial remedies.
We are an advocacy based set, and expect our pupils to be in court most days during 1st 6, and 4-5 times per week during 2nd 6. You may be asked to attend court anywhere in England and Wales, but most of our work takes place in London and the south east.
During 1st 6, we provide an internal bespoke training course which covers the hearings you will most commonly encounter in 2nd 6 so that you are well prepared. We also provide lots of opportunities to get hands on experience, and you can expect to be meeting clients, drafting and taking an active role in cases from the outset.
We have a dedicated room in Chambers for pupils and provide mentors and a lot of peer support from our junior Bar. You will develop strong relationships with your supervisors, other members of Chambers, and our professional staff and we try to encourage regular opportunities for socialising as well as work! We expect you to be involved with our marketing initiatives, and will provide support with profile raising and networking. Our Chambers Director and Practice Managers will provide individual career coaching through regular meetings and discussions.
Financial and other support available
We offer a Pupillage Award of £2,100 per month during 1st 6 and also pay travel expenses outside of Zone 4. In 2nd 6, we offer Guaranteed Earnings of £2,100 per month, but expect pupils to earn between £4,000 - £5,000 per month during that period.
Equality Diversity and Inclusion
We are a diverse set, and welcome applications from all high quality candidates particularly those who are from underrepresented groups. We are committed to flexibility and have an extensive flexible working policy for members and pupils. We will consider any request for flexibility within the recruitment process and pupillage itself. For a confidential discussion regarding any request for flexibility, please contact our Chambers Director Clare Kelly on 020 7632 7859 or by email at clarekelly@5pumpcourt.com
We encourage and support pro bono work, and run a number of outreach events throughout the year in which we encourage pupil involvement. We have an EDI committee, and are open to all suggestions for events and initiatives.
Please note that Chambers is based in a Grade 1 listed building in the Middle Temple which is unsuitable for wheelchairs or those who find it difficult to walk up stairs. We are happy to arrange for an interview elsewhere if necessary.
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:
- Please set out which of our pupillages you are applying for. Explain your choice and why you want to join our chambers. You should include evidence of your commitment to our practice areas. (250 word limit)
- With reference to your experience, please explain why you believe you will be an excellent advocate. (250 word limit)
- Please explain what qualities you have which will convince solicitors to send you repeat instructions. (150 word limit)
- Describe an occasion when you have been under pressure and how you have managed that to a successful conclusion. (150 word limit)
- In the last 12 months, what development in the law do you believe has been or will be most pivotal to your preferred practice area. (250 word limit)
