Pupillage Vacancy Information
About Authorised Education and Training Organisation
8 New Square is the largest, specialist intellectual property chambers in the United Kingdom, and has a depth of knowledge and breadth of experience in all areas of intellectual property, media, and entertainment and IT law. Pupillage at 8 New Square therefore provides an opportunity to work with many of the leading practitioners in intellectual property law and to be exposed to a wide range of interesting and often ground-breaking cases in this field.
For example, members of chambers have recently appeared in the Supreme Court in some of our core practice areas; Sky v Skykick, Lifestyle Equities v Amazon (trade marks), Regeneron v Kymab, Actavis v Lilly, Warner Lambert v Generics (life sciences) and Conversant v Huawei Unwired Planet v Huawei (patents & telecoms licencing). The vast majority of our work is in the High Court in London where as well as the largest multinational corporations, we act for SMEs and individuals giving members an interesting, intellectually challenging and diverse practice. We have a strong media practice too, having appeared in many recent cases representing the Duchess of Sussex, Ed Sheeran, Sir Bob Geldof and Rihanna.
Generally, pupils will sit with one member of chambers for a two or three month period, before moving to a new pupil supervisor (although there is a facility to move to other members of chambers who have particularly interesting cases). Pupils will also, in the later stages of their pupillage, have opportunities to work with members of chambers other than their pupil supervisors. We account for modern patterns of working in our process to ensure pupils experience the best supervision.
A pupil will be immersed in all aspects of their supervisors’ practises and see a wide range of intellectual property and related work during their time with each supervisor. They will be given many opportunities to get hands-on experience of the work of a barrister, including legal research, drafting pleadings and skeleton arguments, and assisting in preparation for conferences and hearings. Pupils are treated as members of the team on the cases in which they are involved and are encouraged to think critically about their cases and to discuss their thoughts with their supervisors.
Pupils will be asked to conduct a formal advocacy exercise approximately halfway through their pupillage year which will be assessed by the Head of Chambers (or a nominated member of chambers) and at least two other members of chambers.
Pupils will be provided with regular feedback on their work throughout their pupillage and will have formal feedback sessions at the end of their time with each supervisor. Pupils will also have the opportunity to provide their own feedback on their pupillage during the year.
Chambers takes the wellbeing of its pupils, as well as its staff and barristers, very seriously and has systems in place to provide wellbeing support to its pupils. Chambers has a dedicated Wellbeing Officer (Charlotte May KC) who is available to provide confidential wellbeing support. Pupils are also assigned a junior members of chambers as a mentor from whom they can seek advice and support throughout their pupillage.
Our aim is to recruit pupils of the very best calibre who will stand an excellent chance of being offered tenancy. Given the nature of our work, applicants will need to demonstrate strong academic ability, including an aptitude for and interest in dealing with technical/scientific subject matter (although a science degree is not a mandatory requirement). Candidates will also need to be able to demonstrate strong analytical and advocacy skills and an interest in intellectual property.
Applicants should be able to demonstrate:
- Academic qualifications of at least a 2:1 (or equivalent) degree from any recognised university (unless there are extenuating circumstances).
- Law degree or GDL (or equivalent) and accepted an application to undertake the BPTC or completed the BPTC.
- Proof or other explanation of technical/scientific aptitude.
- An interest in intellectual property.
Equality Diversity and Inclusion
Chambers is committed to fostering and encouraging greater diversity at the IP Bar and is actively involved in a wide range of initiatives to support that goal, including being a sponsor and partner of the Bridging the Bar scheme, participant in the 10,000 Black Interns Programme, a member of IP Inclusive and providing sponsorship to a variety of academic institutions that share the goal of improving Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. In addition, individual members undertake a variety of initiatives like mentoring and school outreach work.
Chambers has an active Equality, Diversity and Wellbeing Committee and barristers and staff undertake Equality and Diversity, Fair Recruitment and Race Awareness training.
Members of Chambers come from a wide range of backgrounds and we welcome applicants for pupillage from all backgrounds.
Additionally, Chambers’ Accessibility Officer (Harri Gibson - harri.gibson@8newsquare.co.uk) is available to assist with any accessibility questions or requests. Please contact her to enquire about any accessibility needs that you may have prior to making your pupillage application.
How to Apply
All pupillage recruitment is via the Pupillage Gateway. Aspiring barristers are invited to apply to chambers between Thursday 2 January 2025 and Thursday 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:
- Why do you believe you will make a good professional advocate? Please identify any relevant experiences or skills (word limit 450 words)
- Why are you interested in a career in Intellectual Property law? Please identify any experiences that have motivated you to pursue such a career (word limit 450 words)
- A good barrister must be able to give legal advice within the commercial context of a client's business. Please identify any relevant experiences or skills demonstrating your ability and potential to be able to do this (word limit 450 words)
- Intellectual Property cases often have technical/scientific subject matter. Please identify any relevant experiences or skills demonstrating your ability to cope with such cases (word limit 450 words)
- If you have applied for pupillage at 8 New Square previously, please tell us when that application was made and provide details of additional qualifications or experience gained since that unsuccessful application. Please explain why those additional qualifications or experience strengthen your application to 8 New Square Chambers (word limit 450 words)
