Pupillage Vacancy Information
About Authorised Education and Training Organisation and Structure of Pupillage
Browne Jacobson Barristers is a fully clerked team of employed barristers, plus assistant advocates and legal assistants operating as an in-house chambers within a full service law firm. Winner of the Employed Barrister of the Year in a Law Firm award, we truly offer a ‘best of both’ approach to the Bar, with career flexibility and clerking style of the independent Bar alongside the team structure and financial incentives that come from working for a UK and Ireland law firm.
Browne Jacobson LLP has offices throughout England and Wales, as well as in Dublin, with an impressive client portfolio including blue chip corporates, local and owner managed businesses, NHS Trusts, major insurers, education and other public sector organisations. Our lawyers are highly experienced across a wide variety of sectors from local authorities, health and insurance to corporates and charities, working together to provide access to a full range of commercial and public sector legal services.
Launched in 2010, Browne Jacobson Barristers has offered in-house pupillages for 14 years and provides advocacy services to both internal and external clients.
The team specialises in regulatory, civil and public law in the fields of health, education and social care, as well as on behalf of major insurers. Members of the team are instructed to prosecute on behalf of national regulators and briefed to conduct high profile inquests predominantly for health organisations and local government. Cases are regularly reported both in the law reports and local and national press.
Having established an excellent reputation for training and quality, the aim of our 2025 – 2027 pupillage programme is to maximise the unique opportunities that arise from undertaking pupillage within a solicitors’ firm. The successful candidate will be integrated with the firm’s intake of trainee solicitors to fully experience the social and community aspects of working within a law firm and to forge a fuller understanding of the firm and collegiate working with solicitor colleagues. Pupils are encouraged to explore areas of work outside of the team’s traditional offering and build their own portfolio of work from an early stage in their career. The aim is that successful candidates will, by the end of their non-practising (6 months) and practicing (18 months) periods, have acquired both the skills and professional networks to commence a practice which complements that of our current barristers; tackling serious and challenging cases dealing with society’s biggest issues.
We are offering two pupillages to commence in September 2025. Whilst our team provides coverage nationally, and all of our pupils are encouraged to work from all offices throughout their pupillage, we intend to offer pupillages based from our Nottingham office under the lead supervision of Samantha Paxman and our Exeter office under the lead supervision of Luke Berry.
Financial and Other Support Available
Our pupillage is funded by way of a salary commencing at £30,000 per annum, paid monthly in arrears for the first year of pupillage. Salary will be reviewed in line with the firm’s Performance and Pay Review timeline and we anticipate that salary will increase in the second year.
On successful completion of pupillage, our barristers qualify on a competitive annual salary.
In addition, as an employee of the firm our pupils have their professional courses, work related travel, accommodation and practice certification costs fully funded. Pupils are also fully covered by the firm’s existing professional indemnity insurance and as a member of the employed bar will not incur any chambers overheads or accountancy costs. Employees of the firm also benefit from Browne Jacobson’s generous package of benefits including pension contributions, life assurance, income protection and private medical insurance and are eligible for a bonus in accordance with the firm’s bonus policy.
The successful candidates may be eligible to start working with Browne Jacobson LLP earlier than the pupillage start date as an Assistant Advocate, subject to discussion.
Equality Diversity and Inclusion
Equality, diversity and inclusion are key focusses both for Browne Jacobson LLP and Browne Jacobson Barristers. The firm is heavily invested in positioning itself as a leading light for inclusivity amongst UK law firms and has championed its employees to form active communities working in the areas of Pride, Race, Ethnicity and Culture Heritage (REACH), social mobility, disability and conditions, gender and working families.
The firm is particularly proud of its ranking as a social mobility employer, having been ranked joint first again in 2024 (as well as 2021, 2022 and second in 2023), consistently the highest ranking law firm.
Browne Jacobson Barristers is proudly diverse and champions its members in their support of our firm’s vast array of diversity and inclusion initiatives. In the past year our team has been prominent in supporting REACH, BSL, neurodiversity and supporting ‘FAIRE’ access to the legal profession.
For further information, please visit our website
How to Apply
Apply online at www.brownejacobsoncareers.com. Applications open on 2 January 2025 and close on 6 February 2025.
Candidates who achieve well at interview may also be offered the opportunity for employment as an Assistant Advocate at the firm in one or more of our regional offices.
