Pupillage Vacancy Information
About Authorised Education and Training Organisation
Cloisters is renowned for its pioneering work as well as being down to earth and practical. Many of our barristers are the undisputed leaders in their field and represent clients at every level up to the European Court. This includes our work on recent ground-breaking cases such as;
- Bandi & Others v Bolt Operations OÜ and Another – where an Employment Tribunal found that Bolt drivers are workers, a judgment that will affect approximately 100,000 Bolt drivers in the UK.
- Aslam & Ors v Uber BV and Ors [2021], - where the Supreme Court found that Uber drivers are workers.
- Harper Trust V Brazel [2019] which clarified the position on holiday pay for irregular workers on permanent contracts and how this should be calculated.
- Infected Blood Inquiry – current inquiry examining why men, women and children were given infected blood and/or infected blood products.
- Grenfell Tower Inquiry – where representation has been provided to the Fire Brigade Union (FBU) in assessing the systemic causes and cladding risks which resulted in the Grenfell Tower disaster.
Our core practice areas are employment, discrimination, personal injury and clinical negligence, and we welcome applications from candidates with a commitment to practicing in these areas. We also have a growing human rights/public law team, and a number of specialist practitioners who work in professional discipline, sports and entertainment law, and inquests/inquiries.
We are a supportive and nurturing set where everyone is given the opportunity to thrive and become the best in their field. We see our role as educating, supporting and developing our pupils in line with Cloisters' values which focus on commitment to excellence and delivering exceptional results for the people at the heart of our work.
Structure of Pupillage
Pupillage at Cloisters is split into four quarters, with a different supervisor for each one, of which two will be employment/discrimination specialists and two personal injury/clinical negligence specialists. In addition to working with and for supervisors, pupils are encouraged to do work for other members of chambers and to undertake pro bono work through FRU or law centres. There is a formal appraisal at the end of each quarter, in addition to the feedback given throughout pupillage by supervisors.
The tenancy decision is based on a series of assessed tasks undertaken during the second six months (drafting, legal research, advocacy, interview) and a small element for feedback from supervisors. The tasks are assessed against objective criteria. We recruit pupils with a view to offering tenancy; our aim is to train pupils to enable them to excel in these assessments. Pupils are not in competition with one another for tenancy places.
Financial and Other Support Available
The pupillage award amount is £75,000 per annum.
Equality Diversity and Inclusion
Cloisters is committed to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity amongst our workforce. Our aim is that our barristers, pupils and staff will be representative of all sections of society and that each of those individuals feels respected and able to give of their best.
Cloisters has devised an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy to provide equality and fairness for all members of chambers’ workforce and not to discriminate on grounds of sex, gender reassignment, marital status (including civil partnerships), pregnancy and maternity, race, ethnic origin, colour, nationality, national origin, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief or age. We encourage applications from candidates from non-traditional and under-represented backgrounds.
Our pupillage recruitment process is devised to eliminate unconscious bias as far as possible. Those involved in the recruitment process receive equality and diversity training.
An initial written assessment is anonymously double marked. Gateway forms are also blind double marked; names of candidates, educational institutions and referees are anonymised. When considering the gateway forms, we have up to two marks available to candidates who have overcome disadvantage in their journey to the bar; full details are set out in our mark scheme which is available on our website. Our procedure for candidates with a disability to request reasonable adjustments to our process will be communicated to applicants in February. Such requests will be handled on a confidential basis.
Any Other Relevant Information
We encourage applicants to be concise in their gateway application forms, in particular in respect of their work experience. Our strong preference when dealing with mini pupillages is that candidates simply list when and where they have done these in a single work experience box; there is no need to go into detail about what they have observed.
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 tell us about any disadvantages you have faced in coming to the Bar? Examples might include significant caring responsibilities; a disability; having spent time in care. (max. 1500 characters)
- Please tell us about any mitigating circumstances you wish us to take into account when marking your application? Examples might include bereavement or illness at a crucial academic stage. (max. 1500 characters)
- Please provide examples of any times that you have demonstrated excellent advocacy skills? (max. 1500 characters)
- Please provide examples of any times you have demonstrated excellent communication/ interpersonal skills? (max. 1500 characters)
- Please provide examples of any times you have demonstrated independence of mind/ initiative? (max. 1500 characters)
