Pupillage Vacancy Information
Deka Chambers is a leading common law (mixed practice) set known for its core strengths in advocacy, drafting and advisory work. Clients include solicitors, local government, central government, corporate bodies, insurers and individuals.
Pupils and tenants (for at least three years after tenancy) practise in all areas of our work, an arrangement which provides enviable advocacy experience, impressive drafting skills and develops an interesting and varied practice. Pupils in their second six (practising period) are routinely in court most or all days of the week in a range of civil, criminal and family cases.
We are offering up to four pupillages of 12 months’ duration, commencing in October 2027.
We look for candidates who can demonstrate their analytical ability, expression and persuasion skills, practical professional skills and motivation to have and develop a common law practice. Candidates are required to have a minimum of a second class degree (the minimum qualification level in the Bar Qualification Manual) and be in a position to have been called to the Bar by the commencement date of pupillage.
Otherwise, there are no formal academic requirements to apply or be selected for pupillage with us.
We operate and observe a robust equality, diversity and inclusion policy, including in recruitment; and for many years we have been at the forefront of EDI issues at the Bar.
All of the information about our pupillage application process, funding and structure can be found on our website at https://www.dekachambers.com/join-us/pupillage/
We offer a financial package worth £70,000.
The funds are delivered in line with Bar Council guidance, with each pupil receiving an equal portion of the award every month. There is an overall income guarantee over the course of the year, meaning that each pupil will receive the full value of the award by the conclusion of pupillage. The guarantee applies against receipts (rather than billing).
We offer the facility to ‘draw down’ part of the pupillage award before the commencement of pupillage. It is a matter over which we exercise discretion, taking into account the demonstration of need and it being for a reasonable purpose. Any money drawn down is taken from the half of the award paid in the first six months. We do not permit a draw-down which would result in the remaining funds being diminished below the London living wage equivalent.
We are committed to administering an application process which invites and facilitates applications from as wide a range of candidates as possible. Over the years we have selected for interview, and recruited, candidates from a variety of backgrounds and with a variety of characteristics.
We mark application forms on an anonymous basis and (as set out on the details of the application process) we strongly discourage the inclusion of identifying features and protected characteristics on the forms.
At every stage of the process (including the pre-interview stage), we will accommodate reasonable adjustments to ensure the full and meaningful participation of all candidates. We are open to discussing adjustments at all stages of the process.
There is detailed information permanently available on our website about the pupillage process, in part to allow candidates to identify whether, and what, adjustments they might wish to seek.
Candidates must not submit material in their applications that has been written by AI.
We do not accept applications through the Pupillage Gateway: instead, candidates should apply on our own application form through our dedicated online system.
All the information, including the form, will be available on the pupillage pages on our website, which can be accessed here: https://www.dekachambers.com/join-us/pupillage/
We intend to publish the application form in advance of the opening of the application window so that candidates may start their preparation in good time.
The application window will be open from 5 January 2025 to 22 January 2026 inclusive. These dates are those set by the central Pupillage Gateway timetable. The dates for the first and second round interviews will be announced shortly.
Our website contains further information about our selection criteria and how applications are assessed at each stage of the process.
Members of chambers practise in:
- Personal injury and clinical negligence work including road traffic, employers’ liability and public liability claims, up to cases involving the most serious injuries and including travel and cross-border claims.
- Crime, particularly fraud, sexual offences and serious violent crime.
- Family work, including the full range of public and private law work.
- Court of Protection cases, which cross over between the civil and family disciplines.
- Regulatory work relating to health and safety matters and disciplinary proceeding for professional bodies and individuals.
- Police law across a variety of civil and quasi-criminal cases.
- Inquests, including into unexpected and suspicious deaths, and inquiries (including the Covid Inquiry and the Undercover Policing Inquiry).
Members of chambers, and particularly pupils and junior tenants, have the opportunity to work with all practice groups in chambers and frequently tackle new areas of work.
