Pupillage Vacancy Information
About Authorised Education Training Organisation
Our members act in the full spectrum of UK-based litigation, from County Court hearings to substantial High Court trials and appeals before the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and Privy Council, as well as specialist tribunals and public inquiries. Our members also regularly appear before the European Courts, and advise on and act in arbitrations and disputes around the world, including in Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. It is the international scope of the work undertaken by our members that differentiates us from many other leading sets of commercial chambers.
Our work:
We specialise in commercial litigation and international arbitration. Our members have expertise in all areas of commercial law and handle disputes across the full spectrum of the business and financial world, including banking & finance, offshore litigation, civil fraud, insurance & reinsurance, energy, trade, employment and tax as well as public law and public international law.
Our members:
An active policy of growth and recruitment has meant that Chambers now comprises over 100 members, many of whom are leaders in their fields. The barristers at Essex Court Chambers have a reputation for exceptional talent, top-class advocacy and a client-oriented approach.
Structure of Pupillage
Essex Court Chambers is one of the leading commercial sets and has an international reputation for excellence. We offer up to six funded, twelve-month, tenancy-seeking pupillages per year, and from January 2025 will be accepting applications for pupillage commencing in September 2026 and deferred pupillage commencing in September 2027. We may be able to consider requests by any successful applicants who wish to advance and start pupillage early, i.e. in September 2025, should they satisfy all required criteria.
Financial and Other Support Available
The pupillage award on offer for those pupillages starting in 2026 and 2027 will be £80,000. (The award for those starting in September 2025 remains at the current level of £75,000 with a draw down of £23,000.) Of that sum, £50,000 is payable in equal monthly instalments in the first six months, and the balance in equal monthly instalments in the second six months. Up to an overall maximum of £25,000 may be drawn down in advance for the BPTC year and/or for relevant postgraduate study (with pro rata reductions during the pupillage year).
Essex Court Chambers offers guaranteed minimum gross earnings of £125,000 in the first year of tenancy (although, in practice, experience shows that first year tenants may earn something in excess of this figure). Chambers' expenses (including rent) are levied as a flat percentage of fees received and no fixed rent or other fixed charge is payable.
Equality Diversity and Inclusion
Essex Court Chambers is committed to equality of opportunity. Chambers has in force a written statement on Equality & Diversity, together with written policies on reasonable adjustments; fair access to work and allocation of unassigned work; the prevention of harassment; parental leave, flexible working and career breaks; and a grievance procedure. Copies of the policies applicable to pupils can be seen on the Equality & Diversity page of Chambers’ website.
The members of Essex Court Chambers are committed to the furtherance of equality and diversity and promoting access to the legal profession and to the Bar in particular. For further information on the initiatives support by members of Chambers in this respect, see the Social Responsibility page of Chambers’ website.
Chambers’ Accessiblity Officer is Jacky Chase
Any Other Relevant Information
What we look for:
We only offer pupillage to those who we think are capable of becoming successful tenants here. We seek to recruit the brightest and best as our pupils. In making pupillage offers, we are committed to equality of opportunity, and we assess applications for pupillage on the basis of merit alone.
Applicants are sometimes advised that a degree from Oxford or Cambridge is a prerequisite for commercial pupillage. That is not the case. We recognise that not all of the top talent is concentrated in a small number of academic institutions and encourage applications from all.
We welcome applications from both law and non-law graduates and for deferred pupillage.
A first class degree is not a requirement. Applicants are required to have obtained, or be predicted to obtain, at least a 2:1 degree; non-law graduates are required, in addition, to have obtained, or be predicted to obtain, at least a Commendation in their GDL. These mandatory requirements may be waived in wholly exceptional circumstances.
We assess applicants for pupillage by reference to the following objective criteria:
• Intellectual ability
• Promise in oral advocacy/communication skills
• Promise in written advocacy/communication skills
• Tenacity, self-motivation, organisational skill and ability to work as part of a team
• Judgment and integrity
How To Apply
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".
Our Bespoke questions
- Please explain why you are interested in a career at the Commercial Bar (Max 500 words)
Please set out your exam marks at undergraduate degree level (and above, if applicable) and state where you ranked in your year. (Marks means marks e.g. 65%, not classification e.g. 2:1.) If you studied outside England and Wales, please give an explanation of the marking system applied to your exam results, including (where possible) what is the equivalent domestic mark/grade. If the word limit for this question is insufficient for your answer, please give the answer "Insufficient word count - results sent by email" and set out your results and any relevant explanation for qualifications obtained outside England & Wales in an email to pupillage@essexcourt.com (as well as sending your transcripts, as set out under "How to Apply" below). (Max 500 words)
Why do you believe you will make a good barrister? In your answer, please identify any relevant experiences or skills that you believe may help you in your career. (Max 500 words)
- Please identify a recent case or development in one of Chambers’ core areas of practice which has interested you and explain why you find it interesting. (Max 500 words)
