Pupillage Vacancy Information
Guildford Chambers has dedicated civil and family teams. We provide competitive and effective advocacy on behalf of individuals and businesses in Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, London and the South-East.
We are currently offering a single pupillage within the civil team
The pupil will be allocated to a specific supervisor but can expect to be rotated to other members to ensure exposure to the various areas of law covered by Guildford Chambers. Progress is subject to active review with additional support provided as required.
During the first six months, you will undergo assessments which could cover any aspect of work covered within the civil team (e.g. Civil Procedure, Residential Property, Commercial Contract, Personal Injury, Probate or Professional Negligence).
Towards the end of the first six, we will ensure that the pupil spends time with junior members of chambers to prepare for the type of work they will typically undertake during their second-six.
During the second six, pupils will be kept busy and undertake their own cases to gain the relevant experience required to complete pupillage successfully. Pupils appear in the lower courts and receive instructions to prepare written work.
Typically, the civil pupil will gain experience in a broad range of civil work, focused around our core practice areas (Property, Commercial, and Personal Injury). Second six pupils will undertake a variety of instructions including small claims, and interlocutory hearings.
We intend to provide high quality pupillage training in a friendly and supportive atmosphere and have a history of recruiting tenants from our own pupils.
Further information is contained within the attached Guildford Chambers Pupillage Handbook.
Interest free loans of up to £600 can be arranged for the purpose of purchasing a laptop. Any arrangements must be agreed such that the laptop is available for use from the outset of Pupillage. The exact terms would be agreed with you depending on your individual circumstances.
Pupils are entitled to reimbursement for the following expenses: travel from chambers (including train tickets, and mileage at a rate of 45p per mile), parking tickets, the courses required to be undertaken during pupillage, and travel for compulsory training provided by the Inns of Court.
Pupils will also be paid a monthly sum of £40 to cover subsistence at court or other professional commitments outside of Chambers. Consideration will be given, in the event of any financial difficulty, for funds to be paid in advance
Guildford Chambers is committed to providing equality of opportunity regardless of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, nationality, citizenship, sex, gender re-assignment, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, age, disability, religion or belief, political persuasion, pregnancy or maternity.
If you have any queries about accessibility, please contact Chambers’ Equality and Diversity Officer, Christine Julien, at: cjulien@guildfordchambers.com.
Within the covering letter you should set out your interest in civil practice at Guildford Chambers and confirm your availability to start in October 2026.
You must address why do you think you will make a good barrister, and why you want to join our chambers.
Please also confirm your right to work in the UK and your call or qualification status.
Any other relevant information
This vacancy is being advertised outside the standard Pupillage Gateway timetable, with the agreement of the Bar Standard Board and Bar Council.
Given the timeframe, we are operating an expedited recruitment process and would encourage interested candidates to apply promptly.
We are looking for a candidate with a strong academic record, a genuine interest in civil litigation, communication skills, judgement and the resilience demanded by a career at the Bar.
Applications are welcome from candidates who meet the Bar Standard Board’s eligibility requirements and the minimum academic requirements for our pupillage are a 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) and a 'Very Competent' grade in the Bar Course (or equivalent vocational component). Please note that applications failing to meet these minimum criteria will not be progressed.
We expect interviews to take place between 17-30 August.
Whilst we acknowledge the value of the responsible use of AI in the provision of legal services, we require the content of your application to be solely your work.
More detailed information about our pupillage is available directly from Chambers in the form of our Guildford Chamber Pupillage Handbook. Copies are available on request.
