Pupillage Vacancy Information
About AETO and Structure of Pupillage
Highly recommended Henderson Chambers in London offers a commercially minded common law Pupillage that presses the fast forward button on court experience and turns out down-to-earth advocates with broad experience.
Henderson Chambers is a long-established, leading commercial chambers with acknowledged expertise in all of its principal areas of practice. Members and pupils are frequently involved in high-profile cases.
Henderson Chambers has unrivalled expertise in commercial claims, group actions, public inquiries, health & safety and product liability and is consistently rated as the leading set of chambers in these areas.
Teams within Chambers act for both sides in the Diesel Emissions litigation. This has led to Chambers being Legal 500 Group Litigation and Consumer Chambers of the Year. This is all part of a growing ESG practice, with members representing both claimants and defendants in relation to human rights abuse, climate change, supply chain, modern slavery and UNGPs related international mass tort group actions. Members are also involved in public law actions relating to the meaning and implementation of the Paris Agreement in the UK.
A team within Chambers successfully represented the Claimants in the Post Office Group Action, which alongside other leading commercial work led to the award of Barrister of the Year to Patrick Green KC in 2020.
Many of the parties before the Grenfell Tower Public and Covid-19 Inquiries are represented by members of Chambers.
Recent high-profile commercial cases have included widely reported proceedings concerning the enforceability of ICSID arbitration awards against EU Member States, proceedings offshore relating to an alleged US$18 billion fraud against an Oil and Gas major, and actions in this jurisdiction and elsewhere concerning the recovery of losses sustained by a CISX-listed property investment fund.
We cover all aspects of health and safety litigation and advice, including prosecutions for corporate manslaughter and infringements of health and safety legislation, as well as health and safety policy, management and training.
Members are noted for their expertise in numerous other areas, including:, personal injury, property law (covering a range of property law from commercial and residential landlord and tenant to real property and property human rights claims), employment law (including wrongful dismissal and unfair dismissal claims; sex, race and disability discrimination claims; redundancy and transfer of undertakings), regulatory and disciplinary proceedings, public law and judicial review, as well as technology and construction. Several members of Chambers are Junior Counsel to the Crown on the Attorney General's Civil and Criminal Panels.
Structure of Pupillage
Pupillages are for 12 months, usually with four different pupil supervisors for three months each. Pupils should expect to attend court regularly in their second sixes. A period of external training with a leading law firm in the Turks and Caicos Islands is also offered during the Second Six (all expenses paid).
Financial and Other Support Available
We offer three funded pupillages with minimum remuneration of £85,000. This consists of a guaranteed award of £85,000, plus any additional earnings during the second six. We are very happy for pupils to draw upon their pupillage award during the BPTC year. As such, up to £40,000 of the award may be drawn down at any time after the offer of pupillage is accepted.
We welcome applications for third six pupillages, funded on pro rata terms.
Equality Diversity and Inclusion
Henderson Chambers is committed to Equality and Diversity. We regard it as essential to our standing as a leading set of chambers that we should seek to excel in this. We have two equal opportunities officers both of whom are Members of Chambers.
We recognise the obligation not to discriminate against clients, members, pupils or staff on grounds of gender, gender re-assignment, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), sexual orientation, age, disability, marriage and civil partnership and religion or belief is a fundamental and legal obligation imposed on us by legislation and the Bar Code of Conduct.
So as to comply with both Data Protection legislation and the recommendations of the Bar Standards Board members of Chambers, publication of data is made in accordance with the requirements of Part 2, paragraph D.1.2 r.C110.3.s of the Bar Standards Board Handbook.
How to Apply
We are looking for individuals who can demonstrate all of the qualities necessary for success at the Bar. Not just a first-class intellect (whether through the traditional route of an outstanding higher education record or via proof of success in other professions, in business or in employment) but also the ability to communicate, to relate to others and to work as part of a team. We are fully committed to diversity and inclusion and to equality of opportunity for all. We aim to encourage individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds to embark on a career at the Bar and to secure pupillage. We actively support a number of schemes to promote these principles. Chambers assesses applications blind to biographical details and educational institutions at the initial sift and first round of interview stage. It also uses the RARE Contextual Recruitment System (CRS) (https://contextualrecruitment.co.uk/) as an integral part of its recruitment processes.
In the past we have advertised for two pupillages, but from 2025 we are advertising for 3 pupillages with a view to increasing the number of junior tenants in Chambers gradually over the next few years.
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’.
Any Other Relevant Information
Please visit our pupillage website www.hendersonpupillage.co.uk.
Queries about pupillage should be addressed to pupillages@hendersonchambers.co.uk.
We offer unassessed mini-pupillages. Applications can be made online via our Pupillage Website www.hendersonpupillage.co.uk.
Please visit our website www.hendersonchambers.co.uk.
Candidates will be asked to respond to the following questions from Chambers:
1.
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
Word limit: 240
2.
Why do you want to join our chambers? In your answer, please give reasons for your choice of chambers and explain why you are interested in our areas of practice
Word limit: 240
3.
Please give an example of achievement outside of an academic or work environment.
Word limit: 240
4.
Please choose a case arising in one or more of these areas: group/class actions, product liability and health and safety, reported in the last 3 years. Please set out why you disagree with the final determination of the case (i.e. final judgment on appeal).
Word limit: 400
