Equality Diversity and Inclusion
We are passionate about encouraging applications from a diverse pool of candidates. If you are disabled, please feel free to contact us to discuss any reasonable accommodation or adjustments that we might be able to make in order to facilitate your application.
Hailsham Chambers adheres to and supports the Bar Council’s policies on equal opportunity and non-discrimination. Chambers has an Equality and Diversity Policy which will be provided to all pupils at the beginning of pupillage.
How to Apply
Aspiring barristers are invited to apply to Chambers between Wednesday 4 January 2023 and Wednesday 8 February 2023 using the Pupillage Gateway application system to search for the relevant Pupillage Vacancy and selecting ‘Apply for this pupillage’.
In addition to the standardised Bar Council questionnaire, candidates will be asked to respond to the following questions from Chambers:
1. Why do you believe you will make a good barrister? (Max 1,200 characters)
2. Why do you want to join our chambers? (Max 1,200 characters)
3. Problem question. (Max 2,500 characters)
The following scenario is based on Paul v Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust [2022] EWCA Civ 12, which you are asked to read.
You are instructed on behalf of Eric, who is the son of Bill.
On 1 June 2022, Bill had woken up with a feeling of stiffness in his arm and pain in his chest. Eric rang the family home that morning, and Bill had told him about his symptoms.
Eric, who was at work, persuaded his father to go to Paradise Hospital. Eric picked Bill up and took him to A&E at 10am. A brief assessment was performed in a consulting room, while Eric remained in the waiting room. The doctor told Bill that he had muscle soreness and that he was free to go. Bill felt reassured and a bit better after seeing the doctor. Eric was concerned that Bill had been discharged without any tests having been performed but did not say anything. Eric took Bill to the local library before Eric returned to work. Bill texted Eric at 12pm to say he was ‘feeling ok’; Eric did not reply.
Bill called Eric at 2pm and said he ‘felt a bit funny’. Eric was very concerned and so drove again from work to pick Bill up from the library. As Eric met Bill outside the library, Bill collapsed and had to be resuscitated. Eric was present throughout the resuscitation, which happily was successful.
Eric, however, suffers from PTSD as a result of witnessing these events.
Paradise Hospital has admitted that Bill should not have been discharged and, if he had not been, that he would have avoided the collapse. The only issue taken by the hospital, however, is that Eric was not sufficiently proximate to qualify as a secondary victim.
How would you argue that the hospital is liable to Eric?
In answering the question, please concentrate on the legal issues rather than exposition of the facts or the authorities. You are asked only to refer to the Court of Appeal’s judgment in Paul v Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, a copy of which is available here for free.
4. Would you wish to undertake pupillage on a part-time or other flexible basis, rather than full time over 12 months? (Max 1,200 characters)
5. Please provide details of any extenuating circumstances relevant to your application. (Max 1,200 characters)
About AETO and Structure of Pupillage
At Hailsham Chambers we excel in our key areas of professional negligence, medical law, costs, regulatory and disciplinary, personal injury and commercial law. We win awards for our excellence and we are recognised by the legal directories as a leading set in our three main practice areas.
Our ethos is to provide the highest standards of advocacy, advice and service, which is supported by our open door policy and friendly atmosphere within chambers. We are proud of our history, which includes a number of former law lords, but we are an innovative and forward-thinking set. We aim to recruit two pupils per year through the Pupillage Gateway.
We offer excellent training and prospects. Our aim is to invite successful pupils to become tenants.
Our pupils have typically earned in the region of £9,000 to £12,000 during their second, practising six months (although earnings in 2020 were affected by Covid). This is of course in addition to the pupillage award, subject to the earnings guarantee.
Junior tenants in their first year of practice can expect to earn in the region of £60,000 to £80,000 (before expenses and tax), although this does vary between individuals and some have earned considerably more.
Chambers runs a thorough pupillage training programme, with detailed ongoing assessment against the competences in the BSB Professional Statement. Pupils will be formally appraised by their pupil supervisor after each 3 month period, against those competences. The Head of Pupillage will also review each pupil’s experience and performance with them at regular intervals during pupillage. Pupils will undertake several in-house advocacy exercises, at least two of which will be assessed. Those advocacy assessments, together with formal reports from all the pupil supervisors and from other members of chambers for whom the pupil has undertaken written work, will form the basis of the tenancy decision in June/July. Recruitment as a tenant is by reference to criteria available here.
We will be hosting an open evening for prospective applicants at 17.30 on 17 January 2023 where there will be an opportunity to meet Hailsham’s Members of Chambers, Pupils and Staff in an informal setting. If you wish to attend, please email Jan@hailshamchambers.com.
For more information about pupillages at Hailsham Chambers, please read Chambers’ Pupillage Policy or contact Chambers at Kaz.O’Callaghan@hailshamchambers.com.
Please be aware that when you make any application we may store your personal information. Please click here to see what we do with such information and why.
Any Other Relevant Information
Prospective applicants are invited to join members and clerks from Hailsham Chambers to our informal drinks event.
Get to know us, our areas of expertise and how our pupillages are structured.
The evening will be an opportunity to ask questions and find out everything you want to know about applying to Hailsham.
Join us on 17 January 2023 at 17:30 in the Middle Temple Garden Room.
You will be able to meet both junior and senior barristers, pupil supervisors and clerks.
If you wish to attend, please email Jan@hailshamchambers.com or julia.toth@hailshamchambers.com
