Pupillage Vacancy Information
About Authorised Education and Training Organisation
At Kings Chambers we believe that our clients' interests are best served by strong dedicated teams and an uncompromising attitude to quality and client service. Kings Chambers is committed to providing clients with high quality specialist legal services through barristers with the highest reputation for advocacy, knowledge and professional standards. We are a large specialist set with a national and international reputation practising from Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham, and with designated facilities available to us in London, in the following specific practice areas:
Administrative & Public Law, Arbitration, Chancery, Civil Law, Civil Liberties & Human Rights, Commercial Dispute Resolution, Common Law, Construction & Engineering, Court of Protection, Employment, Insolvency / Restructuring, Intellectual Property, International, Licensing, Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence, Planning & Environment, Professional Negligence, Revenue and Sports.
We believe that regular, positive recruitment of exceptional candidates has been the key to our success. We are committed to continuing development in all areas of practice in chambers and the recruitment of ambitious and outstanding individuals who seek a successful career at the Bar. A pupillage at Kings Chambers provides the best possible foundation for a career at the bar.
Structure of Pupillage
Our pupils spend 12 months working on cases with leaders in their chosen field, in a warm and supportive environment. Supervisors, the wider team and the clerks will work with the successful pupil throughout the year, working towards an application for tenancy.
Each pupil is assigned to 2 supervisors in the course of the year. Pupils spend the first six-month period of pupillage shadowing members of chambers whilst undertaking specialist learning and training and the second six taking on work in their own name. Supervisors provide frequent feedback and monitor their pupil’s progress to ensure that the work they are given fulfils their training needs. Pupils undergo a monthly assessment process with their supervisor and chambers Director of Pupillage Training.
We strive to make pupils feel a part of chambers from the time that they accept their offers of pupillage. They are invited to chambers’ events, both formal and informal, and encouraged to get to know both members and staff.
There is a tenancy available for every pupil that we are satisfied meets our standard of excellence at the end of their pupillage.
Pupillage will normally be based in Manchester (although consideration will be given to the second six months being based in Leeds or Birmingham, where practicable, on request).
Financial and Other Support Available
The pupillage award for those commencing pupillage in 2027 will be £50,000. Up to £25,000 of this award is available to be drawn down in the BPTC year. In addition, we guarantee the income of pupils in their second six months up to £25,000. As such, our pupil's guaranteed income in pupillage is £75,000.
Equality Diversity and Inclusion
Our recruitment process and the remuneration package we offer are intended to ensure that we attract the best pupils in each year. We are wholeheartedly committed to the Bar Council’s Equality and Diversity Code.
Our application process is designed to ensure fairness and we are wholeheartedly committed to the Bar Council’s Equality and Diversity Code.
All personal information is redacted from Pupillage application forms prior to being provided to the reviewing panel. We monitor diversity by anonymised forms which applicants are requested (but not required) to complete alongside their application. These forms are kept separate from the application forms and are only used for monitoring purposes.
AI policy
By submitting your application to Kings Chambers you confirm that you have not used any AI tools, including but not limited to generative AI or AI review platforms, to generate, formulate, assist or review the answers you have provided in this application form and that all responses are the sole creation and original work of the candidate submitting the application.
How to Apply
Aspiring barristers are invited to apply to chambers between 5th January 2026 and 22nd January 2026 using the Pupillage Gateway application system to search for the relevant Pupillage Vacancy and selecting ‘Apply for this pupillage’.
We invite applications from those committed to a career at the bar who can demonstrate by their outstanding analytical ability and sound judgment, that they have the potential to become excellent advocates and a capacity to establish and maintain good relationships with clients. We require a degree classification of a good 2:1 as a minimum, albeit we will consider extenuating circumstances.
Our selection criteria will be published on our website, and we recommend considering these carefully when preparing your application.
We encourage those interested in applying for pupillage to apply for our Mini Pupillage Programme so that they can see what chambers is like for themselves. Details of the programme we run can be found on our website.
Other Relevant Information
We are recruiting one pupil for each of our Business and Property, Court of Protection, Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence and Planning departments. You may apply to one department only.
We expect to conduct first round interviews on the 12th & 13th March 2026 and second interviews on the 23rd April 2026.
Court of Protection Pupillage
We are seeking to recruit a pupil for our Court of Protection team to start in September 2026.
The Court of Protection team at Kings Chambers is nationally recognised and led by Sam Karim KC. The department has been at the forefront of developing case law in the Court of Protection since 2005 and specialises in health & welfare, property & affairs and medical treatment. The team readily accepts instructions from the Official Solicitor, ICB’s, NHS Trusts, local authority and those representing family members.
Applications from candidates with an interest and enthusiasm for the areas of law which we cover are invited, no prior experience or knowledge of these areas is required.
Candidates will be asked to respond to the following questions from Chambers:
1. Please indicate if you have a preferred location for your second six months (Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds). As noted, whilst we cannot guarantee to accommodate a preference for Leeds or Birmingham, we will consider such requests where practicable. If you do not have a preference, please indicate “none”.
Word Limit: 100 words
2. Why are you interested in Court of Protection?
Word limit: 250
3. What are the most important challenges facing the Bar and how should we prepare to address them?
Word Limit 250
4. Why do you believe you will make a good barrister?
Word limit: 250
5. Please read the judgment in A Local Authority (respondent) v JB (by his Litigation Friend, the Official Solicitor) (appellant) [2021] UKSC 52” and argue that it was wrongly decided.
Word limit: 500
