Pupillage Vacancy Information
About the Authorised Education Training Organisation
Lincoln House Chambers is regarded nationally for excellence across a number of specialist areas. These include financial, serious and general crime, regulatory and professional discipline as well as public inquiry work. There are 89 members, comprising 21 King's Counsel and 68 Juniors. A substantial number of the members hold judicial positions.
Lincoln House Chambers and its members are consistently ranked in the leading legal publications. This year Chambers and Partners identified members as class leaders in several practice areas, including inquests, public inquiry, health and safety, financial crime and general crime. The Legal 500: "Lincoln House Chambers is a renowned, successful, modern, and proactive set with a strong, dependable, and knowledgable strength in depth. Chambers UK: “Lincoln House sets the benchmark for quality advocacy on the Northern Circuit and has names that one readily associates with top-quality advocacy.”
Structure of Pupillage
We recruit pupils with the ambition to join our tradition of excellence. Chambers also recognises the importance of sustaining the junior Bar in all practice areas; pupillage at Lincoln House is designed to prepare pupils for a long and successful career at the Bar.
Pupils are automatically considered on their own merit for tenancy; they are not in competition with each other. There is a strong collaborative approach in the training of our pupils, with an emphasis placed on developing candidates’ advocacy and ability to build strong productive relationships within the team.
Pupils can expect to be exposed to the full range of work undertaken in Chambers, and are encouraged to develop their own understanding and practice in any area they encounter. Bi-weekly advocacy exercises with senior members of chambers, including silks, alongside monthly reviews with members of the Pupillage Committee ensure rapid development ahead of second six, so that pupils can maintain Chambers’ high standards.
Lincoln House offers a substantial pupillage award (a total of £40,000), reflecting the faith and confidence it puts into recruitment of pupils. Additionally, Chambers pay pupils reasonable travel expenses in the event they are required to attend hearings off circuit and for mandatory courses including the BSB Ethics exam to be taken during pupillage.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Chambers is committed to their equality and diversity policy and actively supports all those who are seeking to achieve a successful career at the Bar irrespective of their background and personal circumstances. Reflecting this commitment, Chambers applies the RARE Recruitment Software to the Pupillage Application process, as it has done for a number of years. Chambers is equally committed to the wellbeing of their members and pupils. Rachel Cooper is the ED&I officer at Lincoln House Chambers.
Pupils establish a close relationship with their pupillage supervisor and are well supported by all members throughout the pupillage year. Lincoln House ensures that their pupils are tested and developed throughout pupillage whilst taking care of their wellbeing, both physical and mental, with monthly reviews throughout pupillage. Additionally, Chambers have recently introduced a nominated member of Chambers to act as a single point of contact for any professional or personal difficulty which might arise during pupillage.
Our ED&I policies and any further ED&I information are available upon request.
How to Apply
Aspiring barristers are invited to apply to Chambers between 5 January 2026 and 22 January 2026 using the Pupillage Gateway application system. In addition to the standardised Bar Council questionnaire, candidates will be asked to respond to the following questions from Chambers:
1. Why do you want to undertake pupillage on the Northern Circuit and what attracts you to Lincoln House Chambers? (300 words);
2. What are the 3 most important skills a criminal barrister must possess? (200 words);
3. Provide examples of how you have demonstrated those skills. (300 words);
4. Describe a situation where you had to make a difficult decision, and how you addressed it. (200 words);
5. Barristers often work under various forms of pressure. Tell us about a time when you accomplished a target whilst working under pressure. (200 words); and
6. Does the emergence of artificial intelligence and its use in criminal proceedings pose a threat and risk to the future of the Criminal Bar? (500 words).
Candidates' anonymised written applications will be considered by members of chambers trained in Fair Recruitment and in conjunction with the RARE Recruitment Software. A shortlist of candidates for interview will be drawn up, with those interviews to take place over a single Saturday in April. That interview will feature an advocacy exercise, the structure of which will be provided to candidates in advance. A final round of interviews will take place on a single Saturday in April or May. The final round may also feature an advocacy exercise.
