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Outer Temple Chambers - 12 Months – September 2026

Pupillage Vacancy Information

About Authorised Education and Training Organisation
 

WHY US FOR PUPILLAGE?

You will receive a structured, well supported, challenging, and well remunerated pupillage experience.  Outer Temple Chambers (OTC) is one of the leading civil commercial chambers in the country. We undertake a range of the highest quality work that few other London chambers can rival.  

We have a global footprint, with offices in London and Dubai, and members and associates based in not only London and Dubai, but also, e.g., New York, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  Given our global reach, our work often has a significant international flavour. Not only do our barristers appear in overseas jurisdictions, but many of our clients are overseas, and our cases frequently involve foreign law and complex conflict of law and jurisdiction issues.

We are recognised as a leading set in 9 practice areas and 77 of our members are recognised as leading juniors or silks in Chambers & Partners and Legal 500.

Our key practice areas can broadly be divided into ‘Business Services’ and ‘Health Services’:

  • Business Services:
    1. Pensions – we are widely regarded as the go-to set for pensions, employee benefit trusts and other commercial trust cases, with vast experience of providing specialist advisory and adversarial services in this field. We are unique in being able to offer dual-expertise specialists in pensions law and complementary specialisms like banking, financial services, employment and criminal regulatory proceedings.  Members of the team have consistently been instructed in the leading pension cases of the last decade and regularly act for major industry bodies, including the Pensions Regulator and the Pensions Protection Fund;
    2. Employment & discrimination – we are one of the leading employment sets in the country. Our silks and juniors are leading the biggest equal pay claims currently being litigated and have appeared in successful challenges to public sector pension reforms, by judges, firefighters, doctors and others. We routinely appear in landmark cases, including in the Supreme Court (e.g. the so-called “gay cake” case and the first case to consider the meaning of “unfavourable treatment”) and many notable Court of Appeal cases. Our work includes both statutory Tribunal claims and High Court claims, and we are particularly known for our ‘cross-over’ work in cases involving both employment law and other areas of expertise, including pensions, financial services and psychiatric injury;
    3. Commercial litigation – this spans a wide range of areas, such as fintech and digital assets, banking, financial services, civil fraud, insolvency, professional negligence, company law and sports law. We are instructed in the most cutting-edge areas of law, as demonstrated by being awarded the prestigious Technology, Data and Crypto Set of the Year (2023) by Legal 500. Our banking and financial services work ranges from big ticket financial services litigation to high profile financial services regulatory cases.  In the civil fraud and asset recovery space, we have been involved in highly publicised multi-jurisdictional proceedings involving multiple corporate insolvencies.  We have also been involved in some of the most significant professional negligence cases;
    4. International arbitration – members have substantial experience of international arbitration, not only as counsel in all types of arbitral proceedings but also in expedited proceedings and emergency arbitration proceedings, enforcement of awards and satellite litigation arising from arbitration disputes.  We have multi-lingual barristers trained under many different common law and civil law systems and regularly work with international clients in the UK and throughout Europe, Middle East, Asia-Pacific, US, Latin America and Caribbean;
    5. Business crime, regulation & sanctions (BCRS) – BCRS is one of the fastest-growing and diverse areas of Chambers’ practice. Partly, that is due to the upsurge in sanctions work since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022: our members have advised corporates, governments and individuals on sanctions risks, and have acted in two of the highest profile High Court challenges to sanctions designations so far. But BCRS is far wider than that: we operate in the civil, criminal and regulatory fields (both domestically and internationally) from financial services regulation to health and safety, data protection to fraud, corruption to proceeds of crime, acting for and against regulators and prosecutors such as the FCA and SFO. A number of our members also specialise in investigations: both undertaking them for corporates, governments and international organisations, and defending;
    6. Private client & trusts  we have a strong contingent of barristers specialising in a broad range of private client matters, including all aspects of trusts, wills, probate and inheritance matters, as well as Court of Protection work. Our barristers are members of STEP, ACTAPS and ConTrA. Our additional strength in pensions, insolvency, and professional negligence mean that we are frequently a go-to set where these areas cross over with private client work. Members of the team are renowned around the world, particularly in the Middle East, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man and we have members listed in the Private Client Global Elite;

 

  • Health Services
    1. Personal injury – we are a long-established and well-recognised leading set in this field, with a strong line-up of both silks and juniors. We act for both claimants and defendants.  Our members regularly act for injured persons in cases involving injuries of the utmost severity, including catastrophic brain, spinal and amputation injuries, and are instructed by many of the leading firms nationwide. Senior members of the team often lead more junior members of chambers in the larger and more complex cases, and the team has great strength in depth. We also have particular expertise in a number of sub-specialities within the area, including cross-border injury litigation, equine and sports injuries, industrial disease (including mesothelioma claims), child abuse claims, military claims, stress-at-work claims, and group actions; 
    2. Clinical negligence – we are also known for our expertise in this area, with members acting in a wide range of clinical disputes, for claimants and defendants, ranging from catastrophic neo-natal and birth-injury cases, through cases involving surgical or psychiatric negligence, to cases involving spinal injuries and delayed diagnosis. Members also regularly appear at Coroners’ Inquests, and our clinical negligence work complements our related specialism in medical regulatory and disciplinary work. We also have a particular specialism in product liability in the medical arena (including medical device litigation). Pupils can expect to see a wide variety of interesting cases in this area;
    3. Public and Court of Protection – the Public and Court of Protection (CoP) teams have been involved in many leading cases before the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. They work across many of Chambers’ core practice areas. The CoP team deal with high value property and affairs matters, working closely with the Private Client Team. The team also carries out many complex capacity, serious medical treatment and welfare cases, which dovetails well with the Clin Neg and PI teams works. The Public law team regularly appear in the Administrative Court and specialist Tribunals. The team works with the Business Crime team and have recently been particularly busy with sanctions related proceedings. The team has great depth in education law and across health, social welfare, competition, regulatory and financial services areas.

Of course, these areas are not mutually exclusive. Employment or discrimination matters may have a data protection or privacy angle, a pensions theme, or involve complex matters of psychiatric injury. Large-scale commercial litigation will more and more need specialist advice regarding sanctions or other financial crime concerns. Chambers’ broad base of specialisms, and our culture of close collaboration, benefits our clients hugely – but also means our members can have as broad or as focused a practice as they want. 

We have no preference for an undergraduate law degree over the one-year GDL conversion course. We look for the best candidates whatever their background.

We ask applicants to indicate whether they would like to specialise in particular areas of OTC’s work during pupillage, or whether they would rather see a variety of work across a wide range of practice areas. Expressions of preference do not affect our assessment of pupillage applications but help us to tailor pupillages in accordance with individual preferences so far as possible.

We are forward-thinking, with a collaborative, collegiate ethos and aim to be open, friendly, and approachable, treating everyone with tolerance and respect. We maintain high standards and are responsive to our clients, staff and pupils.

We positively encourage applications from groups who are currently under-represented in OTC such as women, those from ethnic minorities, persons with a disability and others. 

SCOPE OF PUPILLAGE & SUPPORT

The award for pupillages commencing September 2025 is £80k for the twelve months of pupillage.  At OTC’s discretion a proportion of the award (up to 25%) is available for early drawdown during the BPC year. 

Pupils sit with four pupil supervisors in different areas of work during the pupillage year. Subject to supervisor capacity, we will seek to tailor your pupillage to the areas in which you have indicated particular interest, or alternatively can provide seats covering a broad range of chambers’ specialisms.

During the Second (practising) Six, pupils will undertake their own cases, as well as assisting their pupil supervisors with theirs.

Pupil supervisors provide regular feedback and write a report on each pupil’s overall performance - written work, potential as an advocate and general strengths and weaknesses. That report will be discussed with the pupil before being signed off and is discussed with the Head of Pupillage, forming part of a quarterly review cycle.

OTC recognises the crucial importance of advocacy training. In the First Six, pupils undergo a series of both unassessed and assessed advocacy exercises in the form of mock hearings. The emphasis is firmly on constructive feedback and building confidence for the Second Six. We also try to send pupils to marshal with our former Members of OTC who are now full-time judges. A typical diet during the practising six months comprises personal injury and employment matters as well as low value contractual disputes. This provides a great opportunity for our pupils to gain a broad range of advocacy experience as well as the chance to deal with their own clients and opponents.

OTC has a mentoring scheme available to pupils, barristers and staff.  We are keen to promote and support wellbeing and good mental health, recognising that we work in a demanding profession and that pupillage can be a particularly challenging period. 

OTC will cover the cost of all compulsory pupillage courses undertaken; at its discretion it may also subsidise the cost of other pertinent non-mandatory training/events. Our commitment to developing and retaining pupils is evidenced by our high pupillage to tenancy conversion figure.    We see it as important that our pupils don’t feel that they are in competition with each other – tenancy decisions are made on merit, not by competition between pupils and they are therefore encouraged to help and support each other. We also offer a guaranteed earnings scheme for our junior tenants for the first two years after an offer of tenancy is accepted by way of an interest free loan to top up earnings each month to a set amount.

A ‘True Picture’ account of pupillage at OTC can be viewed in the online Chambers Student guide to the Bar.

A FORMER PUPIL'S VIEW:

Paradoxically, pupillage is at the same time one of the most desirable and most feared experiences known to Bar students. Happily, once it started, I realised that nobody bites, nobody was waiting in ambush, there was no magnifying glass trained over my head throughout the 12 months. In fact, it's quite the opposite - Chambers actually wants you to succeed and will do everything to ensure that you do....

Financial and Other Support Available

Pupillage Award

Each pupil will be awarded a grant. The level of award for any given year will be published on Chambers’ website and in the OTC Pupillage Prospectus and will be notified to applicants at interview and in offer letters.

The award for the pupillage year 2026/27 is £80,000 for the 12 months of pupillage. Unless the pupil opts, prior to pupillage commencing, to receive the award in equal instalments throughout the twelve months of pupillage, the award is paid as follows:

  1. two thirds of the award is paid by six equal monthly instalments during the first six months less any drawdown recoupment which is recovered in equal instalments during those six months (see paragraph 12 below); and
  2. the remaining one third is paid during the second six pupillage by equal monthly instalments. Any earnings actually received in the 2nd six months from work done on the pupil’s own account will be deducted from the monthly instalments of the award, any such deduction being capped at an amount representing one third of the full award.

The Bar Council has agreed with HMRC that each pupil may choose in which of the two ways1 they should be taxed. The options are as follows:

  1. Option 1: the pupillage award in respect of the pupil’s first six months will continue to be tax-free, but the award in respect of the second (or subsequent) six months will be included as normal professional earnings in the year of receipt;
  2. Option 2: both the “first six” and the “second six” awards will be taxable in the fiscal year of receipt under the general sweep-up provisions.

At Chambers’ discretion, up to 25% of each award is available for drawdown during a pupil’s Bar Professional Training Course year. Pupils who wish to draw-down part of their pupillage award should contact the HR & Regulatory Manager. Any drawdown taken will be recouped by Chambers in the first six months of pupillage. Should a pupil not commence pupillage with Chambers for any reason, they will be required to reimburse the full amount of the drawdown. Chambers will take into account any exceptional circumstances.

The Director of Operations will discuss payment of the award as part of the induction session for new pupils.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion

If you wish your application to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme please ensure that you request this under the “Application Questions” section.  To be eligible to you must have – or have had in the last twelve months – a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. This includes those whose impairment has lasted, or is likely to last, for twelve months, or if the impairment is likely to progress or recur. You are also automatically eligible if you are affected by cancer, HIV, Multiple Sclerosis, or severe facial disfigurement. You do not have to be registered as a disabled person to apply under this scheme.

How to Apply

Aspiring barristers are invited to apply to chambers between 02 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’.

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? In your answer, please identify any relevant experiences or skills that you believe may help you in your career (1200 character limit)
  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 (1200 character limit)
  3. Would you prefer to specialise in particular areas of OTC’s work during pupillage (and if so, which areas), or would you rather see a broader variety of work across a wide range of practice areas?  Please explain your answer. (1200 character limit)
  4. Persuade us of a point of view on a subject of your choice, serious or otherwise. Please note, you need not hold the view yourself. (1500 character limit)
  5. Do you wish your application to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme? Yes or No

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