Pupillage Vacancy Information
About Authorised Education Training Organisation
36 Public & Human Rights invites applications for a 12-month public pupillage, to commence October 2027.
36 Public & Human Rights is a specialist practice group, whose members have established practices in immigration law (including refugee law, deportation, business and family immigration and trafficking), education law (including special educational needs, admissions and exclusions), employment law (including discrimination and unfair dismissal), housing (including homelessness and social housing), Court of Protection law (including financial and medical decisions), and judicial review (including planning).
We undertake privately funded and legally aided work throughout England and Wales, although with a strong connection to London and the South East. Our barristers are regularly in court and have appeared at all levels up to and including the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights. Written advocacy and advisory work also form a significant part of our practice.
Structure of Pupillage
We will recruit a pupil who is committed to practising in public law. The successful candidate will gain exposure to the multiple specialisms within our practice group, and to both oral advocacy and drafting. They will be expected to work hard and sometimes to travel; our financial award reflects this. During the second six they can expect to be in court on most days, sometimes at short notice.
Financial Award
Those offered a pupillage at 36 Public & Human Rights will benefit from a pupillage award package to the value of £45,000. This will consist of a £30,000 financial award, plus £15,000 guaranteed earnings during the second six months of pupillage. Chambers may (at its discretion) advance up to £10,000 of the award during the year prior to pupillage commencing. If £10,000 is drawn down in the year preceding pupillage, the remaining £15,000 of the financial award will be evenly distributed to the pupil during the 12 months of pupillage.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
36 Public particularly encourages applicants from a diverse background. Applications are welcomed from all highly talented candidates regardless of nationality, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, health, disability, neurodiversity or family / financial / other personal circumstances. It is important to us to increase access to, and the diversity of, both the Bar generally and the 36 Group in particular. We strive to ensure that our processes are as fair and inclusive as possible.
Any applicant who would benefit from an adjustment to the process due to disability, neurodiversity, health needs, or other personal circumstances is encouraged to contact the joint heads of pupillage – Paul Prior and Catriona MacLaren, in confidence to discuss their specific needs and enable any appropriate adjustments to be made. This does not form part of candidate assessment, and the Heads of Pupillage are not responsible for pupil selection, thus enabling personal information which does not need to be disclosed to persons marking the application or an interview panel to be kept confidential.
Applications from overseas candidates are welcomed. All candidates will need to demonstrate their commitment to the Bar of England and Wales and to Chambers. Any offer of pupillage will be subject to the offeree having the right to work and to remain in England.
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 to search for the relevant Pupillage Vacancy and selecting ‘Apply for this pupillage’.
The questions that candidates will be asked to answer on their application forms are:
- Is the Human Rights Act 1998 still relevant? Answer this question with reference to at least two recent authorities. (1000 words; analytical skills and written communication/advocacy)
- Why do you want to be a public or human rights barrister? Please give examples of your commitment to, and interest in, at least one of 36 Public & Human Rights areas of practice. (500 words; commitment and motivation)
- Describe a situation where you have had to help resolve a conflict? What issues or difficulties arose, how did you handle them, and what was the outcome? (300 words; interpersonal skills)
- Please provide an example of when you have been in a situation that has not gone to plan. What did you do, and was your response effective? Is there anything you would have done differently? (300 words; resilience)
- (Optional) If you have faced adversity or obstacles in your journey to the Bar so far, please use this opportunity to tell us about the nature of the challenge you have faced and what steps you have taken to overcome it. (200 words; overcoming adversity)
