Pupillage
A pupillage at Quadrant Chambers will help you develop the skills, knowledge and sound judgement you need to succeed as a commercial barrister. We offer up to three fully-funded, 12 month pupillages every year. Each pupillage carries an award of £75,000.
When to apply
The Pupillage Gateway will open for applications at 11am on Wednesday 3 January 2024 and closes at 11.59pm on Wednesday 7 February 2024.
For more information about the timetable, please see the "Apply for Pupillage" page.
What we're looking for
We award pupillages to candidates who we believe will thrive in the intellectually demanding and competitive world of the Commercial Bar.
A Quadrant barrister possesses excellent analytical abilities; outstanding communication skills, both written and oral; the ability to perform under pressure and, perhaps most importantly, ambition and drive to succeed.
We measure these qualities via assessment of your application, your academic records, extra-curricular activities and mooting performance. Shortlisted candidates will also be invited to interview.
Who can apply
Successful candidates have excellent academic records, with most having or predicted a first class degree. You need at least a high upper second degree to apply for pupillage.
Don’t be put off if you haven’t studied law. While many of our applicants read law in their undergraduate or postgraduate degrees, we welcome candidates who studied other rigorous academic disciplines.
What you will do
A pupil supervisor will oversee your training, monitor your work and answer any queries you may have during pupillage.
You are assigned four successive supervisors over the course of the pupillage. We aim to place you with barristers with a range of practices so you can experience a wide variety of work.
We run a series of introductory lectures during the first few weeks of your pupillage on key areas of law and practice.
You can then expect to spend time drafting opinions, pleadings and skeleton arguments, assisting with legal research tasks and producing a monthly digest of important cases.
Pupils also have the opportunity to shadow their pupil supervisor at hearings and conferences.
How we assess your performance
As part of your training, you must complete a series of advocacy exercises and written assignments.
Your pupil supervisor also provides informal feedback on individual pieces of work so that you can measure your general progress. Additional practice and training exercises can be arranged if necessary.
Formal feedback is given at the end of each placement and tenancy decisions are made at the end of June. We award tenancy based principally on the views of the pupil supervisors and the pupil’s performance in assessed tasks.
There is no pre-imposed limit to the number of pupils who are offered tenancy each year – we solely look at whether you meet the required standard.
Funding for pupillages
The award of £75,000 may be advanced during the BPTC year at the pupillage committee’s discretion. Quadrant Chambers pays for any compulsory course that pupils are required to undertake.
You also have the opportunity to take on some fee-earning work during the final six months of the pupillage, the earnings of which can be retained on top of the pupillage award. While it isn’t possible for us to predict what you can earn during this period, in recent years pupils have earned an average of £10,000 and one as much as £22,450.
The Inns of Court all offer scholarships to help students fund their GDL and BPTC years. Details can be found at the following websites:
