- Pupillage
Chambers is a member of the Pupillage Gateway. All applications should be made via the Pupillage Gateway. Please see here to apply to Six Pump Court.
The six things that we think you should know about pupillage at Six Pump Court are as follows:
- Six Pump Court typically offers two twelve-month pupillages per year. Each pupillage offered is currently financed by a £40,000 pupillage award, £25,000 of which is paid monthly during the First Six and we guarantee earnings of £15,000 in the Second Six.
- We expect our pupils to be genuinely interested in a number of our key practice areas and committed to developing a broad practice at the Bar, which we expect to be able to foster during pupillage by providing our pupils with professional training of the highest quality over a wide range of our key practice areas.
- Six Pump Court has a very strong tradition of recruiting tenants from pupillage and we recognise that our future success depends upon maintaining the highest standards in the selection and training of our pupils.
- Pupillage at Six Pump Court lasts for 12-months, comprising three ‘seats’ in different practice areas.
- Whilst we encourage those intending to apply for pupillage to undertake a mini-pupillage with us, doing so is not a pre-requisite for applying for pupillage. Candidates should not be dissuaded from applying for pupillage if their application for mini-pupillage is unsuccessful or if they just have not undertaken a mini-pupillage with Chambers.
- We anonymise all applications that we receive and when selecting candidates for pupillage we apply our selection criteria, which is available here.
To give greater detail, we have produced a brochure which aims to answer the question ‘Why do you want to become a pupil at Six Pump Court?‘ by providing useful guidance for pupillage applicants, a summary of how the process works, and details of what you can expect from a pupillage at Six Pump Court: Six Pump Court Pupillage Brochure. We recommend you read the brochure as it contains all relevant information about pupillage in Chambers.
In the 2024 application cycle, Six Pump Court is only offering one criminal specialist pupillage.
- Third-Six Pupillage
We are always interested in quality candidates who have already completed a twelve-month pupillage. We welcome applications at any time but recruit strictly on an ‘as needed’ basis. Therefore, we advise that you contact Christopher Badger, Head of Pupillage, by email at pupillage@6pumpcourt.co.uk for a confidential, informal discussion prior to making a formal application.
At times when Chambers is undergoing recruitment for third-six pupillage we will advertise vacancies here and on the Bar Council website.
- Mini-Pupillage
What is a mini-pupillage at Six Pump Court like?
Mini-pupillage placements at Six Pump Court are not formally assessed. The aim of mini-pupillage is to provide candidates with an introduction to life at Six Pump Court and an opportunity to experience the type of work undertaken by our junior tenants. We consider mini-pupillages are a valuable opportunity for those intending to apply to Six Pump Court for pupillage to get to know us and for us to get to know them.
We recommend that you read our pupillage brochure in the above section, which provides more detail about the kind of work that we do in Chambers.
Mini-pupils spend between two to five days in Chambers and they will have support from James Harrison and another junior member of Chambers who will act as mini-pupil supervisor for the duration of their visit by providing a main point of contact and overseeing the day-to-day arrangements during your visit.
Candidates should be aware that the majority of our criminal law work is undertaken in Kent. As our working pupils and junior tenants accept instructions in criminal cases, it is very likely that mini-pupils will be expected to travel to courts in Kent on at least one day during their placement. Financial assistance for travel expenses can be available in certain cases. Please indicate if you would like to be considered for financial assistance in your application.
Who should apply?
Applications for mini-pupillage are invited from candidates undertaking, or having completed, the final year of their academic legal studies, who genuinely intend to apply for pupillage at Six Pump Court.
How do you apply?
At Six Pump Court we offer mini-pupillages during three windows in the year:
- Window 1 is between 1 January and 28 February;
- Window 2 is between 1 May and 30 June; and
- Window 3 is between 1 September and 31 October.
We accept applications at any point following the conclusion of the previous window up to one month before the commencement of the window being applied for, e.g., an application for a mini-pupillage in Window 1 should be made between 1 November and 1 December.
As the number of applications we receive usually exceeds the number of placements available, we assess applications for mini-pupillage against our published Selection Criteria for pupillage (see above).
Applications must be made by way of a covering letter and a curriculum vitae. Covering letters must explain, by reference to our Selection Criteria, why the applicant should be considered as a strong candidate for pupillage at Six Pump Court and the reasons for applying for a mini-pupillage placement.
Please address all applications for the attention of James Harrison, Six Pump Court Chambers, 6 Pump Court, Temple, EC4Y 7AR or email pupillage@6pumpcourt.co.uk
- Established Practitioners
Six Pump Court welcomes direct applications for tenancy at our Chambers from outstanding practitioners at all levels of call.
If you have experience within any of our main areas of practice and are interested in joining us, you are invited to submit your CV and a covering letter to Richard Constable, Senior Clerk.
All applications from established barristers will be considered by our Recruitment Committee and will be treated as confidential.
- Clerks and Staff
There are no vacancies at present.