Moving chambers as a third-six pupil can be a daunting and scary experience; however, this was not my experience of moving to Pump Court Chambers. From day one, I was made to feel welcome, valued and challenged.

As a working pupil, no two days are ever the same. I often commuted to Southampton, Winchester, Portsmouth or Bournemouth to appear in the Crown Court for both the Defence and the Prosecution. There have also been occasions where I have found myself travelling to Army Barracks for conferences and to Bulford Courts Martial Centre to represent service personnel. Despite the majority of Chambers’ work being on circuit, I have also found myself appearing before courts in London regularly.

From day one, I hit the ground running. I was met with a busy diary of cases, chambers welcome drinks and legal resources training. These commitments made settling into chambers an easier experience. I was straight into my first ever week-long Crown Court trial at Guildford within a month. Following that, I was fortunate enough to be instructed in a three-week fraud trial thanks to recommendations made by the clerks. My practice started to blossom with a wide range of criminal matters such as fraud, sexual offences, violence, and drugs, and I soon started to find myself appearing exclusively in the Crown Court.

Throughout third-six I was highly supported by my supervisor, Sarah Jones QC, and other members of the criminal team. I was encouraged to ask questions and often found myself bouncing ideas off senior members of chambers, including the silks. Pump Court offers a sense of collegiality which is second to none; everybody made time for my questions and queries. In addition, all of the clerks are approachable and friendly such that managing your workload is a collaborative two-way process.

I found my time as a third-six pupil at Pump Court rewarding and enjoyable. The collegiate, almost familial atmosphere made being in chambers comfortable and pleasant whilst providing challenging work. Owing to this, and to everything that Pump Court and its members have to offer, I was delighted to accept an offer for tenancy in March 2019.

For information on applying for a third-six criminal pupillage at Pump Court Chambers please click here.