12-month Criminal Pupillage

Periodically Chambers offers 12-month Criminal Pupillages based in Winchester. These commence in October, although it may be possible to make adjustments if required. You will spend three months with each of your two pupil supervisors from the Criminal Team, both in your non-practising and practising periods of pupillage.

We encourage you to travel with your supervisors although not necessarily to every hearing, nor those at a great distance. The majority of chambers’ criminal work spreads out throughout the Western Circuit, and sometimes into the South Eastern Circuit.  Criminal Pupils will be expected to travel with their supervisors in the non-practising six months. We also encourage you to see other members of the Criminal Team at work, particularly the junior tenants, in order to familiarise yourself with the type of work you will be doing in the practising period of your pupillage. We aim to ensure that your criminal pupillage is as varied and interesting as possible to maximise your learning experience.

In your second-six, you can expect to be in court every day, working both in the Magistrates’ Court and the Crown Court. There may also be regulatory and Courts Martial work.

As part of your 12-month Criminal Pupillage you will be expected to take part in Chambers’ informal advocacy training sessions, run by members of the criminal team. You will also be expected to undertake a formal criminal advocacy exercise and assessment prior to the end of your pupillage.

The pupillage award of £35,000 is comprised as follows, a grant of £25,000 plus guaranteed earnings of £9,000 and a £1,000 travel grant. Any third-six pupillages we offer are not funded, but in the past few years working pupils have consistently earned reasonably well.

We recruit our junior tenants exclusively from those who have served a period of pupillage in Pump Court Chambers. All pupils in Chambers who are eligible and apply will be considered. We usually make decisions about junior tenant appointments in July. Since 2007 we have taken on 18 of our pupils.

Please e-mail your CV and covering letter in one PDF document to Naomi Gyane at pupillage@pumpcourtchambers.com.

Closing date: Monday 13th June 2022