The Pupillage Countdown: Three Things You Can Do NOW To Stand Out!

Three Simple Things You Can Do In The Next Month To Improve Your Pupillage Application

My CCF instructor taught me the Six Ps: Proper Preparation Prevents P-ss Poor Performance. When the Gateway opens (and we have a week less this year) you don’t want to be caught short: unsure of where to apply or what to say.

The adverts are out and the familiar dread is already setting in among aspiring barristers. Pupillage season is around the corner (tis the season to be jolly)! With a month to go, and the countdown at the top of the screen ticking down, the question arises: what can you do to make your application better this year?

Not everyone has a line of mini pupillages ready to go, or the time to enter a string of moots. That’s fine. Below, I have compiled three simple things you can do over the next month to put yourself in the strongest position possible.

1. Research, Research, Research.

There is no time like the present to start picking out the sets you plan to apply to. Avoid superficial research. Do not fall into the trap of thinking: “What area does this place do? Commercial? Well regarded? High pupillage award? Better apply.” That approach gets found out very quickly.

Instead, you might ask yourself three simple questions.

• What does pupillage look like? Some sets have a practising second six, where you get on your feet, deal with real clients and build practical advocacy skills. You may also earn some additional income. If this appeals to you, mention it when asked why you want to join that set.
• What do their junior tenants do? At many sets, your first years won’t be a stream of glamorous headline cases. You may be doing small claims, short hearings or applications that never reach the legal press. Ask yourself how much work at that set is led, how much is unled, and what work their juniors have recently done. It can tell you a lot about what your first few years would look like.
• What are the backgrounds of their junior tenants? Look at where they studied, what experience they had, and whether there is a pattern. Unfortunately, some chambers recruit almost exclusively from a narrow range of universities or expect applicants to have a MA. This is not a reason to give up, but it is a reason to think strategically. If you don’t meet the criteria that a set appears to favour, consider whether your time is better spent elsewhere.*

Chambers are also hosting open evenings, many of which have livestreams or recordings. These can be invaluable. You will get a sense of the culture of the set and can ask questions that do not appear on the website (generally, avoid asking a panel of barristers a very personal question with little relevance to everyone else – e.g. “I studied at x University, I did y extracurriculars, I have been working at z, will your set consider my application?” These sort of questions can be frustrating for other attendees and are generally far better addressed in a one-on-one conversation afterwards.)

Chambers websites themselves also have a wealth of information that will help you write clear, credible reasons for applying.

The more work you do now, the easier it becomes later to write a convincing answer about why you want to join a particular set.

2. Go To Court And See Advocacy Up Close

One of the simplest and most valuable things you can do is go to court. Watching hearings gives you a sense of how barristers argue, how judges intervene, how cases rise or fall on preparation, and how different practice areas vary in style and substance. There is more to advocacy than university mooting!

You can walk into most courts without prior arrangement (although different courts will have varying rules on attendance, and what you can have on you.) While many high profile courts are in London, there is nothing wrong with attending your local magistrates, Crown or civil court.

Sit quietly at the back. One barrister I was shadowing once described it as being like a Victorian child: seen but not heard. This is not the moment for networking, although it has been known to happen. Observe the rhythm of the proceedings and take notes on anything that stands out.

Court visits give you something concrete to draw on in applications. Instead of offering generic lines about having a passion for advocacy, you can point to something you actually saw and explain what it taught you. Applications grounded in real experience read very differently from those built only on speculation and inference.

3. Do Written Work And Get It Out Into The World

Written advocacy matters far more than most candidates realise. Being a barrister involves much more than standing up in court. Some areas of practice involve very little courtroom work at all. The first hurdle in pupillage is the written application form. However strong you may be orally, you cannot demonstrate that if you neglect your written advocacy.

Use the next month to produce a short piece of writing. It does not need to be a masterpiece. A five hundred word article, a case note or a short commentary on a legal issue is more than enough. If you want something published before the application deadline, PupillagePulse accepts submissions through the articles page. Simply send in a draft and you will have something you can put on your CV or LinkedIn within a week.

Publication is not essential, but it encourages structure, accuracy and a professional tone. It shows that you can write for an audience and engage with legal issues thoughtfully and clearly.

Small Steps With Real Impact

None of these steps is complicated. They do not require contacts, insider knowledge, or a vast amount of time. They do, however, signal seriousness. Chambers are looking for candidates who engage with the profession in a genuine and thoughtful way. Research shows engagement. Court visits show curiosity and initiative. Writing shows analytical ability. Together, these small actions help you present yourself not as a passive applicant but as someone already taking the first steps into practice.

*Personally, I think the practice of selecting only from particular universities is outdated and discriminatory. At the end of the day, chambers are not traditional employers – they are the gatekeepers to the profession. The BTC, for which we all pay a significant amount of money, should be more than sufficient to demonstrate competence. Many sets operate a university-blind paper-sift, which should be considered best practice. I will now climb down from my soapbox.

I hope you find this article useful!

Jared Higgins

Founder, PupillagePulse