Pupillage Applications 2024 (for October 2025)
Clare Kelly
2nd April 2024
Thank you to everyone who has submitted an application to 5 Pump Court for pupillage starting in October 2025. We are recruiting two pupils: one with a mixed practice (civil, family and crime) and one with a specialist family practice.
The Pupillage Gateway has now closed and we are in the process of considering and marking the applications. The first step is for our Tenancy & Pupillage Committee to hold a Moderation Meeting to agree on the standards which will be set for marking this year. Each member of the committee marks the same 5 applications against objective criteria, and they then meet to compare the marks and to agree on the standard for each mark.
Following the meeting, the applications are divided between the members of the Committee who then mark them all. The marking will be completed by the end of March.
First round interviews
During the last week of March, we will notify those who have been invited to first round interviews.
The first round interviews will be held over 3 evenings from 8 - 15 April. These will be held by Zoom. There are usually three members of the Tenancy & Pupillage Committee at each interview.
The first interviews are relatively short (approximately 15 minutes each). There is no preparation required in advance of the interview, although you might be asked to read something on arrival. We ask all interviewees to be available 10 minutes before the interview for this reason.
Second round interviews
Following the first round interviews, the Tenancy & Pupillage Committee meet again to decide on which applicants will be put through to the second round.
The second round interviews will be held on Monday 6 May and are in person interviews held in Chambers with the whole of the Tenancy & Pupillage Committee. The interviews are longer, approximately 30 minutes.
The interview will start with an advocacy exercise which will be sent to all interviewees approximately a week beforehand. There will be written preparation to do, and we normally require that to be submitted approximately 48 hours beforehand.
Following the second round interviews, we are not able to do anything more before the offer date set out in the Gateway (9.30am on Friday 10 May). We do not reject by silence, and we contact everyone who applies to let them know the outcome of their application. We try to give feedback to anyone who attends an interview with us, but that is not always possible.
If any applicant requires flexibility in the interview process or reasonable adjustments to be made, then please contact our Chambers Director Clare Kelly.
We want to see applicants perform at their best (even when this makes our job of choosing only two pupils even more difficult!) We appreciate the process can be stressful, but we are not trying to catch you out - just to check that you are likely to be able to cope with the demands of an advocacy-focussed role.
Good luck!