Mini-pupillage at 3 Serjeants' Inn
Mini-pupillages are available at 3 Serjeants' Inn all year round. To apply please send your CV and a covering letter to Stacey Hunt, who administers the scheme.
MINI-PUPILLAGE AT 3 SERJEANTS’ INN
This information sets out some basic guidance for those undertaking a mini-pupillage at 3 Serjeants’ Inn. Those requiring further information not covered in the information sheet should contact Stacey Hunt (and in her absence, the Clerks) on 020 7427 5000 who will endeavour to provide further assistance.
Why undertake mini-pupillage?
At 3 Serjeants’ Inn we view mini-pupillage as an opportunity to gain insight into life at the Bar by shadowing practising barristers over the course of a week. The emphasis is not on ‘testing’ mini-pupils, but rather providing them with first-hand experience of the work we undertake and the type of pupillage one might expect to receive here. That said, information about a candidate obtained during mini-pupillage may be taken into account when considering an application for pupillage.
Applying for mini-pupillage
We operate mini-pupillages during the three main University holiday periods each year (Christmas, Easter and Summer). It is possible by special arrangement to attend outside those times. Applications for mini-pupillage should be made by way of CV and a covering letter to Stacey Hunt (SHunt@3serjeantsinn.com), who administers the scheme. It is important to specify the period you would be available to attend. You should receive an acknowledgment of your application shortly after it is received. A decision on your application is unlikely to be made immediately. Because we receive many more applications than we have vacancies, we consider applications competitively against each other, two to three months in advance of each period of mini-pupillage. Once this has been done, you will be notified of the outcome of your application. Applications are considered equally and regardless of ethnic origin, sex, religion or disability. We do not discriminate on grounds of ethnic origin, sex, religion or disability and support the objectives of the Bar Council Equality Code.
Duration of mini-pupillage
Usually we invite mini-pupils to spend a week in Chambers. Shorter and more flexible arrangements are possible however and the desire for such should be indicated in your application for mini-pupillage.
Accepting an offer of mini-pupillage
Although you may not necessarily receive a written offer of mini-pupillage, we would normally expect you to confirm in writing your acceptance of such an offer within fourteen days of receiving the offer. If no such confirmation is received the offer will be withdrawn on the assumption that you do not wish to attend. Additionally you should telephone Chambers on the working day immediately before your mini-pupillage is due to start when Stacey Hunt will inform you when and where to present yourself on your first day. Normally you will be asked to attend Chambers at around 9.30 am.
Attendance during mini-pupillage
During the course of your mini-pupillage you will be allocated to an individual barrister with whom you will spend the majority of your time (your mini-pupilmaster). The aim is that you see as representative a week as possible in the life of an individual barrister at 3 Serjeants’ Inn. We also try to ensure that the work you see is based in London. Because we frequently travel to court or clients outside London, it may be that your mini-pupilmaster is unable to accommodate you for the whole week. Although we aim to keep this to a minimum, your mini-pupilmaster may arrange for you to spend time with another barrister. Please do not forget to check arrangements with your mini-pupilmaster at the end of each working day.
We recognise that the practitioner’s typical working day is a long one, with conferences in particular continuing past 7.00 p.m. Mini-pupils are free to leave with impunity at whatever time they wish, the only proviso being that you do not attend a conference if you are uncertain as to whether or not you can stay for the whole conference.
What work am I likely to observe during mini-pupillage?
As the nature of the work at the Bar is varied and to some extent unpredictable, it is impossible to guarantee that you will see a particular type of work, or that you will necessarily go to court. At certain points in calendar year, particularly during the Summer vacation, the opportunity to see court work diminishes due to court vacation periods and tenants’ holidays.
We try to involve mini-pupils in as wide a range as possible of Chamber’s current work whilst endeavouring to accommodate any particular areas of interest a mini-pupil may have. In particular, we will try to ensure that the work you observed is varied in terms of its level of seniority as well as in content.
Our court work covers the civil and criminal courts, and professional regulatory bodies. The bulk tends to be concentrated in civil matters. When not at court you will be given the opportunity to read sets of papers and, where possible, discuss the key issues with the barrister instructed in the case. You will also be permitted to sit-in on conferences attended by both lay and professional clients. Please observe the note below regarding confidentiality.
Rules and Regulations
Whilst rules and regulations are kept to a minimum during mini-pupillage it is important to observe the following points:
* Dress Code: We expect our mini-pupils to dress smartly in formal, dark clothing. For the avoidance of doubt, females are welcome to wear trousers.
* Participation during mini-pupillage: Mini-pupils are expected to exploit their spell in Chambers to the full insofar as learning is concerned. Questions concerning a case however should be discussed with the barrister in private and never in the presence of solicitors and/or clients. Similarly mini-pupils are required to refrain from active participation in conferences, whether these are inside chambers or outside of court. Please remain a passive observer throughout.
* Confidentiality: Mini-pupillage is offered on the strict understanding that no information whatsoever about the work of these chambers, or of individual barristers within Chambers, is to be disclosed in any form to anyone else. As a mini-pupil you will be privy to highly confidential material concerning the work observed here; it is paramount that such confidentiality is maintained both during and after your mini-pupillage.
Problems
In the unlikely event of you having any concerns or complaints you should raise these in the first instance with Edward Pleeth or Oliver Williamson. If for any reason they are not available, or you would prefer to discuss them with another barrister, you should ask to see the chairman of the Pupillage Committee, Jon Holl-Allen. Alternatively, you can discuss the concern or complaint with Nick Salt, our Senior Clerk.