What we are looking for

Chambers is looking to recruit pupils with the potential to become leading family barristers.

The qualities we look for include, but are not limited to:

1. Excellent advocacy skills; being able to express yourself clearly and persuasively both orally and in writing.
2. Strong academic ability (usually demonstrated by at least a 2.1 honours degree, barring extenuating circumstances).
3. A real interest in family law, particularly financial remedy work (though no direct experience is required).
4. Resilience, including the ability to work hard, deal with difficult cases objectively & sensitively, and think clearly under pressure.
5. Commitment to the family bar, with an understanding of what the reality of practising as a self-employed family barrister entails.

Pupillage at 1 Hare Court is divided into three periods of four months, each spent with a different supervisor.

Our aim is that you will see a broad range of our work and in addition to working with your pupil supervisor, you will have the opportunity to observe members of chambers providing representation at all levels of Court and Tribunal.

The work you see will include high profile, high value matrimonial cases, often with an international element. You will also receive an introduction to private law children work and a good insight into the varied work arising out of the breakdown of the relationships of cohabiting couples: in particular claims under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act and Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989.

You will be expected to undertake written work for your pupil supervisor and, from time to time, for other members of chambers. Examples of such work include written opinions, skeleton arguments, draft orders, asset schedules and detailed chronologies.

You will always be given feedback on your work and there will be regular opportunities for you to discuss your progress with your pupil supervisor. During your pupillage year you will undertake advocacy exercises in front of the pupillage committee to prepare you for your court appearances in your second-six.

In your second six months, you will undertake your own work which will include appearances in court.

We offer two twelve-month pupillages each year. Each pupil will receive funding of £50,000 from Chambers, in addition to their earnings during the second six months of pupillage. Second six earnings are typically between £10,000-£20,000, but have been as high as £30,000. Up to £10,000 of the award may be drawn down in advance during the BPC year or to pay BPC fees.

Chambers is not a member of the Pupillage Gateway. Applications for pupillage commencing October 2025 will open and close in accordance with the Pupillage Gateway timetable.

Applications should be by way of our application form, click here to download, and should be sent by email to pupillageapplication@1hc.com. Information about what should be included within the application form is set out in the explanatory sheet within the form. No additional documents (CVs, covering letters, etc.) should be sent alongside a completed application form: any additional documents will not be considered for the purposes of an application for pupillage. References will be requested in the event that a candidate reaches a second-round interview.

A mini-pupillage in Chambers is not a requirement for an application for pupillage.

All applications will be considered on paper in the first instance by our Pupillage Committee. Chambers operates a name, school, and university blind recruitment policy at the paper stage.

After the initial paper sift, candidates will be selected to attend a first-round interview in Chambers in March/April 2024. Following these first-round interviews, a short-list of candidates will be invited to attend a further interview in April/May 2024.

The successful candidates will be notified on the same date as offers are made via the Pupillage Gateway.

Chambers operates an Equal Opportunities policy, and accords by the Bar Council’s Fair Recruitment Policy, in respect of all aspects of recruitment.

Chambers’ aim is to offer tenancy to all of its pupils: there are no limits to the number of tenancies offered each year and pupils are not in competition. In the last three years we have offered tenancy to six pupils.

We have an excellent record of obtaining ‘third sixes’ at other well regarded sets or firms for those pupils who are not offered tenancy.

All offers of tenancy are subject to a six-month probationary period in which no Chambers rent is paid. Chambers has a perfect record of probationary tenants becoming full tenants in the past twenty years.