Queen Square Chambers – 12 Months – October 2024

Pupillage Vacancy Information

Pupillage at Queen Square Chambers

Queen Square Chambers is offering up to two common law pupillages to commence in October 2024, with an award of £30,000.

We are also able to offer a further additional pupillage focussing on publicly funded work, with the same funding and start date - see the section below on the Butterfield Scholarship.

Chambers is located in Bristol and our members are instructed in cases nationwide, with a particular focus on the Western and Wales and Chester Circuits.

During pupillage you can expect to have three supervisors spanning the range of chambers' practice areas, along with the opportunity to spend time with and complete work for members with specific practice interests.

Alongside the Western Circuit advocacy training, Chambers provides its own advocacy assessments to best prepare you for second six, as well as comprehensive feedback on all written work.

Once you start your second six you can expect a busy and varied diary in all areas of Chambers work. Recent pupils have been instructed in Magistrates Court work, Crown Court matters, Family proceedings, Fast Track trials and Employment Tribunals. New tenants have been able to build upon this platform of mixed work to forge successful practices, often exceeding the levels of their contemporaries in London.

Chambers only offers pupillage with a view to tenancy and has made offers to all pupils in recent years. The tenancy decision is usually made within one month before the completion of pupillage.

Butterfield Scholarship

Thanks to the generous support of the Western Circuit through the Butterfield Scholarship, Queen Square Chambers is able to offer an additional pupillage in 2024/25 that will focus on publicly funded work. 

The publicly funded work we undertake in chambers is predominantly criminal prosecution and defence, in addition to legally aided public and private family proceedings involving children.

If you would like to be considered for this specific pupillage in addition to / instead of our common law pupillage(s), you will be able to answer the additional question as set out below as part of your application.

Funding

The overall funding of £30,000 is broken down as follows:

• a grant of £4,000 is available to pupils in August 2024 to assist with any upfront costs (e.g. relocation);

• first-six funding is £10,500, payable monthly, with travel expenses reimbursed

• second six earning are guaranteed at £15,500, topped up monthly pro rata based on receipts. Recent pupils' receipts have consistently exceeded this sum

Chambers does not charge rent on second six earnings, nor operate any "claw back" provisions should receipts exceed guaranteed earnings. New tenants also benefit from a reduced rent structure.

The cost of all compulsory training during pupillage is met by chambers.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion

No pupil or person being considered for Pupillage will be discriminated directly or indirectly against or victimised on grounds of their race, colour, ethnic or national origin, nationality, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, religion or political persuasion.

Any accessibility queries can be directed to Mike Blitz (Head of Pupillage) at mike.blitz@qsc.law

How to Apply

Aspiring barristers are invited to apply to chambers between 3 January 2024 and 7 February 2024 using the Pupillage Gateway application system to search for the relevant Pupillage Vacancy and selecting ‘Apply for this pupillage’.

In addition to the standardised Bar Council questionnaire, candidates will be asked to respond to the following questions from Chambers:

• Why do you believe you will make a good barrister? (max 1,500 characters) 

• Why do you want to join Queen Square Chambers? (max 1,500 characters)

• What is your advocacy experience? (max 1,500 characters)

• “Proceedings in the Family Court should not be the subject of media reporting, in whatever form.” Please provide (i) two arguments for and (ii) two arguments against the above proposition (max 2,500 characters)

If you wish to be considered for the pupillage funded by the Butterfield Scholarship, you will need to also answer:

• What skills do you consider important for a barrister practising in publicly funded areas of work? (max 1,500 characters)