Garden Court North Chambers – 12 months – October 2025

Job Reference barcouncil/TP/3693/758

The job has expired.

Number of Pupillages Available:

Pupillage Type:

12 month pupillage

Pupillage Award:

£24,648

Location:

Manchester

Closing Date:

07/02/2024

Circuit:

Northern

Authorised Education and Training Organisation:

Garden Court North Chambers

Pupillage Vacancy Information

Garden Court North Chambers is a progressive set of barristers with a strong commitment to publicly funded work, to offering representation to those disadvantaged by discrimination and inequality or with multiple and complex needs, to challenging the state, to fighting for justice, and to undertaking work pro bono in appropriate cases where funding is unavailable. It is these values which have underpinned our ethos since the foundation of Chambers in 1996 by a group of young barristers wanting to provide a radical alternative to the more traditional barristers’ chambers.

Since our foundation we have set our stall out to do human rights work, and throughout our history we have advanced the application of human rights law in the regions, taking cases to the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court and to the European Court of Human Rights. In addition to human rights work, Chambers has built a strong reputation for housing law, immigration law, public law, criminal defence, prison law, inquests, actions against the police, court of protection work, welfare law and expertise in discrimination work. We have been involved in many high profile and landmark cases.

Although Chambers is in Manchester, our members frequently travel to courts and tribunals across England and Wales, including the rest of the North West, the Midlands, the North East, North Wales, South Wales, London, the South East, and the South West.

We invite applications for two 12 month pupillages to commence in October 2025.

Chambers will pay pupils an award based on the current value of the real living wage for a standard 12 month pupillage – which is £24,648 in December 2023 – together with all earnings during the second six months.

Before applying, applicants should visit our website at www.gcnchambers.co.uk for a more detailed understanding of the range and nature of work undertaken by Chambers. Pupils can expect to gain experience across all areas of social welfare law, including welfare benefits, housing and immigration, and protest defence. Pupillage at GCN is flexible and we will discuss your preferred areas of work before you start.

All applications are read and sifted by members of Chambers using a scoring system and we are looking for:

Intellectual aptitude and potential. This may be evidenced by excellent academic achievement but is not limited to this. Other evidence of intellectual aptitude may be put forward and will be considered.
Ability to grasp complex issues and concepts and think on their feet. Ability to present clear, concise and logical arguments and express themselves confidently and articulately.
Evidence of interest in and commitment to working in civil liberties, human rights law, or other fields of law on behalf of those suffering from disadvantage and/or discrimination.
Commitment to Chambers’ ethos and in particular to working with and for those who are disadvantaged by poverty and discrimination. Commitment to Chambers’ ethos may be shown by experience either within or outside the law.
Ability to communicate with a wide range of people from different backgrounds.
Diligence and a high level of motivation.

Applicants selected in the initial sift will be invited for interview. Interviews consist of two rounds, an initial short interview and, for those successful, a second longer interview which will include an oral advocacy exercise. We will try to let those who are selected for interview know as soon as possible. We will apply the Pupillage Gateway timetable.

Applications will be considered from prospective pupils who have not yet completed the Bar Training Course.

Reasonable travel expenses will be paid for attending interview.

Financial and Other Support Available

Chambers will pay pupils an award based on the current value of the real living wage for a standard 12-month pupillage together with all earnings during the second six months. In December 2023, this is £24,648 per year. Pupils will be paid 1/12 of the value of the award at the end of each month of pupillage.

In the second six months, there are no guaranteed earnings but pupils will only pay a reduced sum by way of Chambers’ expenses, which is half the variable rate then in force on any fees actually received in the second six months. Where a period of pupillage is extended, it is expected that the pupillage award will remain at the same level per month during the period of any extension.

Chambers will also pay such further sum as may be necessary to reimburse expenses reasonably incurred by the pupil on:

Travel for the purposes of their pupillage during that month; this includes the costs of public transport, mileage, and parking. This does not apply to travel expenses incurred whilst conducting cases for which the pupil will be paid a fee.
Attendance during that month at courses which they are required to attend as part of their pupillage.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Garden Court North Chambers is committed to encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion, and eliminating unlawful discrimination. GCN has a standing Equality and Diversity Committee and a Wellbeing and Resilience Committee as part of our commitment to ensuring an environment where every person can flourish.

GCN adheres to the Bar Standards Board Code of Conduct Equality Rules, the BSB Handbook Equality Rules supporting information, and the Bar Council’s Fair Recruitment Guide and Reasonable Adjustments Guide.

If you would like to enquire about the accessibility of our training organisation before making an application, please contact Ciara Bartlam, Co-chair of the Pupillage Committee at cbartlam@gcnchambers.co.uk.

How to Apply

Aspiring barristers are invited to apply to chambers between Wednesday 3 January 2024 and Wednesday 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 300 words)
Why do you want to join Garden Court North Chambers? (Max 300 words)
Why do you want to become a barrister as opposed to any other job (a) within the legal profession and (b) outside the legal profession entirely? (Max 300 words)

The job has expired.