3 Verulam Buildings – 12 Months – October 2026 (Pupillage)

Pupillage applications open on Thursday 2nd January 2025 until Thursday 6th February 2024.

About Authorised Education and Training Organisation

3VB is a leading barristers’ chambers providing specialist advocacy and advisory services worldwide in all areas of commercial and financial litigation, dispute resolution, international arbitration and public international law. Chambers’ legal excellence and the quality of service provided to our clients are recognised and praised in the leading legal directories3VB is a leading barristers’ chambers providing specialist advocacy and advisory services worldwide in all areas of commercial and financial litigation, dispute resolution, international arbitration and public international law. Chambers’ legal excellence and the quality of service provided to our clients are recognised and praised in the leading legal directories

Structure of Pupillage

Pupils sit with four pupil supervisors for three months at a time and are exposed to a broad range of Chambers’ work during these seats. In addition to working with their pupil supervisors, pupils are also asked to work with other members of chambers of all levels. In particular, pupils have a shadow pupil supervisor, who is a more junior member of chambers charged with offering support and providing access to smaller pieces of work of the type ordinarily seen by a tenant in the early years of practice.

We arrange advocacy exercises throughout the course of pupillage, to provide an opportunity for pupils to practice and develop their advocacy skills. We also arrange regular, more informal training sessions to ensure all pupils gain the knowledge and soft skills they need to thrive in a commercial work environment.

Pupils sit in the rooms of their pupil supervisor and share their daily professional life, drafting statements of case, researching legal points, writing advice, and attending conferences and trials or other hearings in Court. Whilst pupils have to work hard, sometimes very hard, it is not expected that pupils should work into the evenings or at weekends.

Pupils are given regular feedback from their pupil supervisors and have reviews at the end of each seat with the Head of Pupillage and the Pupillage Secretary. The tenancy decision is transparent and based entirely on merit. 3VB has no quota or limit on the number of tenancies as a proportion of pupillages offered, and the intention when offering pupillage is that every pupil who has met the standard required will be offered tenancy. Pupils sit with four pupil supervisors for three months at a time and are exposed to a broad range of Chambers’ work during these seats.

In addition to working with their pupil supervisors, pupils are also asked to work with other members of chambers of all levels. In particular, pupils have a shadow pupil supervisor, who is a more junior member of chambers charged with offering support and providing access to smaller pieces of work of the type ordinarily seen by a tenant in the early years of practice. We arrange advocacy exercises throughout the course of pupillage, to provide an opportunity for pupils to practice and develop their advocacy skills. We also arrange regular, more informal training sessions to ensure all pupils gain the knowledge and soft skills they need to thrive in a commercial work environment.

Financial and Other Support Available

The pupillage award is £80,000 from 2024, up to £20,000 of which can be drawn down during the year prior to pupillage.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion

3VB is committed to equality of opportunity and diversity in the workplace. We strive to ensure that the principle of fair and equal treatment is upheld in all areas of our business, including recruitment of pupils, members and staff and also in the areas of practice development of members of Chambers and promotion of staff.

We recognise the importance of having a workplace that is free from discrimination, and we will not tolerate discrimination against clients, members of Chambers, pupils or staff on grounds of gender, race, ethnic or national origin, nationality, citizenship, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, religion or belief. In particular, we believe that this will help us to recruit and retain members of Chambers and staff of the highest quality from the widest pool of talent.

3VB is committed to assisting all members and staff, male and female, to manage their family responsibilities and to enjoy a rewarding career in Chambers. We have comprehensive parental policies which reflect our philosophy in this regard. 3VB is committed to equality of opportunity and diversity in the workplace. We strive to ensure that the principle of fair and equal treatment is upheld in all areas of our business, including recruitment of pupils, members and staff and also in the areas of practice development of members of Chambers and promotion of staff.

We recognise the importance of having a workplace that is free from discrimination, and we will not tolerate discrimination against clients, members of Chambers, pupils or staff on grounds of gender, race, ethnic or national origin, nationality, citizenship, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, religion or belief. In particular, we believe that this will help us to recruit and retain members of Chambers and staff of the highest quality from the widest pool of talent.

3VB is committed to assisting all members and staff, male and female, to manage their family responsibilities and to enjoy a rewarding career in Chambers. We have comprehensive parental policies which reflect our philosophy in this regard.

How to Apply

Aspiring barristers are invited to apply to chambers between 2nd January 2024 and 6th February 2025 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:

1. Why do you believe you will make a good barrister? In your answer, please identify any relevant experiences or skills that you believe may help you in your career. (Max 1200 characters)
2. Why do you want to join 3VB? In your answer, please explain why you are interested in our areas of practice. (Max 1200 characters)
3. Please describe a situation when you were confronted with an ethical dilemma and explain how you resolved it. (Max 1200 characters)
4. Please identify a decided case within 3VB's field of work from the last twelve months (and the more recent, the better) that you disagree with, and explain why. (Max 1200 characters)
5. Which skills and characteristics do you regard as the hallmarks of a good advocate? (Max 1200 characters).
6. Please give an example of how you overcame a challenge in your academic or professional life. (Max 1200 characters)