Garden Court Chambers – General Pupillage - 12 Months – October 2026

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

About Authorised Education and Training Organisation

Founded in 1974, Garden Court Chambers is a number one ranked barristers’ chamber advising solicitors, members of the public and organisations across the UK and around the world. Garden Court Chambers, now located at 57-60 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, has come a long way from its origins in 1974 when six barristers just out of pupillage set up, with the help of a loan, in three rooms in Lincoln’s Inn. At the time, their aspirations were regarded as revolutionary if not subversive. They had clear goals in mind:

• to provide socially useful legal services, supporting and complementing law centres
• to work in an environment that was democratic with a balance of sexes and races
• to train pupils and pay them
• to argue cases that made a difference; in particular, to engage in the struggle for human rights (at a time when the term was regarded with nothing less than ridicule) and for sexual and racial justice. If necessary, working for no reward.

Such ambitions, they realised, could only be achieved by setting up a new set of their own. Three of the founders are still members of Chambers today. The aspirations of our founders still remain integral to Chambers. Through thick and thin the commitment of the members of Chambers and staff has not wavered. Much of the founders' original vision has been achieved. Some of our innovations have been accepted by the Bar in general and some have even become compulsory.

Our casework has substantially contributed to the progress of the law and to social progress. In the reported cases, across all our areas of practice, counsel from Garden Court Chambers have argued in the defence of the rights of accused and in furtherance of the rights of individuals against the state in landmark decisions. Our stance is often bold and inventive and, in the end, successful.

Our belief in our motto "Recte faciendo neminem timens" (Do right, fear no-one!), our commitment to principle and to the quality of our client service remains as great as ever. Our motto embodies our longstanding ethos: we are dedicated to fighting our client's corner, no matter how formidable the opponent might seem. Equally, our approach is progressive. We help many clients use the law to advance social justice and equality. Our multi-disciplinary expertise has proved vital for clients where cases bridge a number of areas. Reflecting the size of Garden Court and our diversity of specialisms, we have three Joint Heads of Chambers: Stephanie Harrison KC, Liz Davies KC and Rajiv Menon KC.

Structure of Pupillage

We offer four 12-month pupillages per year, three being Generalist Pupillages and one position is for a Specialist Crime Pupillage. This year we are recruiting for an additional Specialist Housing Pupil. Our pupillages are highly structured with relevant in-house training sessions running throughout the year. Your training will include sessions on specific drafting skills, bail applications, judicial review and trial advocacy, to name a few. Pupillage is divided into two parts; six months as a non-practicing pupil, and six months as a practicing pupil. We aim to provide our pupils with as much opportunity as possible to observe different areas of law in practice. Therefore, you will have three different supervisors from three areas of law during your pupillage.

IMPORTANT: Please note the following:

1. This advert is for the Generalist Pupillage positions. You will see that we are advertising for a Specialist Crime Pupil again this year, as well as a Specialist Housing Pupil for the first time. You may only apply for one of the three pupillages type available. If you do submit multiple applications, your application will be disqualified from the Specialist Pupillages by default, and you will only be considered for the Generalist Pupillage (if you have also submitted an application for a Generalist Pupillage).
2. Our Pupillage Interviews will be held throughout April. Please refer to the Garden Court Chambers official website for the exact date. You will be notified via Pupillage Gateway whether you have been shortlisted for an interview.

Financial and Other Support Available

The pupillage award at Garden Court Chambers is £41,200. This is divided into £34,000 during your first six months, and £7,200 as guaranteed earnings in your second six months. Pupils will receive an annual zone 1-6 London Travelcard when they join and will be reimbursed for additional travelling expenses where appropriate. Chambers will also pay for additional relevant courses and/or training should a pupil request it.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion

Founded upon a commitment to social justice, Garden Court Chambers has always prided itself on a commitment to diversity. The outcome is that we are one of the most diverse organisations and workplaces in the country. We have won the Outstanding Contribution to Diversity & Inclusion at the Chambers Bar Awards for two years running in 2019 and 2020.

1. Garden Court is committed to equal opportunities and tackling discrimination.
2. We recognise that in society groups of individuals are oppressed and/or disadvantaged on grounds of their race, ethnic or national origin, social class, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability and age. We further recognise that there is acute discrimination both in the criminal justice system and the legal establishment.
3. We are committed to ensuring that our policies and practices relating to all aspects of the running of chambers and of the legal services that we offer, are accessible to and reflect the needs of those who face such discrimination.
4. We recognise that to achieve equality of access and service delivery, positive steps will be required to eliminate discrimination.
5. It is the policy of Garden Court Chambers (Limited) to deal with its tenants, employees, pupils, lay and professional clients, and applicants for pupillage or tenancy or any other position (and all others who have dealings with chambers) without distinction by reference to race, ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status or social class. Age and disability are also to be disregarded save in those limited circumstances in which they are genuinely material to the relevant position.
6. In particular, chambers are committed to ensuring that pupils, tenants and employees are selected without discrimination, that discriminatory considerations play no part in the allocation of work within chambers, and that no instructions are accepted from solicitors who seek to select Counsel on a discriminatory basis. Further, chambers does not permit or condone harassment on the grounds of any of the factors set out at paragraph 5 above.
7. To that end chambers takes into account the BSB’s Equality and Diversity Code, and will continue to do so as the Code is amended or revised from time to time.
8. Chambers will maintain separate written policy statements dealing with selection of pupils and tenants, instructions to clerks concerning the refusal of instructions offered on a discriminatory basis, parent leave, and the operation of a grievance procedure for pupils and employees. (the preparation and maintenance of such policy statements to be the responsibility of the relevant committees).
9. Any decision or action found to have been taken on discriminatory grounds will, if possible, be reconsidered. Steps will be taken to ensure that any harassment of any person or persons is brought to an end. Any tenant, employee or pupil of chambers who is found to have committed any act of prohibited discrimination will be dealt with as seems most appropriate by the chair and deputy chair of the Management Committee/Board of Directors.

How to Apply

Aspiring barristers are invited to apply to chambers between Wednesday 02 January 2025 and Wednesday 6 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 (character limit 1900)
2. Why do you want to join our chambers? In your answer, please give reasons for your choice of chambers and explain why you are interested in our areas of practice (character limit 1900)
3. What areas of practice are you interested in and why? (character limit 1900)
4. Please identify any additional experiences / skills gained that you believe may help you in your career (character limit 1900)