3PB is a highly regarded, multi-disciplinary, friendly and inclusive set.
Who we are
Chambers has 13 practice groups: Clinical Negligence, Commercial, Construction and Engineering, Crime, Direct Access, Education, Employment and Discrimination, Family, Mediation, Personal Injury, Property and Estates, Public and Regulatory.
In addition, we have members who specialise in Company Law, Court of Protection, Financial Services, Insolvency, Judicial Review and other aspects of Public Law, Landlord & Tenant, Intellectual Property, Partnership, Planning and Probate.
Application Process
The qualities of a pupil:
The qualities we look for in our pupils are intellectual excellence; clarity of expression; a capacity for legal reasoning and rational argument; and potential as an advocate. We also look for personal qualities such as sensitivity and a capacity to relate well to others; sound judgment; application and motivation; and an inquiring and independent mind.
The pattern of pupillage:
Pupillages are for 12 months, with at least three “seats” with different pupil supervisors. We aim to take the best six applicants each year across Chambers. Pupils are asked to indicate their preferences for location. All pupils will visit and spend time at all our centres. In their second six, pupils will have a variety of court work. Our successful candidates are treated as part of Chambers in the year between recruitment and commencing pupillage and are invited to selected events. We tend to offer four general or common law pupillages and two specialist pupillages in a particular area of law.
Finance:
Our current pupillage funding is £40,000. £20,000 of the award will be paid in stages with £20,000 by way of guaranteed earnings (as distinct f rom receipts). We expect all our pupils’ earnings to exceed their guarantee during their second six – there is usually too much work rather than too little. Chambers will honour its ‘top-up’ obligations in the event of a short-fall in receipts during the second six.
Tenancies:
We prefer to recruit tenants f rom our own pupils and we recruit an average of four junior tenants each year. In the year 2021 we took all four of our pupils as tenants. Each pupil has a reasonable prospect of becoming a tenant. Our pupils are assessed and given feedback to enable them to improve their prospects of tenancy.
Mini-pupillages and student visits:
Applications for mini-pupillage should be made via email. Please submit a completed application form available from our website. Chambers does not formally assess its mini-pupils nor is mini-pupillage a requirement before applying for pupillage.
Applications for 2023/2024:
We operate through the Pupillage Gateway application system. All applications will be acknowledged on receipt. We regret that because of the number of applications we are likely to receive it will not be possible to interview all those who apply. Those called for interview will be notified and interviews will take place in early spring 2023.