St John's Chambers |

Described by the Legal 500 as “a Western Circuit Powerhouse”, St John’s offers the perfect chance to build a stellar career at the Bar while enjoying the great opportunities on offer in one of the UK’s most vibrant cities. St John’s Chambers is one of the largest barristers’ sets in the South West, with 7 silks and over 80 barristers. Chambers UK and the Legal 500 list us as a “toptier” leading set in all of our major practice areas, describing us as a “go-to” and “must instruct” chambers. 

In 2022 we were awarded the Legal 500’s prestigious Set outside London of the Year. We have since been shortlisted for this award in 2023, 2024, and 2025. In 2024, we were also shortlisted for Regional Set of the Year by the Chambers UK Bar Guide. Our family law team was named Regional Family Law Set of the Year at the national Family Law Awards in 2023, and we were delighted to have been nominated again in 2024. These nominations further cement our position as a standout destination for high-quality applicants who want the very best career without compromising on quality of life. As a set, we are relentlessly striving for excellence in the legal services we provide, as part of our three-pillar commitment to being inclusive, commercial and excellent.

What you can expect:

• An inclusive and supportive working environment
• One-to-one support, training and guidance
• To conduct research and prepare pleadings and advices
• To shadow your supervisor and attend conferences
• To gain court experience and knowledge of process
• To receive regular feedback on your work. 

In your 2nd Six you will build on the first 6 months’ experience as well as being busy in court.

What we look for in a pupil

We look for high-calibre recruits who can demonstrate 4 key competencies: excellence in written and oral advocacy, the ability to analyse complex information quickly, to present arguments succinctly and persuasively; and the ability to communicate effectively with all types of people. Successful candidates will typically have strong academic credentials, but we have no preference as to whether your undergraduate degree is in law or whether you have since transferred. We look for people who are determined, resilient and motivated. Experience of public speaking and mooting is desirable but not essential. We generally expect our pupils to specialise within one practice group. We take on pupils with an eye to tenancy, so our pupils do not compete with each other. Provided that they successfully complete pupillage, they can normally expect to become tenants. We typically recruit 1-2 pupils per year for each of our main practice groups (Family; Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence; Chancery and Commercial).

Funding

£50,000 along with the loan (with an option to buy at second-hand rates at the end of the year) of a tablet, smart keyboard and pen. The award is paid in 12 equal monthly instalments, subject to a claw-back to the extent of any fees actually received during the second six months of pupillage.

Tenancy

We are committed to recruiting new tenants from our pupils whenever possible. Accordingly, we offer pupillage to those who we hope and expect will become tenants. Of course there can be no guarantees, but in the majority of cases a successful pupillage will lead to an offer of tenancy.

Mini Pupillage

We currently offer one mini-pupillage per month. At least 50 per cent go to applicants from non-traditional state school and BAME backgrounds, with the intention of improving access to the bar. Typically, a mini-pupil’s time will include accompanying members to court, attending conferences involving clients and/or solicitors, and reading and discussing paperwork. Mini-pupils will also have opportunity to ask questions about the profession and about pupillage.

St John’s Chambers will ensure that each application is considered on its merits regardless of gender, age, race, religion, sexual orientation or disability.

We ask you to complete the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form to help us to monitor our fair selection and recruitment practice. None of the information contained on the form will form part of our selection process.