Legal Village

Pupillage - and how to get it

Posted 9/11/2007 by Mike Semple Piggot

In my guise as blawger “Charon QC” I interviewed Simon Myerson QC of Park Court Chambers and author of the 'Pupillage and how to get it' blog earlier this week about the harsh realities of applying for pupillage. It was a very interesting podcast to do and you can access it here on Consilio.

Myerson states on his blog: “Oxbridge counts - sorry, but there it is. Increasingly, differential counts - the worse your school, the more weight given to a good university degree.”

This seemed a good starting point for my interview. I asked him if  a student with a modest 2.2 or low 2.1 degree from one of the newer universities was wasting their time. Myerson is direct and to the point in his views.

We covered the need to have a good degree, how to stand out in the application process, the pupillage interview and his thoughts on funding pupillage, diversity and the need for sifting to be done by law schools and by an independent committee to ensure that students did not have unrealistic expectations about their chance of finding a pupillage and then a tenancy. With 3000-plus qualifying each year - coupled with those still chasing pupillage from previous years - competing for 500 pupillages, the competition is high.

The podcast interview lasts for about 25 minutes – but is a ‘must listen to’ if you are thinking about a career at the Bar or are involved in the administration and direction of a vocational law school offering the BVC.

Simon Myerson’s blog is also a ‘must read’ if you are planning a career at the Bar.