As a junior in chambers, you will carry out work across a broad range of chancery practice. Some of this work will be led, but you will take the lead in the majority of your cases. The work you see will always be interesting and you will be well paid. As you progress, it is likely (although not required) that you will start to specialise in one of chambers’ practice areas – that choice will be steered by you. You will have the full support of the clerks and chambers’ business development committees in building your practice and applying for silk, judicial or other positions compatible with a life at the Bar.

Private client, Court of Protection, partnerships and LLPs, property and commercial chancery.

We are looking for a potential tenant. Candidates should be of proven high academic ability and possess excellent powers of analysis, reasoning and presentation. In addition, the successful candidate will demonstrate sound judgement and be highly motivated. Our specific selection criteria are set out in our pupillage policy, available on our website.

Ten Old Square is committed to equality of opportunity and keen to promote diversity amongst its pupils and members. We encourage applications from all, in particular from candidates from minority ethnic backgrounds.

Our selection process is as follows:

• We offer first round interviews to around 30 candidates, which last for 15 to 20 minutes. Candidates will be given a written problem to consider shortly before the interview and will be asked some general questions. Around 10 candidates will be selected for the next stage.
• Those candidates will be sent a written problem (often a mock set of instructions) to complete in their own time.
• They will then attend a second round interview, which will last for around 45 minutes. Candidates will answer some general questions, discuss their opinion and respond to a debate question. For those candidates who are selected for an offer or a place on the reserve list, there is a non-assessed open day, so they can see if they like us.

The pupillage is structured so that our pupil can see the full range of chambers’ work. You will have two pupil supervisors throughout the 12 months and will also sit with two other members of chambers. It is also likely that, throughout the pupillage, you will undertake work for other members of chambers. Monitoring of a pupil’s progress takes place at the end of each piece of work through discussion with the person you are sitting with, and through monthly written reviews, rather than by way of formal assessment.

Chambers uses the Pupillage Gateway. We offer one 12-month pupillage.

Mini-pupillages will generally take place over two to three days and we usually offer nine a year. Apply by application form, which is available on the website. The deadlines are 1 March, 15 July and 1 November.

We offer three ‘access’ mini-pupillages per year to candidates who fulfil at least one of our access criteria. Access mini-pupils are guaranteed a first round pupillage interview.

We are committed to widening access to the Bar to those from under represented backgrounds, but we know we need to do better.

We run workshops in inner city London schools, aimed at students from under represented groups. The sessions focus on encouraging the students to consider careers at the Bar, with training in useful skills such as interview technique, public speaking and debating and mock-court room exercises.

In 2024 we took part in a six month reverse mentoring scheme where diverse students from BPP University Law School mentored barristers and staff from key chambers’ committees about equality, diversity and inclusion matters.

As well as our access mini-pupillages (discussed in the mini-pupillage section), we take part in the Bridging the Bar, the Inner Temple’s Pegasus Access and Support and the Middle Temple’s Access to the Bar Schemes.

We keep our pupillage application and tenancy decision process under regular review to ensure it is conducted openly and objectively, in accordance with the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion. All those involved in recruitment have undertaken fair recruitment and unconscious bias training with an experienced trainer approved by the Bar Council.

Only clerks and members who have undergone approved equality and diversity training are permitted to allocate unassigned work. Allocation data is recorded and scrutinised by the management committee at each monthly meeting and at least annually by the equality and diversity officers who deal with any concerns and report to the chambers’ AGM.

We are signed up to Chambers UK Diversity and Inclusion Charter, a global initiative to promote a diverse and inclusive legal profession.

£75,000, with the option of drawing down £18,750 in the year prior to pupillage.