Pupillage survey open for prospective pupils to share experiences on route to qualifying

Beyond Compliance Limited and Clerksroom launched an anonymous survey last month, which aims to acquire details from prospective pupils regarding their experiences, and offer them the chance to share their thoughts on the training and qualifying processes at the Bar, as well as the current challenges surrounding pupillage. The survey remains open for pupils to anonymously complete.

The launch of the survey followed the publication of a recent paper that explored the possibility of the barrister apprenticeship pathway. The paper concluded that “the apprenticeship route is viable option to qualifying as a barrister” while also addressing “some of the current issues faced by the Bar when it comes to qualification routes”.

Find out more about the apprenticeship route into law via LawCareers.Net.

The Bar Standards Board, the Bar and education providers would need to work together to make such a route to pupillage happen.

Michaela Hardwick, solicitor and managing director of Beyond Compliance Limited and regulatory compliance officer and pupillage coordinator at Clerksroom, and Chelsea Sparks, compliance consultant at Beyond Compliance Limited and practising pupil barrister at Clerksroom, explained that securing pupillage was a challenge. However, they also said that those who had completed or were in the process of completing the training components of the Bar were gaining regular and valuable work experience. This experience enables candidates to develop the skills required to develop and demonstrate the competences in the Barrister Professional Statement, according to Michaela.

The experience that prospective pupils undertake could form part of a barrister apprenticeship pathway. The survey aims to gain data to determine the scope of the work, which will enable informed and collaborative discussions to take place in order to find a solution to the pupillage crisis.

Managing director of Clerksroom and the driving force being the Pupillage Academy Stephen Ward said: “I really hope that the various papers we have published – and now the survey – will at the very least, make sure that there are some open and honest discussions about the pupillage crisis and that all of the different stakeholders will be prepared to come forward and work with us to develop solutions.”

Prospective pupils can access the survey via Beyond Compliance Limited.

Interested in a career as a barrister? Head to LCN’s Barrister hub to find out all you need to know about qualifying.