Why should I apply for pupillage at Thirty Nine Essex Street?
Thirty Nine Essex Street offers a challenging and rewarding place in which to do pupillage. Some of the challenges and some of the rewards are outlined below, but we believe perhaps the best person to explain them is a recent pupil, whose experiences can be read by clicking here.
We hope that you have already taken, or will take, time to explore other areas of our site, and to see the areas of work in which we specialise. If you have not done so, the drop down menus above will take you directly to our main practice areas.
We offer a unique mix of public and private law expertise. As the legal directories have often commented, this is one of Chambers' greatest strengths, and we structure pupillage so that our pupils gain experience during their time with us of both public and private law.
Our pupillage supervisors are drawn from across the range of practice areas, and the opportunity to sit with four supervisors in the course of a twelve month pupillage gives our pupils the opportunity not only to follow four very different personalities but experience four very different areas of law. As our pupillage supervisors are leading figures in the fields in which they practise, sitting with them gives our pupils access to some of the most important cases of the moment.
We also ensure that our pupils are given the opportunity not just to experience the professional life of a barrister vicariously but also to practise in their own right in their second six months. Our pupils are briefed in their own name on county court matters and interim applications in their second six months, and the experience that they gain thereby is invaluable. Our pupils keep any earnings they make in the second six, and do not have to pay the normal Chambers contribution upon such earnings.
We expect a great deal of our pupils. In return, we expect that they should be suitably compensated, and offer a generous pupillage award. Click here for more details of the criteria we apply.
We pride ourselves on our friendliness and approachability as a Chambers, and we believe that this attitude is reflected in the experience of our pupils. Moreover, while our pupils work hard during the day, we do not expect them to work late into the night or at weekends.
We understand that the tenancy selection procedure is stressful, but we go to great lengths to keep our pupils informed of each stage of the procedure and to ensure that they are prepared as fully as they can be for the selection process. For more details of the process and of life as a pupil generally, click here.
We are very proud of our ability to help those pupils who have not been successful in obtaining tenancy and wish to practise at the Bar obtain either tenancy or third six pupillages in good sets elsewhere.