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Pupillage at Richmond Chambers

Each pupillage is an employed pupillage, full time and for twelve months. During the twelve months each pupil will be allocated to one or more pupil supervisors, but our pupils also have regular opportunities to work for other members of Chambers.

Pupils see a wide range of private client immigration law work including applications, appeals and judicial reviews involving investment migration, business migration, family migration, skilled worker migration, EEA free movement, nationality, human rights and asylum. Our focus on direct access work means that pupils can expect daily client contact.

The pupillage year is structured into two six month periods. The first six months (non–practising period) is spent collaborating on a wide range of applications and appeals across all areas of personal and business immigration law, often involving complex and novel points of law. In the second six months (practising period), learning through experience continues, but the reputation of Richmond Chambers is such that our pupils can also expect to be briefed by both solicitors and members of the public in their own right.

We are committed to providing our pupils with high quality, relevant training. Our barristers provide regular feedback to our pupils in relation to all work undertaken under their supervision and we hold monthly in-house advocacy training. We also go beyond the Bar Council’s training requirements and provide the additional training that we deem necessary for a successful direct access practice.

We believe that pupillage should be about learning and gaining experience. Richmond Chambers’ pupils are not required to undertake any competitive advocacy exercises or complete any formal assessments. Nor do we require our pupils to compete against each other. We evaluate each person individually based on merit.

We are committed to recruiting new members from our pupils, after evaluation against our standards of excellence. Our recruitment and training processes are such that in the last 3 years all pupils have been offered and accepted membership of chambers at the end of their pupillage. We continue to support our new members in the early years of practice.

We offer each pupil an annual salary package plus a comprehensive benefits package, including 20 days paid holiday (plus 8 bank holidays), interest free travel loan, expenses (including practising certificate fee), funding of compulsory pupillage courses required by the Bar Standards Board, funding of CPD courses, access to our Chambers pension scheme and other benefits in kind. Both salary and benefits can be expected to increase substantially upon successful completion of pupillage.

“During my time at Richmond Chambers, I’ve been exposed to just about every area of immigration law, from bail, asylum and human rights cases through to advising multinational companies on the finer points of business migration. It’s been a lot to take in, but I’ve felt incredibly well-supported by some fantastic supervisors, who’ve always been on hand to talk me through each challenge, and to give detailed, positive and constructive feedback. I’ve worked with almost all the barristers in chambers, and have learned a huge amount from seeing how they approach their practices to deliver outstanding results for their clients. There’s a welcoming and friendly atmosphere in chambers, which creates not only a real sense of mutual professional support, but also a motivating, dynamic and enjoyable work environment.” Thomas Hill, Pupil Barrister.

Life After Pupillage

We do expect high standards from our pupils and barristers.  However, all pupils who reach the high standards that we set for ourselves will benefit from the security of an employed position upon successful completion of pupillage.

Compensation packages can be tailored to individual needs and circumstances, but our newly qualified barristers typically enjoy the following:

• Competitive and guaranteed basic salary paid monthly
• Additional monthly salary payment based on receipts
• 30 days paid holiday per year, plus bank holidays
• Unlimited unpaid leave
• Convenient central London location
• Flexible, home and remote working
• Generous maternity leave (including 6 months full pay)
• Paternity and parental leave
• No aged debt
• No chambers rent
• Practising certificate
• Professional insurance
• Bespoke professional development and training
• Online subscriptions to ILPA, EIN and Free Movement
• Private health insurance
• Pension scheme
• Wellbeing and discounts app
• A new Apple MacBook
• Collaborative and supportive work environment
• Exposure to high-profile and challenging immigration cases
• Opportunity to work with a diverse range of clients
• Flexibility to shape your own immigration practice

Who Should Apply?

We look for pupils with excellent academic ability and a high level of motivation.

Applicants must have at least a 2:1 degree, and in addition demonstrate a commitment to the Bar, an impressive academic or employment history, and an interest in our specialist area of work.

Our successful candidates tend to be confident, articulate and interesting individuals with the right aptitude for working directly with members of the public.

Neither undertaking a mini-pupillage with us or employment as a legal associate are prerequisites for a successful pupillage application.  Applicants are encouraged to refer to our Pupillage Selection Criteria.

“For an aspiring immigration barrister such as myself, there could have been no better choice for pupillage than Richmond Chambers. The opportunity to delve deeply into all aspects of immigration law alongside expert practitioners in the field is unparalleled and ensures an excellent training ground for budding immigration barristers. Upon joining, it became apparent to me that chambers’ unique collegial atmosphere is not simply welcoming and motivational – the thorough exchange of thoughts and ideas amongst the set’s barristers is key to the high standard of legal services it offers.” Alex Papasotiriou, Immigration Barrister

Equality and Diversity

We encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds, regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, marital status, religion or belief, or disability.

If you have any questions, please contact our HR Manager, Nancy Holland, at nancy.holland@richmondchambers.com