Pupillage

3PB Barristers is a large national set of chambers with more than 270 barristers practising from seven locations across England. Its barristers act in courts and tribunals across the UK and internationally, with practices spanning a broad range of legal disciplines.

The principal areas of practice include clinical negligence, commercial law, construction and engineering, crime, education, employment and discrimination, family law, intellectual property, mediation, personal injury, property and estates, and public and regulatory law.

3PB aims to recruit four pupils each year. Pupillage vacancies may be based at any of its seven locations, giving successful candidates the opportunity to develop their careers outside London as well as within the capital.

The Pupillage

3PB's pupillage is a 12-month programme designed to provide intensive practical training and advocacy experience before qualification as a barrister.

Pupils work with different supervisors during the year and are exposed to a broad range of work. The programme combines supervised casework, court experience, advocacy training, written work and structured feedback.

The first six months focus heavily on observation, research, drafting and developing the fundamental skills required for practice. Pupils observe their supervisors and other members of Chambers in court and gain experience of different types of hearings and legal work.

During the second six, pupils take on increasing responsibility and undertake their own work under appropriate supervision. This includes court work, preparation of hearing notes and other work for instructing solicitors and clients.

3PB's pupillage materials also describe opportunities for pupils to undertake marshalling with members of the judiciary, participate in internal advocacy exercises and experience work across different 3PB centres.

Training and Advocacy

Advocacy is a central part of the 3PB pupillage programme.

Pupils have access to internal advocacy exercises and compulsory training days throughout the year. The programme is designed to develop practical advocacy skills alongside legal analysis, drafting and case preparation.

Pupils receive structured feedback throughout pupillage, including through 3PB's traffic-light feedback system. This provides pupils with an ongoing indication of their progress and areas requiring further development.

The training programme also includes IT training and support, internal education days and other practical training designed to prepare pupils for independent practice.

Practical Experience

Pupils are given substantial exposure to real legal work.

As the year progresses, pupils can expect increasing amounts of court work and responsibility for their own paperwork. The fourth quarter of the programme, for example, can involve significant court work, including up to six days every fortnight, together with continued work for other members of Chambers.

Pupils may also undertake hearing notes for instructing clients, prepare their applications for tenancy and complete their pupillage files.

The programme is intended to give pupils a realistic understanding of life as a practising barrister and to develop the ability to manage a caseload, meet deadlines and work effectively with solicitors, clients, clerks and other professionals.

Areas of Practice

3PB offers a particularly broad range of specialist practice areas. Pupillage opportunities may therefore be focused on particular areas of law rather than providing a completely general common law experience.

Current areas of practice include:

Clinical Negligence: Claims involving medical treatment, healthcare and professional negligence.

Commercial: Commercial disputes and advisory work involving businesses and organisations.

Construction and Engineering: Construction disputes, engineering matters and related litigation and advisory work.

Crime and Regulatory Crime: Criminal defence and regulatory criminal work.

Education: Education law and disputes involving schools, colleges, universities and other education providers.

Employment and Discrimination: Employment disputes, discrimination claims and related advisory work.

Family: Family disputes and associated proceedings.

Intellectual Property: Intellectual property disputes and advisory work.

Personal Injury: Claims involving personal injury and associated litigation.

Property and Estates: Property disputes, land-related matters and estates work.

Public and Regulatory: Public law, regulatory disputes and related advisory work.

Mediation: Dispute resolution and mediation.

The particular practice area offered will depend on the pupillage vacancy available for the relevant intake. 3PB's recent 2026 intake, for example, included pupillages focused on personal injury and clinical negligence, property and real estate, commercial disputes, family, crime and regulatory crime.

Locations

Pupillage vacancies may be offered at any of 3PB's seven locations:

London

Birmingham

Bournemouth

Bristol

Manchester

Oxford

Winchester

Candidates can indicate their location preferences during the recruitment process. However, a preferred location cannot be guaranteed. 3PB aims to be as flexible as possible when allocating pupils.

Pupillage Award and Benefits

3PB's published pupillage information provides a remuneration package worth at least £77,000, comprising a £60,000 pupillage award together with benefits valued at approximately £17,000. The published package states that 50% of the award is paid over the 12 months of pupillage and 50% is guaranteed earnings during the second six.

The remuneration package is subject to change, so candidates should check the latest information applicable to the relevant intake.

The benefits package includes:

• Free travel expenses, subject to applicable restrictions.

• Private medical insurance.

• Training courses covering advocacy, IT and other professional skills.

• Access to LexisNexis PSL+, Lexis+ AI+, Westlaw, Practical Law and Lawtel.

• Microsoft Office 365, including Outlook, OneDrive and Teams.

• IT support.

• Risk and compliance support.

• Marketing and profile development assistance.

• Diary management support.

• Financial management tools.

• Access to independent financial advisers.

• Perkbox membership.

• Discounted rates for IT equipment and software.

3PB also states that pupils do not have to pay Chambers from their earnings during pupillage.

What 3PB Looks For

3PB's recruitment process is designed to identify candidates who have the potential to develop into successful barristers within a large, multidisciplinary national set.

Candidates should demonstrate strong intellectual ability, analytical skills and written and oral advocacy potential. The ability to communicate clearly, analyse legal problems and present persuasive arguments is particularly important for a career at the Bar.

Applicants should also be able to demonstrate commitment to the areas of law in which they are applying and an understanding of the work undertaken by 3PB.

The Chambers encourages candidates to demonstrate their individual experiences and strengths rather than attempting to fit a predetermined profile.

Academic Requirements

3PB indicates that, unless a candidate has exceptional additional evidence, applicants are unlikely to be selected for interview unless they have obtained their first degree by the relevant stage of the recruitment process.

Candidates should therefore ensure that their academic record and other evidence demonstrate their ability to undertake the demanding intellectual and analytical work required during pupillage.

Application Process

Applications for pupillage are made exclusively through the Pupillage Gateway.

3PB does not accept direct applications for its standard pupillage recruitment process. The Chambers normally uses the Gateway recruitment timetable, with applications opening in January for the relevant intake.

For the 2028 intake, the application window is listed as opening on 4 January 2027 and closing on 28 January 2027. Candidates should submit their application before the Gateway deadline because late applications will not be considered through the normal recruitment process.

Mini-Pupillage

3PB also offers mini-pupillages for candidates who want to experience life at Chambers before applying for pupillage.

Mini-pupillages provide exposure to the work of practising barristers, including court hearings, conferences with clients and instructing solicitors, and legal drafting. They also provide an opportunity to meet members of Chambers and ask questions about life at the Bar.

Mini-pupillages are not assessed and are separate from the standard pupillage recruitment assessment. 3PB makes clear that obtaining or being refused a mini-pupillage does not determine the outcome of a subsequent pupillage application.

The mini-pupillage programme is selective, and applicants must have reached at least the first year of an undergraduate degree and explain why a mini-pupillage would assist them. Applications are considered on a monthly basis when the programme is open.

Pupillage Open Evening

3PB also runs a pupillage open evening for prospective applicants.

For 2026, the event is being held in London, Birmingham and Bristol, with a virtual Teams option. The event gives prospective applicants an opportunity to learn more about pupillage, meet members of Chambers and hear about the experience of current and former pupils.

The 2026 events are scheduled for 17 November 2026 in Bristol and online and 19 November 2026 in London and Birmingham.

Career Progression and Tenancy

3PB's pupillage is intended to provide the training and experience necessary for a successful career as a practising barrister.

Pupils receive support with tenancy applications throughout the programme. The training structure, regular feedback and advocacy exercises are designed to help pupils develop the skills and experience required to progress from pupillage into independent practice.

3PB also offers opportunities for barristers to develop practices across its national network of offices.

Third Six Pupillage

3PB separately accepts applications for third six pupillages.

Third six pupils are fully supervised and assessed. Chambers aims to recruit third six pupils of a calibre that could be considered for tenancy at the end of their pupillage, although tenancy is not guaranteed.

Applications for third six pupillage are made separately from the standard Gateway pupillage process and should identify the applicant's preferred practice group and location.

Application Deadline

Applications for the 3PB Barristers Pupillage 2028 are expected to open through the Pupillage Gateway on:

4 January 2027

The application deadline is:

28 January 2027

3PB accepts applications for its standard pupillage recruitment only through the Pupillage Gateway.