Pupillage

Blackstone Chambers is a leading set of barristers specialising in commercial, public and human rights, employment, EU and competition, and public international law, together with specialist areas including financial services, tax, sport, media and entertainment, and telecommunications.

The breadth of Chambers' practice means that members act in disputes and advisory matters across a wide range of legal and commercial contexts. Its work includes complex commercial litigation, judicial review, human rights cases, employment disputes, competition matters, international disputes and regulatory work.

Blackstone also places significant emphasis on advocacy. Members regularly appear in the senior courts, tribunals and international forums, with cases often involving novel or developing areas of law.

The Pupillage

Blackstone Chambers offers a fully non-practising pupillage. The entire year is structured as a period of intensive legal and practical training rather than requiring pupils to build their own practice during the second six.

The pupillage is designed to give pupils a broad grounding in Chambers' work while developing the legal analysis, drafting, advocacy and professional skills required of a junior tenant.

Pupils rotate between four pupil supervisors, with each seat lasting approximately nine weeks. The supervisors are selected to provide exposure to different areas of Chambers' practice and different approaches to legal work.

Pupils work closely with their supervisors and are expected to become involved in the varied work undertaken by them.

Four Seats

The four-seat structure allows pupils to experience a range of practice areas during the year.

Each pupil spends approximately nine weeks with each supervisor. This provides exposure to different types of cases, clients and legal problems and enables pupils to develop a broad understanding of Chambers' work before deciding which areas they may wish to develop as tenants.

Pupils are not required to work for members other than their designated pupil supervisors. The structure therefore allows pupils to receive consistent supervision while still experiencing a wide variety of legal work.

Work Undertaken by Pupils

Pupils are involved in the work of their supervisors throughout the year.

Typical work can include:

• Legal research and analysis.

• Drafting legal notes and advice.

• Preparing pleadings.

• Drafting skeleton arguments.

• Assisting with cases before courts and tribunals.

• Attending court with pupil supervisors.

• Preparing for conferences and hearings.

• Developing arguments in complex commercial, public and regulatory disputes.

The work is designed to expose pupils to the practical realities of life as a barrister. Blackstone aims to ensure that pupils develop both strong legal knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge effectively to real disputes and client problems.

Training Programme

Blackstone invests heavily in its pupillage programme.

The year begins with an induction covering administrative and IT matters and an introduction to Chambers. Pupils also receive dedicated sessions on pleadings and participate in unassessed set work before progressing through the formal assessed programme.

The training programme includes an immersive practical dispute exercise, additional sessions covering issues such as fee negotiation, practice management and ethics, and regular twilight training sessions designed to develop practical legal skills.

Advocacy Training

Advocacy is a significant part of the pupillage programme.

Blackstone operates an advocacy programme throughout the year, allowing pupils to practise oral advocacy and receive feedback from experienced barristers.

The aim is to develop the ability to present arguments clearly and persuasively, respond to questions, deal with opposing arguments and exercise appropriate judgment in an advocacy setting.

Pupils also complete assessed work during the year, which forms part of the overall assessment for tenancy.

Assessed Work

Pupils complete four pieces of assessed set work during pupillage.

These assessments are used as part of the tenancy decision-making process and provide pupils with opportunities to demonstrate their legal analysis, written communication and practical legal skills.

The assessment process runs alongside the training programme, allowing pupils to receive feedback and develop their abilities throughout the year rather than relying solely on a final assessment.

Core Practice Areas

Blackstone's practice covers a broad range of specialist areas.

Commercial

Commercial work includes business and financial disputes and related advisory work. Members act for individuals, companies, government bodies and regulators in matters involving complex contractual, corporate and financial issues.

The practice includes arbitration, banking and financial services, contract disputes, company law, civil fraud, insolvency, insurance and reinsurance, partnership, professional negligence and sale and carriage of goods.

Commercial disputes frequently have an international dimension, including questions concerning jurisdiction, applicable law and international arbitration.

Public Law and Human Rights

Members undertake public law and human rights work involving individuals, companies, regulators and public bodies.

The practice includes judicial review, freedom of expression, immigration, education, planning, housing, local government and constitutional issues.

Blackstone also has particular strength in matters where public law and commercial considerations overlap, including regulatory disputes.

Employment

Chambers undertakes contentious employment work for both employers and employees.

Cases include high-value and complex High Court employment disputes, restrictive covenants, injunctions, confidentiality, TUPE, gardening leave, discrimination, equal pay and unfair dismissal.

The practice also includes employment matters before tribunals and other courts.

EU and Competition

Members practise in competition and EU-related disputes, including competition litigation, mergers, jurisdictional issues, free movement, misleading advertising, judicial review and matters before the Competition Appeal Tribunal.

The practice also encompasses competition and regulatory issues arising in highly regulated sectors.

Public International Law

Blackstone's public international law practice includes disputes involving governments, corporations and individuals.

Members have experience in international boundary disputes, state and diplomatic immunity, international human rights and constitutional matters. They appear before international courts and arbitration tribunals, including the International Court of Justice and ICSID tribunals.

Other Specialist Areas

Chambers also undertakes significant work in sport, media and entertainment, telecommunications, financial services and tax.

Its sports practice covers areas including broadcasting, contracts, disciplinary matters, employment, image rights, regulation, sponsorship and ticketing. The media and entertainment practice includes disputes involving film, theatre, music, publishing and performers.

The telecommunications practice includes regulatory, public law and competition issues affecting operators, regulators and consumers.

What Blackstone Chambers Looks For

Blackstone assesses candidates against seven principal competencies:

Academic Ability: Strong academic achievement, intellectual ability and evidence of academic excellence.

Analytical Ability: The ability to process substantial quantities of information, distinguish relevant from irrelevant material, identify legal principles and analyse complex arguments.

Effective Communication and Advocacy: Clear and structured communication, persuasive argument, responsiveness and the ability to explain complex legal issues accurately.

Motivation: A realistic understanding of life as a barrister, commitment to the profession and a strong interest in Blackstone and its areas of practice.

Working with Others: The ability to develop effective working relationships, work collaboratively and understand different perspectives.

Resilience and Determination: The ability to remain calm and effective under pressure, deal with disagreement and overcome obstacles.

Ability to Work Independently: Confidence in exercising independent judgment, maintaining motivation and working effectively without constant supervision.

Academic Requirements

Blackstone places considerable weight on academic ability.

Candidates must achieve a minimum academic score before their application can progress. Under the current published scoring system, applicants need at least 9 academic points.

The current academic scoring system awards:

Undergraduate degree: First = 9 points; 2:1 = 7 points; 2:2 = 5 points.

Postgraduate degree: First or Distinction = 2 additional points; Merit = 1 additional point.

Doctorate: 1 additional point.

Exceptional academic ability: Up to 2 additional points.

Rare contextual recruitment: Up to 3 additional points where the contextual recruitment process identifies exceptional potential.

Extenuating circumstances may also be taken into account.

A first degree in law is not required. Blackstone expressly recognises candidates from non-law academic backgrounds.

Contextual Recruitment

Blackstone recruits through the Pupillage Gateway, which incorporates the Rare Contextual Recruitment System.

The system considers applicants' achievements in their wider social, educational and financial context. Applicants are given the opportunity to consent to their information being processed through the contextual recruitment system.

The purpose is to identify candidates with strong potential whose achievements may have been affected by their circumstances and to ensure that recruitment decisions consider candidates fairly.

Recruitment Process

Applications for the September 2028 pupillage intake are made exclusively through the Pupillage Gateway.

Blackstone's published timetable provides a detailed multi-stage process.

Stage 1: Pupillage Gateway Application

The Pupillage Gateway application window opens on 4 January 2027 and closes on 28 January 2027.

Applications are reviewed, scored and ranked by a panel drawn from the Pupillage Committee.

Applicants should use the application to demonstrate the competencies Blackstone considers important, particularly academic ability, analytical ability, communication, advocacy, motivation and resilience.

Stage 2: Timed Written Assessment

Candidates who meet Blackstone's minimum academic criteria are invited to complete a remote written assessment.

For the 2028 recruitment process, the assessment is scheduled for 6 February 2027.

The assessment takes no longer than three hours, with candidates able to choose from three available time slots.

The exercise is designed to provide evidence of candidates' analytical ability and written communication skills, which are considered alongside the Pupillage Gateway application.

Stage 3: First-Stage Interview

Approximately 60 candidates are expected to be invited to first-stage interviews.

The interviews are scheduled to take place between 25 February and 4 March 2027 and last approximately 15 minutes.

The first-stage interview is conducted online and is used to shortlist candidates for mini-pupillage.

Stage 4: Assessed Mini-Pupillage

Candidates who progress from the first interview are invited to undertake a three-day mini-pupillage.

For the 2028 recruitment process, mini-pupillages are scheduled between 15 March and 23 April 2027.

Candidates spend two days sitting with a member of Chambers and one day completing an assessment task.

The assessment task is common to candidates in the relevant application year. Candidates' work is anonymised and formally assessed by a panel of Blackstone barristers.

Stage 5: Final Interview

Up to 12 candidates are expected to progress to the final stage.

Final interviews are scheduled for 4 and 5 May 2027 and are conducted by a panel of members of the Pupillage Committee.

The final stage includes an oral advocacy exercise together with questions about the candidate's application and achievements.

Stage 6: Offers

Pupillage offers are communicated through the Pupillage Gateway on 7 May 2027.

Blackstone normally expects to offer pupillage to four candidates, together with one reserve.

Tenancy

The pupillage year is also an assessment period for tenancy.

Blackstone does not operate a fixed tenancy quota. Pupils may be offered tenancy where they have reached the Chambers' required tenancy standard.

The four assessed pieces of set work form part of the tenancy decision-making process, alongside the wider assessment of a pupil's performance throughout the year.

The approach means that pupils are not competing against an arbitrary fixed number of tenancy places. The relevant question is whether the pupil has demonstrated the standard required to become a Blackstone tenant.

Pupillage Award

For pupils commencing in 2028, Blackstone Chambers offers a pupillage award of £90,000.

Pupils may draw down up to £30,000 during their BPC year.

The award is not reduced where a pupil also obtains financial assistance from their Inn of Court. Blackstone notes that the award may be reviewed during the application process.

Mini-Pupillage

Blackstone's mini-pupillage programme forms an important part of its recruitment process.

Mini-pupils spend three days in Chambers, normally with one or two members. The programme provides candidates with an opportunity to experience Chambers' work and allows Blackstone to assess their aptitude for a career at Chambers.

The final day includes a set piece of work which is common to candidates in the relevant application year. The work is anonymised and formally assessed by a panel of barristers.

For the 2028 recruitment cycle, the assessed mini-pupillage period runs from 15 March to 23 April 2027.

Blackstone also provides financial assistance of up to £250 towards travel and out-of-pocket accommodation expenses for mini-pupils, with additional funding potentially available in exceptional circumstances.

Equality and Diversity

Blackstone is committed to equality of opportunity and aims to increase diversity and inclusion within Chambers and at the Bar.

Candidates for pupillage and tenancy are assessed on merit. Chambers also provides reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process to reduce or remove disadvantages experienced by applicants with disabilities.

Adjustments may include alternative formats, accessible venues and additional preparation or assessment time where appropriate.

Pupillage Information Events

Blackstone provides information events and webinars for prospective applicants.

For the 2028 recruitment cycle, scheduled events include an in-person Pupillage Information Evening on 25 November 2026, an online webinar on 8 December 2026, and a further online webinar on 14 January 2027.

These events provide prospective applicants with an opportunity to learn more about the application process, pupillage and life as a junior barrister at Blackstone.

Application Deadline

The application deadline for Blackstone Chambers Pupillage 2028 is:

28 January 2027

The Pupillage Gateway application window opens on 4 January 2027.

The subsequent recruitment timetable includes the written assessment on 6 February, first-stage interviews from 25 February to 4 March, assessed mini-pupillages from 15 March to 23 April, final interviews on 4 and 5 May, and offers on 7 May 2027.

How to Apply

Applications must be made through the Pupillage Gateway.

Candidates should familiarise themselves with Blackstone's published selection criteria and ensure that their application demonstrates the qualities sought by Chambers, particularly exceptional academic ability, analytical ability, effective communication and advocacy, resilience, independent judgment and a genuine commitment to the Commercial and Public Bars.