Pupillage

Cornerstone Barristers is a leading public and regulatory set based at Gray’s Inn in London. Chambers has particular expertise in public law and judicial review, planning and environmental law, housing, licensing, information law, property, commercial and regulatory work, inquests and inquiries, Court of Protection, health and social care, local government and climate litigation.

The set acts for a diverse range of clients, including government departments, local authorities, public bodies, companies, professional organisations, public interest groups and private individuals.

Members appear across the full range of courts and tribunals, including the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. The Chambers also has satellite offices in Birmingham and Cardiff.

Cornerstone has a strong public law and planning practice, with members regularly involved in significant litigation and public inquiries. Recent work has included matters concerning net zero policy, airport expansion, renewable energy projects, accommodation for asylum seekers, planning developments and challenges to government policy.

The Pupillage

Cornerstone offers two 12-month pupillages each year.

Pupillage is designed to provide practical, work-based training under the supervision of experienced barristers. Pupils develop the knowledge, skills and professional attributes required by the Bar Standards Board's Professional Statement for Barristers.

The training is demanding, but Chambers places considerable emphasis on support and supervision. Pupils work closely with their supervisors and also have access to junior and senior members of Chambers throughout the year.

Cornerstone describes Chambers as having a strong collegial atmosphere, with an open-door approach that allows pupils and junior tenants to seek assistance from more experienced members.

Practice Areas

Cornerstone's principal areas of practice include:

Public Law and Judicial Review: Challenges to decisions and policies of public bodies, including complex constitutional, administrative and regulatory disputes.

Planning and Environment: Planning appeals, inquiries, judicial reviews and disputes concerning major development and environmental issues.

Housing: Housing disputes and issues involving local authorities, landlords, tenants and public bodies.

Local Government: Advice and litigation concerning the powers, duties and decision-making of local authorities.

Licensing: Licensing disputes and regulatory matters affecting businesses, public authorities and individuals.

Information Law: Data protection, freedom of information and related information rights.

Property: Property disputes and advisory work, often involving public bodies and local authorities.

Commercial and Regulatory: Commercial disputes and regulatory matters arising in highly regulated sectors.

Inquests and Inquiries: Representation in public inquiries, inquests and investigations involving significant public interest issues.

Court of Protection: Litigation and advisory work involving vulnerable people and issues concerning capacity and welfare.

Health and Social Care: Legal issues affecting healthcare providers, public bodies and individuals.

Climate Litigation: Emerging disputes involving climate policy, environmental regulation and government decision-making.

Work Undertaken by Pupils

Pupils work alongside leading barristers on significant and often complex litigation.

During the first six months, pupils can accompany members to planning inquiries, the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, as well as lower courts and tribunals.

The work is designed to develop strong written and analytical skills. Pupils are expected to undertake legal research, analyse complex factual and legal material and produce high-quality written work.

As pupils progress towards their second six, they spend time with junior members of Chambers and accompany them to court. This provides an understanding of the type of work that junior tenants undertake and prepares pupils for the period when they begin appearing in court themselves.

Pupils may subsequently represent clients in court during their practising second six, under the appropriate supervision and within the scope of their authorisation.

Structure of Pupillage

Pupils sit with at least three pupil supervisors during their first nine months. The supervisors collectively provide exposure to the core areas of practice within Chambers.

Pupils usually have the opportunity to meet their supervisors before starting pupillage. Each pupil shares a room with their supervisor and works closely with them.

The arrangement allows pupils to experience different areas of work and different approaches to advocacy, legal analysis and case preparation.

Before the second six begins, supervisors arrange opportunities for pupils to work alongside junior members of Chambers. This is intended to give pupils a practical understanding of life as a junior tenant before they begin undertaking their own advocacy.

Training and Feedback

Cornerstone's pupillage programme is structured around the professional competencies required of barristers.

Pupils receive oral and written reports from their supervisors during the year. Feedback is also obtained from other members with whom pupils have worked and, where appropriate, from instructing solicitors.

The Pupillage Committee normally meets approximately every two months to review each pupil's progress and consider whether the pupil is developing appropriately.

Pupils are expected to respond constructively to feedback and demonstrate continued improvement in their legal analysis, drafting, advocacy and professional skills.

Advocacy Training

Cornerstone provides dedicated advocacy training during pupillage.

Pupils participate in advocacy exercises designed to allow them to practise their skills against other pupils or junior members of Chambers, often in front of a simulated judge.

The exercises help pupils develop the ability to present arguments clearly, answer questions directly, respond to challenges and defend their position where appropriate.

Advocacy aptitude is also assessed as part of the recruitment process, particularly during the second-round interview.

What Cornerstone Looks For

Cornerstone assesses candidates against six principal areas.

Intellectual Ability

Candidates should be able to understand, analyse and critically evaluate complex information.

Chambers also looks for the ability to judge competing arguments, identify important issues and demonstrate perceptiveness.

Strong academic results are common among successful candidates, but Chambers expressly recognises that academic performance is not the only way to demonstrate intellectual ability. Candidates whose academic record is less strong are encouraged to explain other evidence of their intellectual abilities.

Personal Qualities

Cornerstone looks for candidates who demonstrate:

• Self-reliance.

• Resilience.

• Independence.

• Integrity.

• Reliability.

• The ability to work effectively with others.

The personal qualities criterion is not intended to favour candidates from a particular social or educational background.

Understanding of the Legal Profession

Candidates should demonstrate an understanding of the independent Bar, including the role of barristers within the wider legal profession.

Applicants should also understand the nature of practice in Cornerstone's principal areas and have a realistic appreciation of what is involved in developing a practice as a self-employed barrister.

Interest in Chambers' Work

Candidates should have an accurate understanding of Cornerstone's key specialisms and be able to explain why particular areas interest them.

Interest should be supported by evidence rather than simply expressed as a general preference for public or planning law.

Oral Advocacy Aptitude

Candidates should be able to speak clearly, engagingly and persuasively.

Chambers looks for the ability to answer questions directly, respond to challenges and defend a position where appropriate. At the written application stage, candidates can demonstrate this through extracurricular activities, work experience or previous careers. The interview process provides further evidence of oral advocacy aptitude.

Written Advocacy Aptitude

Candidates should be able to express themselves clearly and accurately in writing, write concisely where appropriate and present persuasive arguments.

Accuracy is particularly important, with Chambers expressly identifying clear writing free from typographical errors as part of its assessment.

Recruitment Process

Cornerstone recruits through the Pupillage Gateway.

The national Gateway timetable for the 2028 intake provides for applications to open on 4 January 2027 at 11:00am and close on 28 January 2027 at 11:59pm. Offers are scheduled for 7 May 2027.

Cornerstone's selection process has three principal stages.

Stage 1: Application and Blind Shortlisting

Applications are reviewed and shortlisted before candidates are invited to interview.

Cornerstone marks applications blind, removing references to the candidate's name, sex, age, school and university.

The application is assessed against the Chambers' published criteria, including intellectual ability, personal qualities, understanding of the legal profession, interest in Chambers' work, oral advocacy aptitude and written advocacy aptitude.

Stage 2: First-Round Interview

Approximately 20 candidates are invited to the first-round interview.

The interview normally lasts around 15 minutes and tends to be general in nature.

The interview provides an opportunity for Chambers to assess the candidate's communication skills, motivation, understanding of the Bar and interest in Cornerstone's work.

Stage 3: Second-Round Interview

Approximately 10 candidates are invited to the second round.

The interview normally lasts around 30 minutes and includes an advocacy exercise and a case analysis exercise.

Candidates are assessed against the same core criteria used throughout the selection process, with particular scope to demonstrate analytical ability, judgment, communication and advocacy.

Application Questions

The most recently published Cornerstone Gateway application included six Chambers-specific questions:

Why do you believe you will make a good barrister?

Why do you want to apply to Cornerstone Barristers?

Which area or areas of practice do you want to specialise in and why?

Identify a time when you found working with others a challenge. Explain how you overcame this.

Please give an example of a time when you had to show resilience.

Should the “no substantial difference” test under section 31(2A) of the Senior Courts Act 1981 be applied differently in planning cases to other public law challenges?

The previous Gateway advert specified a 500-word limit for each question. Candidates should check the final 2028 Gateway advert before relying on these questions, as Chambers may revise them for the new recruitment cycle.

Tenancy

Pupils are automatically considered for tenancy at the conclusion of their pupillage.

Throughout the year, the Pupillage Committee reviews each pupil's progress. Supervisors provide reports and feedback is obtained from other members of Chambers and instructing solicitors where appropriate.

At the final stage, the Pupillage Committee makes a recommendation on whether a tenancy offer should be made. The recommendation is then determined by a vote of the full Chambers.

Importantly, the tenancy decision is based not only on the individual's performance and qualities but also on whether there is a vacancy for a junior tenant at the relevant time.

This differs from sets that expressly operate a policy of offering tenancy to every pupil who reaches a particular objective standard. At Cornerstone, availability of a junior tenancy vacancy is expressly part of the final decision.

Pupillage Award

The most recently published Cornerstone pupillage award is £70,000 per year.

This comprises:

£50,000 basic pupillage award.

£20,000 guaranteed minimum earnings during the second six.

The £70,000 figure was published for pupils commencing in October 2027. The remuneration package for the 2028 intake should therefore be checked against the final Gateway advert before applications are submitted.

Junior Tenant Earnings

Cornerstone's current pupillage information indicates that successful new tenants can expect first-year earnings in the region of £80,000 to £100,000.

The figure is an indication rather than a guaranteed level of income and reflects the self-employed nature of practice at the Bar.

Life at Cornerstone

Cornerstone places significant emphasis on collegiality and support.

Pupils work closely with their supervisors and can seek advice from junior members and more senior barristers. The Chambers operates an informal open-door policy, allowing junior members to discuss difficult cases and legal issues with experienced practitioners.

The Chambers also encourages members to broaden their experience through opportunities such as Pegasus Scholarships and involvement in pro bono work.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Cornerstone is strongly committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.

The Chambers welcomes applications through the Pupillage Gateway from candidates from all backgrounds and particularly encourages applications from groups that have historically been underrepresented at the Bar.

Cornerstone also participates in initiatives designed to improve access to the profession, including a mentoring scheme involving public law and planning sets and the 10,000 Black Interns programme.

The Chambers' recruitment process is designed to minimise unnecessary influence from a candidate's background. The initial pupillage application is marked blind, with identifying information such as name, sex, age, school and university removed.

Mini-Pupillage

Cornerstone offers approximately 20 mini-pupillages each year.

The programme includes a one-day event at Chambers, presentations from members about their areas of practice and a networking lunch. Mini-pupils are also given the opportunity to attend court with a Cornerstone barrister during the year, subject to suitable cases and availability.

Applicants must have completed the first two years of a law degree or have completed, or have a confirmed place on, a GDL conversion course.

The 2026-27 mini-pupillage application cycle opened on 24 August 2026 and closes on 9 October 2026. Chambers expects to notify applicants in November 2026.

Cornerstone has also joined the Inner Temple Pegasus Access and Support Scheme, through which up to three mini-pupillages can be offered with funding available to eligible candidates for travel and accommodation expenses.

Pupillage Open Evening

Cornerstone's annual Pupillage Open Evening provides prospective applicants with an opportunity to learn about the Chambers and its recruitment process.

The 2026 event is scheduled for 25 November 2026 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at Cornerstone Barristers, 2-3 Gray's Inn Square. The evening includes presentations from the Head of Pupillage and current or recent pupils, followed by informal discussions with members and staff.

Application Deadline

The application deadline for Cornerstone Barristers Pupillage 2028 is:

28 January 2027 at 11:59pm

Applications open on 4 January 2027 at 11:00am through the Pupillage Gateway. No applications or amendments can be submitted after the national Gateway deadline.

How to Apply

Candidates should apply through the Pupillage Gateway during the January 2027 application window.

Applicants should research Cornerstone's principal areas of practice carefully and demonstrate a genuine understanding of the independent Bar, the work undertaken by Chambers and the qualities required to develop a successful practice.

The most important distinction for applicants is that Cornerstone's selection process assesses more than academic achievement. The application and interviews consider intellectual ability, personal qualities, understanding of the profession, interest in Chambers' work, written advocacy and oral advocacy.