Pupillage

Hailsham Chambers is a specialist set based in London with leading practices in professional liability, medical law and costs, together with established expertise in regulatory and disciplinary work, personal injury and commercial disputes.

Pupils work on high-quality cases with practitioners who specialise in these areas. The training programme combines substantive legal work with structured advocacy training and ongoing assessment, with a particular emphasis on professional liability and medical law.

Hailsham also places considerable emphasis on a supportive working environment. Pupils are mentored throughout their pupillage and are encouraged to become involved in the wider life of Chambers.

The Pupillage

Hailsham recruits two pupils each year through the Pupillage Gateway.

The 12-month pupillage is normally divided into three seats. The first six months are split between two supervisors, with each pupil spending approximately three months with each supervisor. The second six months are spent with a third supervisor. Joint supervision may occasionally be arranged where this provides better exposure to Chambers' practice.

The first two seats concentrate particularly on professional negligence and clinical negligence, which are Hailsham's two principal practice areas. The third supervisor then seeks to fill any remaining gaps in the pupil's training while ensuring that the pupil completes assessed written work for senior members of Chambers.

Pupils are evaluated individually rather than competing against each other. Hailsham's stated aim is to offer tenancy to every pupil who reaches the required standard.

Practice Areas

Hailsham's principal areas of practice include:

Professional Liability: Claims and disputes involving professional advisers and other professionals.

Medical Law and Clinical Negligence: Complex claims arising from medical treatment and healthcare provision.

Costs and Litigation Funding: Disputes concerning legal costs, funding and related issues.

Regulatory and Disciplinary: Professional discipline and regulatory matters.

Personal Injury: Claims arising from accidents and other causes of personal injury.

Commercial Disputes: Commercial litigation and related disputes.

Alternative Dispute Resolution: Mediation and other forms of dispute resolution.

The pupillage programme prioritises professional negligence and clinical negligence, although pupils may gain exposure to related areas such as costs and insurance coverage depending on their supervisors' practices.

First Six Months

The first six months are divided between two supervisors.

Pupils receive structured training in professional negligence and clinical negligence and undertake work arising from their supervisors' practices. They are expected to develop the core skills required for practice, including legal research, analysis, drafting and case preparation.

Pupils also attend court with junior members of Chambers during the first six months. This gives them an early understanding of the type of cases and advocacy they are likely to undertake during their practising second six.

Each seat concludes with an appraisal between the pupil and supervisor. A checklist is also used to ensure that pupils develop the key skills required in both principal practice areas.

Second Six

The second six is the practising period of pupillage.

Pupils begin taking on their own cases while continuing to work for their supervisor and other members of Chambers. The work is carefully managed so that pupils can gain court experience without losing the opportunity to continue their substantive training in professional and clinical negligence.

Pupils also complete assessed written work for senior members of Chambers. This work forms part of the assessment process leading to the tenancy decision.

Advocacy Training

Hailsham provides a structured advocacy programme before pupils begin undertaking their own court work.

The programme consists of approximately ten advocacy sessions, generally led by a junior member of Chambers of around five years' call. The sessions cover areas including witness handling and applications.

Pupils practise making submissions and cross-examining witnesses and receive feedback after each session. The training is informal and unassessed, but is designed to prepare pupils for two formal advocacy assessments during the second six.

Assessment and Feedback

Assessment continues throughout the year.

Supervisors provide feedback on individual pieces of work during each seat. There is a formal appraisal at the end of each seat, with a further appraisal before the tenancy decision during the third seat.

The Head of Pupillage also meets each pupil at the end of every seat to discuss progress, identify areas for improvement and review the overall pupillage experience. From around February or March, pupils begin completing written work for members other than their supervisor and receive feedback on each piece.

Formal assessments are conducted against the competencies contained in the Bar Standards Board Professional Statement. At least two advocacy exercises are formally assessed. The advocacy assessments, supervisor reports and reports from other members for whom pupils have undertaken written work form the basis of the tenancy decision.

What Hailsham Looks For

Hailsham selects pupils using five principal criteria:

Analytical and intellectual ability: Candidates need to demonstrate the ability to understand, analyse and resolve complex legal and factual problems.

Communication and advocacy: Candidates should communicate clearly and demonstrate potential to become effective advocates.

Judgment and practical awareness: Chambers looks for candidates who can exercise sound judgment and understand the practical implications of legal advice and litigation.

Potential to become a successful Hailsham barrister: Candidates should demonstrate a genuine interest in Chambers' work and the potential to build a practice in its specialist areas.

Motivation: Candidates need to demonstrate the determination and commitment required for a career at the Bar.

Hailsham recognises that candidates will be at different stages of their legal education. The Chambers therefore places emphasis on ability and potential, recognising that pupillage itself is a period of professional training.

Training and Support

Pupils are given substantial contact with members throughout the year.

Each pupil is assigned a junior barrister mentor, providing an additional source of advice and support outside the supervisory relationship. Pupils can also attend court with junior members and participate in advocacy training led by junior barristers.

Pupils generally sit with their supervisors rather than being placed in a separate pupils' room. This gives them regular contact with their supervisors and other members of Chambers.

Hailsham also recognises the importance of flexibility. Pupils are generally expected to spend at least four days a week in Chambers, although supervisors discuss home-working arrangements individually. Reasonable adjustments are made where required, including for disabled pupils.

Pupillage Award and Financial Support

For pupillage commencing in September 2027, Hailsham currently publishes an award of £85,000.

This includes £20,000 of guaranteed billed earnings during the second six months. If a pupil bills less than £20,000 during the second six for any reason, Chambers makes up the difference. Pupils retain earnings above the £20,000 guaranteed amount.

Pupils can draw down up to £15,000 of the award during the Bar Training Course year.

The published pupillage award is intended to cover the costs of pupillage, including compulsory courses, a laptop where required, travel and subsistence.

The £85,000 figure is the latest published award for the September 2027 intake and should therefore be checked against the final 2028 vacancy before being described as the confirmed 2028 package.

Tenancy

The tenancy decision is generally made at the start of July.

Pupils are not placed in competition with one another. Hailsham's stated aim is to recruit its pupils as tenants provided they reach the required standard. The Chambers has an established record of recruiting tenants from its own pupils.

The tenancy decision takes account of the pupil's advocacy assessments, formal supervisor reports and written work undertaken for other members of Chambers.

If a pupil is not expected to reach the required standard, the issue should be discussed well before the tenancy decision. Hailsham also provides support to pupils who need to seek a third six elsewhere, including assistance with applications and references from supervisors.

Prospects After Pupillage

Junior tenants undertake specialist work in Chambers' core areas alongside more general court work.

Hailsham encourages new tenants to undertake substantial advocacy during their early years of practice so that they can develop their courtroom skills. Junior tenants can specialise relatively early while continuing to build a broader practice.

Hailsham currently estimates that junior tenants earn approximately £80,000 to £90,000 in their first year of practice, before expenses and tax, although individual earnings vary and some junior tenants earn considerably more.

Equality and Diversity

Hailsham seeks to recruit from the widest possible pool of talent and expressly welcomes applications regardless of background or protected characteristics.

The Chambers recognises the historical under-representation of various groups at the Bar and is committed to improving diversity within Chambers. It follows the Bar Council's policies on equal opportunity and non-discrimination and maintains an equality and diversity policy.

Reasonable adjustments are available during recruitment and pupillage where required.

Mini-Pupillage

Hailsham runs a mini-pupillage programme for prospective applicants. The 2026 mini-pupillage programme has closed, with information about the 2027 programme to be published nearer the time.

Mini-pupillage provides an opportunity to gain an insight into Chambers' work and meet practising members before applying for pupillage.

A mini-pupillage is not stated to be a prerequisite for the pupillage application, and candidates should check the 2027 programme information when it is published for eligibility and application dates.

Application Process

Hailsham recruits pupils through the Pupillage Gateway.

For the 2028 pupillage cycle, the national Gateway application window opens at 11:00am on 4 January 2027 and closes at 11:59pm on 28 January 2027. Applications cannot be submitted or amended after the closing time and extensions will not be granted. Offers are scheduled to be made on 7 May 2027 at 9:30am.

The current Hailsham pupillage policy states that its application form includes a written problem question, which plays an important role in identifying candidates invited to interview. Subject to Chambers' discretion, there is usually one interview.

The precise 2028 application questions and interview arrangements should be checked once the 2028 Gateway vacancy is published.

Application Deadline

The application deadline for Hailsham Chambers Pupillage 2028 is:

28 January 2027 at 11:59pm

Applications open on 4 January 2027 at 11:00am through the Pupillage Gateway.

How to Apply

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

Applicants should demonstrate strong analytical and intellectual ability, clear communication and advocacy potential, sound judgment, practical awareness, motivation and a genuine interest in Hailsham's professional liability, medical law and related practice.