Pupillage

Serle Court is a leading commercial and Chancery set based at Lincoln's Inn in London. Its barristers act in complex and high-value disputes for private and professional clients in the UK and internationally.

The Chambers' practice covers the full range of commercial Chancery work, with particular strengths in commercial litigation, trusts, offshore disputes, civil fraud, insolvency, property, banking and investment, intellectual property and traditional Chancery matters.

Serle Court has a significant international practice, including substantial work involving offshore jurisdictions and international disputes. Members regularly act in complex cases involving businesses, financial institutions, trustees, private individuals and other professional clients.

The Pupillage

Serle Court offers a 12-month pupillage designed to provide a strong foundation for a career at the Commercial Chancery Bar.

The Chambers currently recruits up to four pupils each year, with a view to offering tenancy to pupils who individually meet the required standard. Serle Court does not treat pupils as being in competition with one another. Each pupil is assessed on individual performance and potential.

Pupils spend the year working with four different supervisors, each normally bringing experience in a different area of practice. This gives pupils exposure to a broad range of commercial and Chancery work and allows them to experience different approaches to legal analysis, drafting, advocacy and client work.

Unlike some Chambers, pupils at Serle Court remain non-practising throughout the 12 months. They shadow practising members rather than taking cases in their own name. The objective is to ensure that pupils are as well prepared as possible before beginning independent practice as tenants.

Real Legal Work

Pupils work on live cases throughout their pupillage.

The work can include legal research, drafting, written advice, pleadings and other litigation documents. Pupils accompany supervisors to hearings and conferences and gain first-hand experience of how complex commercial and Chancery cases are prepared and conducted.

The Chambers' approach is deliberately training-focused. Pupils are given exposure to genuine legal work while receiving frequent feedback from their supervisors.

Advocacy training is also provided. Pupils undertake advocacy exercises before senior members of Chambers, together with other assessments designed to develop practical skills needed for practice at the Bar.

Practice Areas

Serle Court's work is centred on commercial and Chancery law, but members have considerable flexibility to develop particular areas of interest.

Commercial Litigation

Members act in complex commercial disputes involving businesses and individuals. The work can involve contractual disputes, business relationships, financial arrangements and high-value litigation.

Trusts and Estates

The Chambers has a substantial trusts and estates practice, including domestic and international trust disputes and complex questions concerning fiduciary obligations and private wealth.

Offshore and International Disputes

Serle Court has a particularly strong reputation for offshore litigation, including disputes involving trusts, civil fraud and asset recovery. Members regularly act in cases involving international and offshore jurisdictions.

Civil Fraud and Asset Recovery

Members act in complex fraud and asset recovery disputes, including cases involving tracing, injunctions and international enforcement.

Insolvency and Restructuring

The insolvency practice covers disputes involving companies, creditors, office-holders and assets, often overlapping with the Chambers' commercial and property work.

Property

Members advise and act in property disputes, including cases involving commercial property and traditional Chancery issues.

Banking and Investment

The Chambers also has experience in banking, investment and financial disputes, providing pupils with exposure to commercial issues arising from complex financial arrangements.

Intellectual Property

Some members undertake intellectual property disputes and related commercial work, allowing pupils to develop interests beyond the core commercial Chancery practice.

What Serle Court Looks For

Serle Court looks for candidates with the potential to become excellent commercial and Chancery barristers.

The Chambers identifies a number of qualities that it considers particularly important:

Analytical ability: The ability to understand complicated legal and factual problems and identify the important issues.

Practical approach: The ability to apply legal analysis to real-world problems and provide useful advice to clients.

Sound judgment: The ability to weigh competing considerations and reach sensible conclusions.

Client relationships: The ability to communicate effectively and develop strong professional relationships.

Advocacy: The potential to become a persuasive and effective advocate.

Motivation: A clear commitment to a career at the Commercial Chancery Bar.

The Chambers generally requires at least a good 2:1 degree. The degree does not need to be in law, and Serle Court expressly welcomes applications from non-law graduates.

Recruitment Process

Serle Court participates in the Pupillage Gateway, and all pupillage applications must be submitted through the Gateway within the applicable national timetable.

For the October 2028 recruitment cycle, the national Pupillage Gateway timetable 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 at 9:30am. No extensions are available.

Serle Court's application process is designed to assess candidates on a broad range of qualities rather than simply academic results.

Anonymised Application

Applications are anonymised before being reviewed and marked.

The additional questions set by Serle Court on the Gateway application are assessed against the Chambers' published marking scheme. The Chambers has also developed a matrix of attributes that it considers important for successful barristers.

Situational Judgment Test

Applicants are required to complete a short online situational judgment multiple-choice test created by business psychology consultants.

The test is intended to provide additional information about candidates' workplace attributes and decision-making, particularly qualities that may not be captured fully by a traditional written application.

Serle Court states that candidates are not disadvantaged if they perform poorly in the test. The purpose is to provide another way for candidates to demonstrate relevant abilities rather than simply adding another hurdle to the process.

First Interview

Approximately 30 candidates have historically been invited to a first interview.

The first interview normally lasts approximately 35 minutes and is conducted by a panel of three members of Chambers.

The interview is designed to assess the qualities relevant to a career at Serle Court rather than specialist legal knowledge.

Second Interview

Approximately 10 candidates from the first interview progress to a second interview.

The second interview is also conducted by a three-member panel and centres on a mock client conference.

Candidates receive a short problem question and have approximately 40 minutes to consider the problem and prepare their advice. They then participate in a conference lasting approximately 30 minutes, with members of Chambers acting as clients or solicitors.

The exercise tests the candidate's ability to analyse a problem, identify the important issues, communicate advice clearly and respond appropriately to questions.

Neither interview is intended to test detailed legal knowledge. Serle Court specifically designs its interview problems so that they can be answered by someone with limited legal education as well as by someone who has completed a full law degree.

Pupillage Award

The current published Serle Court pupillage award is £85,000.

Up to £25,000 of the award can be drawn down during the year before pupillage begins. This can provide substantial financial support during the Bar training year, in addition to any scholarship received from an Inn of Court.

The first six months of the pupillage award are tax-free under the applicable rules for pupillage awards.

These are Serle Court's current published financial terms. The Chambers has not yet published a separate financial package specifically for the October 2028 intake, so the £85,000 figure should be treated as the latest published award rather than a guaranteed 2028 figure.

Support for New Tenants

Serle Court provides financial support to assist new tenants during the early stages of practice.

New tenants receive first-year rent-free arrangements, and Chambers expenses are not payable until earnings exceed £60,000 per year under the current published arrangements.

The Chambers also provides an income guarantee during the first two years of practice to assist with cash flow while a new tenant develops a practice.

Tenancy

Pupillage is offered with a view to tenancy.

Serle Court aims to offer tenancy to pupils who meet its required standards rather than maintaining a fixed competitive quota between pupils. The Chambers currently reports that 15 of its last 18 pupils have stayed on as tenants, while those who wished to continue practising at the Bar but were not retained at Serle Court have subsequently obtained tenancy elsewhere.

This approach means that pupils are encouraged to support one another rather than treating the pupillage year as a competition for a limited number of tenancy places.

Mini-Pupillage

Serle Court offers one-day mini-pupillages to candidates interested in gaining an insight into life at Chambers.

Mini-pupils attend an Open Day, which includes meeting barristers and members of the professional support team, shadowing a barrister during the morning, lunch with members of Chambers, an advocacy demonstration and a closing talk from a senior member.

Mini-pupillages are not formally assessed and are not a requirement for applying for pupillage.

Approximately 30 mini-pupillages are offered each year through two application rounds. Applicants should normally have completed at least the first year of a law degree or one term of the GDL.

Serle Court reimburses reasonable travel expenses and may cover one night's accommodation for candidates who need to travel more than two hours each way and cannot otherwise afford to attend.

The Chambers also operates a reserved mini-pupillage scheme for applicants from groups under-represented at the Bar. Candidates who receive a reserved mini-pupillage and subsequently apply for pupillage in the immediately following recruitment cycle are guaranteed a first-round interview.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Serle Court places significant emphasis on equality, diversity and accessibility in pupillage recruitment.

The Chambers encourages applications from candidates who may have been disadvantaged because of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, disability, age, social background, university background or other factors.

The application process is designed to reduce potential barriers. Applications are anonymised, non-law graduates are welcomed and the interview exercises are designed not to depend on extensive prior legal knowledge.

Working Environment

Serle Court describes itself as a friendly and collaborative Chambers.

The set places emphasis on combining high standards of legal work with a sustainable working environment and supporting members in maintaining their lives outside practice.

Pupils are invited to formal and informal Chambers events and are encouraged to develop relationships with members and staff from the beginning of their pupillage.

Why Apply to Serle Court?

Serle Court offers a specialist route into the Commercial Chancery Bar while maintaining a broad range of commercial and private law work.

The four-supervisor structure exposes pupils to different areas of practice, while the emphasis on live cases means that pupils develop practical legal skills throughout the year.

The Chambers' approach to recruitment is also distinctive. Anonymised applications, a situational judgment test and interviews centred on problem-solving and client communication are intended to assess potential rather than simply reward candidates who already have extensive legal experience.

For candidates interested in commercial litigation, trusts, offshore disputes, civil fraud, insolvency, property and related Chancery work, Serle Court offers a broad training environment with a strong record of retaining pupils.

Application Deadline

Applications for the October 2028 Serle Court pupillage are expected to be made through the Pupillage Gateway in accordance with the national timetable.

Applications open: 4 January 2027 at 11:00am

Application deadline: 28 January 2027 at 11:59pm

Offers: 7 May 2027 at 9:30am

Serle Court has not yet published a separate 2028 vacancy notice. Candidates should check the Chambers' Gateway advertisement when it is published for confirmation of the number of places, financial terms and any 2028-specific application questions.