Pupillage

Twenty Essex is a leading set specialising in commercial and public international law. Its barristers work on complex disputes and advisory matters across areas including arbitration, banking and financial services, commodities and international trade, energy and infrastructure, insolvency and restructuring, insurance, shipping, technology and public international law.

Pupillage at Twenty Essex is designed as a structured training programme rather than simply an assessment period. Chambers places particular emphasis on teaching pupils the skills required to become successful junior barristers, while providing a friendly and supportive working environment.

The Pupillage

Pupils work with four supervisors during the year, spending approximately three months with each supervisor. At the end of each seat, pupils receive a detailed appraisal and targets are set for the following three months.

Pupils initially work mainly for their supervisors before gradually undertaking work for other barristers across Chambers. This allows pupils to experience different areas of practice and work with barristers at different levels of seniority.

Twenty Essex also operates a mentor and buddy system, with two junior members available to provide informal support to each pupil.

Training and Development

Training is a central part of the pupillage. Chambers states that it does not just test, but teaches, with structured training provided before pupils undertake assessed exercises.

Pupils receive training in areas including advocacy, remote hearings, negotiation, document presentation, cyber security and ethics, together with focused training on key areas of law.

Pupils also meet members of the Practice Management and Marketing Teams and the CEO during the year to develop skills in practice management and business development.

What Twenty Essex Looks For

Twenty Essex seeks candidates with outstanding intellectual ability who are interested in commercial and public international law and have the potential to develop successful practices at the Bar.

The selection criteria include:

Legal ability, intelligence and analytical skills: Candidates should demonstrate strong legal understanding, research ability, commercial awareness, judgement and the ability to analyse complex facts and law.

Advocacy and communication: Candidates should be able to communicate clearly and persuasively in both written and oral form and adapt their approach to different audiences.

Practice management: Candidates should demonstrate motivation, organisation, self-reliance and an interest in developing a successful practice.

Working with others: Teamwork, interpersonal skills and the ability to build confidence with colleagues, lawyers and clients are important.

Personal and professional standards: Chambers looks for honesty, integrity, independence, courage and respect for professional standards and diversity.

Twenty Essex welcomes applicants with law and non-law degrees, as well as candidates who are changing careers.

Application Process

Applications are made through the Pupillage Gateway. Applications normally open in January and close at the beginning of February.

Applications are reviewed by at least two members of Chambers and are assessed against the published selection criteria. The process also takes account of performance during any Twenty Essex mini-pupillage and contextual recruitment information.

Twenty Essex normally invites approximately 20 to 25 candidates to interview. Shortlisted candidates complete a written exercise during the week before their interview. The exercise has a strict three-page limit and must be completed within one working day. It is designed to assess candidates' ability to analyse and present arguments rather than their knowledge of particular cases.

The interview lasts approximately 30 minutes and involves discussion of a written problem alongside questions covering the selection criteria.

Mini-Pupillage Requirement

Twenty Essex only interviews pupillage candidates who have completed or been offered a mini-pupillage at Chambers. Candidates considering applying for pupillage should therefore consider applying for a mini-pupillage in advance.

Chambers continues to offer mini-pupillages and provides flexibility around dates, length and virtual attendance where appropriate.

Pupillage Award and Benefits

The current pupillage award is £90,000. Up to £30,000 can be drawn down during the year before pupillage.

The remainder is paid monthly, with two-thirds paid during the first six months and one-third during the second six months. Pupils receive 23 days' holiday, a laptop and payment of compulsory courses. Chambers also pays travel expenses for court and arbitration.

Twenty Essex also provides reasonable adjustments for candidates and pupils and applies its parental leave arrangements to pupils.

Work-Life Balance

Twenty Essex places particular emphasis on maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Chambers states that pupillage is not intended to be a test of endurance and that pupils are expected to work hard during normal working hours without routinely working late, at weekends or taking work home.

Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that pupils receive a manageable workload during the working week.

Tenancy

Twenty Essex does not operate a fixed number of tenancy places. If a pupil reaches the required tenancy standard, Chambers states that the pupil will be offered tenancy.

Tenancy decisions are made at a Chambers meeting in early July. Nearly 90% of pupils over the previous five years have joined Chambers as tenants following pupillage.

New tenants develop broad commercial practices with support from Chambers' practice management team. As an international set, there are also opportunities for international travel, including work connected with Twenty Essex's Singapore chambers and overseas secondments.

Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion are important parts of Twenty Essex's recruitment strategy. Chambers was the first chambers to adopt Rare's Contextual Recruitment System, using contextual information to assess candidates' achievements within their wider circumstances.

Twenty Essex also participates in a range of mentoring and access initiatives designed to support candidates from groups that remain underrepresented at the Bar.

Why Apply?

Pupillage at Twenty Essex offers structured training in a leading commercial and public international law set, with substantial emphasis on teaching, advocacy and professional development.

The combination of a £90,000 award, structured supervision, specialist training, strong work-life balance and a tenancy policy without predetermined numerical limits makes the programme particularly suited to candidates seeking a career in commercial and international practice at the Bar.

How to Apply

Candidates interested in Twenty Essex Pupillage should apply through the Pupillage Gateway during the relevant recruitment window and should ensure that they have completed or been offered a Twenty Essex mini-pupillage before applying.