Chambers offers at least one 12-month pupillage each year.

The current pupillage award is £75,000. That includes £25,000 which may be drawn down by the successful applicant during their Barrister Training Course year. Any successful new tenant will also be awarded £1,000 towards set up costs. Chambers’ policy is to recruit pupils who have demonstrated the potential to become a successful intellectual property barrister. New tenants routinely earn more than the pupillage award in their first year of practice.

During pupillage, pupils will usually sit with four pupil supervisors for three months each. 11 South Square prides itself on the variety of its tenants’ work and so this ensures that pupils get to see as many different areas of chambers’ work as possible. The current pupil supervisors are Anna Edwards-Stuart KC, Kathryn Pickard, Tom Alkin, Chris Aikens, Christopher Hall, David Ivison and Adam Gamsa. During the year, pupils will also have the opportunity to work with members of chambers other than their pupil supervisors.

The idea behind pupillage is to live and breathe your pupil supervisor’s practice. Pupils sit in their pupil supervisor’s room, attend their conferences and court hearings and draft pleadings, opinions and skeleton arguments for their pupil supervisor’s cases. We believe that this is the best training for a successful IP barrister and most likely to enable the pupil to attain the knowledge, skills and attributes set out in the Bar Standards Board’s Professional Statement for Barristers.

Oral and written advocacy is a distinctive characteristic of a barrister and, we believe, their most important skill. For that reason, we give our pupils advocacy exercises during the course of the pupillage year in order to measure their progress as an advocate.

Chambers is committed to recruiting the most able pupils regardless of background and is committed to encouraging and fostering greater diversity and equality at the IP bar. Each stage of the pupillage selection process is designed to further this commitment.

All applications should be made through the Pupillage Gateway. There is a minimum academic requirement of at least one grade A at A-level or equivalent (excluding general studies) and a 2:1 at undergraduate degree. Candidates who have not satisfied the minimum academic criteria will only be considered if they have provided an adequate explanation in their application form. There is also a minimum “IP interest/aptitude” requirement, whereby an application form must demonstrate that the candidate has an interest in and aptitude for intellectual property law.

The selection process typically involves three stages: (1) application form, (2) written assessment and (3) interview(s).

The majority of successful pupils have a science degree or equivalent qualification or experience. This is not a minimum criterion. Indeed, many of the most successful IP barristers (and judges) do not have science degrees. However, experience or academic study in science or technology is an excellent way to demonstrate an aptitude for the technical subject matter involved in many patent cases and so it will be taken into account by chambers when selecting pupils. Most importantly, we are looking for candidates with a sharp mind and an aptitude for complex, technical subject matter. They should be capable of independent thought and expressing their views articulately and persuasively.

Chambers is committed to fulfil its duty to make reasonable adjustments where necessary in order to enable a disabled person to be recruited as a pupil or probationary tenant. There may also be circumstances where adjustments to normal practices may be appropriate to assist people who are not disabled but otherwise have particular difficulties or needs. Inquiries as to, or requests for, reasonable adjustments should be made in the first instance to the Senior Clerk, Ashley Carr.

All applications for pupillage will be treated confidentially.