You will be competing against people who are able to articulate exactly why they want to do the particular work available at a given set so in order to be competitive on this question I think you need a well thought through answer, and not just a line from the website (which was probably written by chambers marketing manager five years ago anyway). If youre unsure how to answer a question, dont panic. The best barristers take criticism in their stride and seek to improve in those areas where they have faced criticism. I find this poor. This helps your audience to follow the train of your reasoning which is how we persuade judges. Also be aware of industry-specific issues that are of no interest to anybody outside the Bar, but of enormous importance inside our bubble. Aspiring barrister uses GDPR regs to secure pupillage interview feedback The old website might have been somewhat mundane but Christ, the old saying the devil you know springs . Tip 2: It can be a daunting experience to be presented in front of a panel of barristers asking questions.So it can be helpful to set yourself at ease. I was so bad because I thought I had the answers in my head, but I had not practised getting them out. This cookie is set by doubleclick.net. Tip 4: Bearing in mind that a pupillage interview is a daunting experience, remind yourself that the panel are people who want you to succeed. I think the best way to prepare for this kind of question is just to read the broadsheet papers and decide what your view is and why. I understand that members of chambers give up their very precious time to sift through applications and conduct interviews, but I do not consider it unreasonable for candidates to expect feedback when they have made it so far through the recruitment process. Answers are more impressive when supported by experience of the Bar and the law. Be prepared, particularly during the second round, for a panel of four or five interviewers, perhaps even more. All will have done debating, mooting and other forms of public speaking. If there are things you want to ask about or things that matter to you, do not be afraid to raise them. You are expressly prohibited from electronically storing any material found here or republishing it by any means. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. If you're about to complete your law degree and want to apply . Do not be overly formal. Presidents of University Law Societies are ten-a-penny. Don't squander a pupillage interview to test out your interview skills. Chambers will expect you to provide details and develop points; they will be put off by vague and unclear answers. Use this as another opportunity to show your enthusiasm and to find out about the kind of work you might be involved in. This information is used to compile report and improve site. Pupillage Interview Questions: Examples | The Lawyer Portal Interview panels are looking for hard evidence that you can handle yourself under pressure. Pupillage Interviews (Part 2): Top Tips from Established Practitioners and Juniors at the Bar, The Do's and Don'ts of Pupillage Applications, TRAINING CONTRACT APPLICATIONS AND WHERE TO START, RESOURCES FOR APPLYING TO Clifford Chance, INFORMATION FOR FOREIGN QUALIFIED LAWYERS, Pupillage Interviews (Part 1): Top Tips from Eight Silks. Registered in England and Wales with Company Number 08037587. You need to know this answer off the top of your head, but practice making it sound spontaneous and sincere. The point of a mock interview is to get an objective assessment of how you come across. You will be nervous before your interviews, and nervous before every court hearing you ever do, for the rest of your career. Pupillage Interviews - Round 2 - Congrapps Having had the privilege of seeing life from both sides of the interview table, I thought Id offer my own, largely worthless musings on the things I have learned. How To Prepare For A Pupillage Interview | Insights | BPP Give yourself a pat on the back because it means you are doing something right. "It is the same for pupillage." Meanwhile, in 2017, Legal Cheek reported that an aspiring barrister had been left "astonished" after chambers asked her to pay a 10 administration fee to obtain feedback. Prepare your answers so that they provide more evidence to the panel of the skills that the chambers is looking for, as set out in that chambers selection criteria which pretty much all sets now publish. Dont rely on the same example for every question, but demonstrate how you have shown intellect, flexibility, determination, teamwork, research skills, oral advocacy, persuasion, and conflict resolution, among other skills. Take a moment to think about the question that you have been asked before answering. 5. Some take a sadistic pleasure in setting you Total Wipeout style obstacle courses at a seconds notice. According to student feedback, the most common exercise is an advocacy test of some description, or a presentation. You can accept or reject cookies which are not essential for the site to work by clicking on the Cookie settings below. The panel may well challenge you on some of your answers. If you answer why you want to be a barrister without mentioning advocacy, imo it raises a red flag. A guide to pupillage interviews - Features Chambers are only able to interview a small minority of applicants. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. There are even UK nationals who secure jobs abroad during the time in-between the BTC and pupillage who are now at a disadvantage. In fact its mostly pretty dull and disappointing. Its boring but it works. But because that is the case, expecting people to be in the same country, let alone close vicinity, that far in . There are a million variables that may influence your chances in any given interview. Have something interesting to say when . I received no response to this email and therefore, sent a further email on 20 May, once again asking for feedback from the panel, and checking they had received my previous correspondence. They are usually unpleasant experiences (I hated them!) Be honest, but ensure that you give clear explanations why you have considered other careers and why you ultimately chose to pursue a career as a barrister. Result Lastly, tell the interview panel about the results of your actions and what those results say about you as a candidate. PDF PUPILLAGE: HOW TO APPLY - The Kalisher Trust Can you think logically and present your arguments succinctly and persuasively? Its also not enough to derail you. Be yourself. So if you really have a question, then this is your opportunity to ask, but do not feel like you have to just for the sake of it. Some questions you could be asked include: This question is asked to assess your advocacy skills and your ability to present a reasoned, logical, compelling and well-structured argument. This is your opportunity to ask questions about how they cover the specific areas of law youre interested in as part of your pupillage, and to ask about the culture and the wider opportunities available to you. These questions arent asked to catch you out, but rather to assess how you would respond on the spot. 1. Make sure you are not going to be making a misstep by suggesting that they do work that they do not do. We dont expect you to know anything about that, but commercial practice more generally). You will need to demonstrate that you can answer without using jargon to ensure that you are fully understood. Chambers websites, and the individual barristers pages on those websites, are good, but online directories will give you an idea which areas those chambers really have their reputation in. Also, talking about social media, all of your social media activity will be looked at as part of your pupillage application. All of the above. Tip 4: Enjoy it. When you are thinking of examples, it is almost inevitable that you will gild the lily slightly. Ask for the question to be repeated and drink some water to give yourself a little time to compose yourself and think about your answer. Receiving an invitation to an interview creates the initial . Used by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. Law-related interview questions are asked to get an understanding of your view on current laws and the challenges facing the legal profession. If you fabricate, we will find you out. Very few people get pupillage on their first application. The short answer is that it isnt possible to keep your nerves wholly in check and nor do you need to. There obviously isnt one solution to this kind of question: the real issue is your mind going blank (Im quite sure mine would). Where are the weak points? What separates you from the herd in the eyes of the interviewers is often wholly arbitrary and unexpected. Failing that, tickling the ego of your interviewers with a non-grovelly acknowledgment that the chambers is a leading set (all sets like to consider themselves leading) in the particular area of practice is a reasonably safe line. There are three reasons, in my view. To this end, I wrote to a few silks, other established practitioners and some juniors at the Bar to see if we could collaborate on an article regarding pupillage interviews. Many will have Masters degrees. LOLZ! You will deserve everything you get. You are always better of taking a moment and giving a well-structured, persuasive answer, than answering hastily. Listening to music. Used to track the information of the embedded YouTube videos on a website. Competency is not all about how you perform as a barrister, its also about how you react in the face of adversity. The interview procedures adopted by chambers can be very varied. If you narrow down your options too much, you might be missing opportunities for yourself. Saying something like"I want to come to you because you are a great Set and you do landlord and tenant work", just is not enough. Keep up to date with current affairs. There may be other reasons for it, but sometimes we just do not spot your potential. Should attempted suicide be criminalised. Secondly, consider seeking feedback from sets which reject you, especially if you were . You would need to answer this question honestly and remain true to your convictions. 6 Must Prepare for Pupillage Interview Questions Some chambers interview panels ask some really awkward questions. This question is asked to assess how well you keep up with current high profile cases and how your personal and professional experiences may influence a particular viewpoint. Use this guide to discover some of the pupillage interview questions you could face, and how to respond. Tip 1: Renew your research on the chambers you have got an interview at. This is another deliberate question asked by pupillage interview panels to gauge what you think makes a good barrister. They know what is on their website. Do not worry about how you come across. Typically, sets will have first and second round interviews. It is really important to not just dive into the problem. The Application Process | 3VB Tip 1: Google and thoroughly research your chambers. This is a period of learning and training for prospective barristers or advocates and typically lasts a year. If youre interviewing for a criminal pupillage, be prepared to answer, What are the biggest challenges facing the criminal Bar? Be opinionated without being obnoxious; political without being partisan. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Pupillage Interview | The Lawyer Portal This cookie is set by Youtube. Be careful with what you put out there. But dont be arrogant, and dont bullshit to try to preserve the illusion of confidence interviewers are likely to see through that so if you dont know, say so. Just do your best. We hope the above helps and we would love to hear from you in the comments below if it does. P - Passion When you are in an interview and you meet someone who is genuinely interested and engaged, it makes such a big difference. This question is asked to assess how diplomatic you can be and argue a case sensitively and professionally without feeling conflicted.

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