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For those of you lucky enough to get a pupillage interview this year, here are some tips to get you prepared and hopefully result in you getting a pupillage!

Find out which chambers offer pupillages by using LawCareers.Net’s Pupillage search.

1. Read your pupillage application again 

Go over your answers with a fine-toothed comb. Your application is all the pupillage committee knows about you, so be prepared for them to grill you on what you’ve written. I doubt the committee will react well if they ask you a question on your application and you’re unable to answer it.

2. Be yourself

This one’s old but gold and should be taken seriously. If you try to put on a fake persona for your interview, chances are that it’ll come across as inauthentic and the committee won’t offer you a spot. On the off chance that they do, remember that tenancy in chambers isn’t guaranteed, so you could spend an entire pupillage year pretending to be someone you’re not.

Check out LawCareers.Net’s pupillage deadlines page to see a full list of chambers deadlines.

3. Stay up to date with the news 

Identify key issues in the news that have a legal element and consider how the law applies to practice, this is often known as having commercial awareness. Pupillage committees want to see a level of depth and understanding from prospective pupils – make sure you have it.

4. Undergo a mock interview

Ask your mentor or your course provider to conduct a mock interview before your actual interview. This will give you a chance to rehearse your answers and, if it’s your first interview, reduce your nerves by showing you what to expect.

5. Find out which gates of the Inn of Court are open

This is a particularly helpful tip that will save you a lot of stress on the day itself. Since most pupillage interviews are conducted over the weekend, some Inn of Court gates are shut. Find out which ones you can enter through, so you don’t end up running around like a headless chicken moments before you go in to meet the committee!

6. Be resilient

Unfortunately, rejection is common and for most barristers, securing a pupillage is a numbers game. Remember that you only need one chambers to say yes, so don’t lose hope!

Check out these LCN Says articles from pupil barristers Sherelle Appleby and Emilene Davis to read about their journey to pupillage.