What is learnt during a Pupillage?
Pupillage is a form of apprenticeship. The year is an opportunity for a chambers to build on what the pupil has already learnt by combining academic and vocational experience with the day-to-day, practical work of chambers, including advocacy, drafting, and liaising with solicitors, clients and colleagues. Pupillage also gives chambers a chance to assess a pupil’s prospects for tenancy. Often, the two ‘sixes’ are very different experiences. Generally, the first ‘six’ is non-practical, and is largely spent observing and assisting the pupil-master or mistress. This involves being in court and attending conferences (meetings with solicitors), preparing drafts, and researching and reading up on case law. During the six pupil will learn how to be a barrister by comparing and contrasting their work with that of the pupil-master – how do the drafts differ and why? Was the case presented in court in a very different manner from the way they had planned? Were the dealings with solicitors as the
