Why Maitland?

When choosing where to do your pupillage, it is important that you feel confident about the reputation of chambers. Maitland is generally recognised as the pre-eminent set of chambers in the field of Chancery commercial litigation, having occupied the sole first place in that category in Chambers & Partners for the past eight years.

Our major appeal for you lies in the combination of high quality instructions we receive, the breadth of the work and the volume of advocacy we do. We are instructed in a huge range of cases, ranging from major international litigation to domestic contractual and property disputes of all kinds. The majority of our work is done in London, though we frequently advise and appear for clients in other parts of the United Kingdom and abroad.

Life as a Junior Tenant

As soon as you become a member of chambers, you will take on responsibility for running your own cases, typically in the fields of property, insolvency, company, partnership, trusts and general business litigation. In addition you are likely be led by silks or senior juniors in heavier commercial disputes, which will give you invaluable experience of seeing established practitioners conducting litigation. This combination of independent practice and collaboration will develop your skills as both an advocate and a tactician from the outset.

As the largest of the leading sets in our field, we have the highest levels of administrative support. You will have access to unparalleled resources and a dedicated team of staff to help you manage and grow your practice.

We also offer exceptional professional support in the early years of practice. You will be welcomed into an open and friendly environment, where members look out for each other and offer a strong network of mutual support. Your colleagues’ doors will always be open, whether you want to discuss a difficult point of law or just drop in for a quick chat.

What are we looking for?

We look for a first class mind, a sense of commercial practicality, and someone who will enjoy and be stimulated by the challenge of advocacy.

Academically we look for a first or upper second class honours degree. Not all members of chambers have law degrees. Of our ten most junior tenants, the majority read subjects other than law at university. We therefore recognise that training in other academic disciplines can be a good preparation for a legal career.

You must have an aptitude for and general enjoyment of complex legal argument. At the application stage, we look for evidence of mooting or debating. During pupillage, we assess this quality in our in-house advocacy exercises.

Training during pupillage

We regard a key purpose of pupillage to ensure that you are ready, on the first day of your tenancy, to undertake the work that Chambers does.

At regular intervals throughout your time in chambers, you will participate in advocacy exercises. These take the form of mock hearings, for which you prepare from a set of exercise papers given to you in advance, just as you would in practice. Senior members of chambers act as the tribunal, dealing with your application as it would be dealt with if genuinely made. They, together with other members of chambers, then provide detailed feedback immediately after the exercise, to help you identify existing strengths and areas which require improvement.

These exercises have a two-fold purpose: they are both part of your assessment process, and are also designed to help you develop the court skills you will need as a practitioner. We are passionate about this aspect of our pupils’ professional development, as we believe that success in the profession ultimately depends upon a barrister’s level of accomplishment as a court advocate.

The other major tools of the commercial barrister’s trade – written advocacy, drafting, opinion writing and legal research – are constant features of your day to day work with your supervisors. By the end of your first six months, you can expect to have developed an aptitude for each of these skills by dint of exposure to a wide range of scenarios, from advising on complex points of property or trust law, to drafting statements of case in High Court disputes.

Finally, a central aspect to the training you receive at Maitland arises in the area of professional ethics. We run a workshop devoted to the barrister’s professional obligations, during which you are asked how you would react to particularly testing scenarios. Again, detailed feedback is provided at this workshop, which is run by senior members of chambers who draw upon many years of experience.

Funding and awards

A pupillage award of £60,000 for pupillage starting in October 2011 is offered to all pupils in chambers. Up to £20,000 of the award may be drawn down in advance during the BPTC year or to pay BPTC fees. The balance of the award is paid in instalments monthly in advance. Prospective pupils may also be able to obtain awards from the Inns of Court. Applications for these awards should be made to the Inns.

Chambers operates an Income Guarantee Scheme for the benefit of junior tenants who have successfully completed their pupillage. This scheme operates within the first two years of practice. Further details can be provided on request.

Equal Opportunities & Diversity

Maitland is committed to promote a working environment which is conducive to the professional growth of its barristers and employees and to the promotion of equality of opportunity. This applies to all aspects of our work, whether in recruitment of barristers and staff or in dealing with clients.

We therefore encourage applications from people from all sections of society regardless of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief or age.

The real story .....

An extract from Legal Week Student Issue (Nov 08)

Jonathan Allcock, barrister, Maitland Chambers

Jonathan Allcock, 26, began working at Maitland Chambers as a full-time barrister at the beginning of October, after completing his pupillage at the set.

He says: “Pupillage was tough but enjoyable. I experienced fantastic, high-calibre work on very significant cases, covering interesting areas of law. I felt that my opinions and contributions were valued. One concern you have is that you might be largely invisible, but the days of the ‘silent pupil’ who was expected to ‘shut up and listen’ are long gone.”

Allcock graduated from Trinity College, Oxford in 2005 with a degree in Modern Languages and then undertook the Graduate Diploma in Law at City University. He then completed the Bar Vocational Course at BPP law school — having already secured a pupillage at Maitland Chambers.

“I was one of the lucky ones,” he says. “I applied for pupillage while I was doing the GDL and having a place already secured meant I was able to relax a little during the BVC.”

Of the BPP course Allcock says: “On the whole I enjoyed it — parts of the course were good and parts not so good. I enjoyed the advocacy element most.”

Prior to securing pupillage, Allcock arranged a series of mini-pupillages at six chambers — all commercial or Chancery sets, including Maitland, Serle Court and 7 King’s Bench Walk.

Does he have any advice for would-be barristers? “When applying for pupillage it is essential to show an interest in the profession by undertaking a range of mini-pupillages and by mooting. As for pupillage itself, realise that it is going to be very hard work, but good work does get recognised. Aim for consistency and don’t be afraid to speak up. I had a fantastic year as a pupil.”