How to survive: Pupillage applications

9 July 2009

Types of Application

The majority of chambers offer at least one or two pupillages every year, meaning applicants are faced with a huge breadth of choice. All pupillages must be advertised on the Pupillage Portal website, which replaced the old OLPAS system in 2009.

The good news is that the portal also offers a central application scheme, which streamlines the process by using one form and one universal timetable to apply to a number of different sets. The bad news is that many chambers still have not signed up to this system, meaning that you may have to use different application forms, and be subject to competing deadlines, if you are applying to those chambers.

What to Expect from the Online Form

The Pupillage Portal is used by a huge number of chambers, particularly bigger sets with dedicated recruitment teams. If you are applying to a portal set, you will have to use the online form. You can apply to a maximum of twelve portal chambers in one year.

The application form contains a lot of detailed questions, most of which give you up to 500 words for your answer - a huge improvement on the old OLPAS forms which only offered 150 words. However, do not be tempted to fill the space if you have nothing to say - you should still remain relevant and concise. The system will automatically log you out after 30 minutes of inactivity, so it is wise to write your answers in a Word document and copy and paste, rather than risk losing them. And don’t forget to keep hitting the ‘save’ button at the bottom of the portal form.

The first few questions cover generic issues such as your contact details, education, and employment history. There are also opportunities for you to detail any scholarships or awards you have attained, and what you do in your spare time.

Finally, you must provide two referees. After you submit your first application, these sections are locked down and cannot be changed, so your answers will be the same for all your chosen sets. For this reason, it is wise to research and decide on the chambers you want to apply to before filling in your first application. If you have quoted work experience that is irrelevant, or seems to conflict with your chosen set or areas of law, you’re likely to be rejected without much consideration. Remember that the people reading your form can see where else you have applied, so you should pick sets which are a good fit with each other, and which practise in broadly similar areas, if you want to be taken seriously.

The next section is a Pupillage Application Questionnaire, which you can tailor to each separate chambers you want to apply to. The questions cover your motivation, legal areas of interest, reasons for choosing that set, and any relevant skills. Once you have sent your first application, your answers are saved, but with the option to edit or completely rewrite them for each further application. It’s advisable to simply delete your answers and start again, rather than try to tweak what you’ve already written - if you leave in the wrong chambers name just once, anyone reading your form will put it straight in the bin.

By now it should be obvious that the application process is a lengthy task, and you will need to put a lot of time and thought into your answers. You should try to start your applications a month in advance, and to get them in at least a few days before the official deadline. In the 08/09 season, the site crashed, the deadline was extended, and the portal was then reopened again, twice, in order to try to clear the backlog of last-minute applications. It’s best to avoid this chaos if you can.

And finally - if you’re in any doubt about how the Pupillage Portal works, don’t be shy of asking the support team. They’re immensely helpful and will usually reply to emails within a day or two (although you should expect them to take a little longer around the deadline.) There is also plenty of application guidance on the portal itself.

After Applying - What Next?

What happens after you apply will largely depend on your chosen sets. Although the Bar Standards Board requires chambers to refrain from making offers until 31st July, there are no other regulations regarding the interview/offer timetable. Some chambers will be in touch in early May, others you won’t hear a peep out of until late July, and a few will fail to contact unsuccessful candidates altogether.

The best policy is to be patient, and make sure you check both the Pupillage Portal and your email (the two don’t always coincide). Failing that, chambers’ websites will usually give you an idea of their timetable, and if you hear nothing before mid-July, it’s acceptable to send a polite email to the clerks asking if they can give you any information.

Clearing

The pre-2009 OLPAS system had two application seasons: one in April and one in October. The Pupillage Portal has replaced the October season with a new clearing system. You can now fill in a clearing application form, which is saved on the site. Sets will then search through all the clearing forms from September to fill any vacancies they might have.

You may fill in a clearing form regardless of whether you have completed any other applications. All the questions are the same as on the pupillage form, but you should remember to keep your answers generic as there is no limit to the chambers that can see your answers. Your application must be completed by the clearing deadline, which is usually late August or early September. After this, the Pupillage Portal will close for the season.

Non-Pupillage Portal Applications

Chambers that don’t participate in the Pupillage Portal scheme must still advertise their vacancies on the portal website, and are subject to the Bar Standards Board regulations banning pupillage offers before 31st July. However, their application timetables may differ wildly, with some deadlines as late as mid-August. There is also no limit to the amount of non-Pupillage Portal chambers you can apply to, and no way for them to know what other sets you have targeted. This means that non-portal applications are ideal if you are interested in some esoteric sets or areas of law which don’t tally with your other choices.

Non-portal applications will usually consist of either a CV and covering letter, or an application form. The normal application rules apply - be concise and relevant, and show why you are interested in that particular chambers. Often sets will publish their pupillage selection policy online, which will give you an idea of what they are looking for and how you will be assessed.

Once you have written your application, you must follow the chambers instructions to the letter. Some demands can be unexpected - such as the few more traditional chambers which still ask for a handwritten cover letter. Make sure you check all information, including the basics such as whether to post or email your form, and who to send it to, well in advance.

If You’re Unsuccessful

If you fail to get a pupillage, don’t despair - it’s a hugely competitive process, which most people must go through a number of times before they succeed. Your next step is to critically assess your CV and application, and address any shortcomings in time for next year’s round of applications. There are several ways to do this:

• Get someone else to look over your application form. If you’re still at university or law school, you can ask your careers service. Otherwise any professional is fine, as long as they can be objective and honest.
• There are plenty of excellent books on the application process, which will outline what chambers are looking for in some detail. Reading these will give you much more insight into the inner workings of selection committees and their workload.
• Email the pupillage co-ordinators at your chosen sets and ask for feedback. Often you will find this is not possible due to the very high numbers of applications received. However, as long as your request is polite, there is no harm in asking. If you were lucky enough to get any interviews, you should always ask for feedback on your performance, as it is much more likely that chambers will be able to help at this stage of the process.
• Don’t be proud - act on the advice you’re given, in plenty of time. After Pupillage Portal closes in October, you only have a few months before you need to start applying again. This may seem like a long time, but if you need to up your legal work experience - for example, by applying for mini-pupillages, mooting or Free Representation Unit - you may need to go through other lengthy application or training processes.

Don’t Forget

• Save, save and save again
• Double check the deadlines and leave yourself plenty of time
• Go for quality over quantity – it’s better to do fewer applications and get them right

Get someone else to read over your application before you send it. It’s easy to miss spelling and grammar mistakes on a page you’ve been staring at for two days.