Our Immigration Team would welcome applications from practitioners with a portable practice. Please use the application form at the bottom of this page. We look forward to hearing from you.

Are you a criminal barrister returning from parental leave, or with caring responsibilities? Looking for a more flexible approach to work? Want to diversify your practice? Or simply looking for a fresh start?

The Crime and Prison Law Team at One Pump Court is currently accepting applications from individuals who share our ethos to join our outstanding team.

One Pump Court is a multidisciplinary chambers and we welcome applicants with a mixed practice, including those who undertake work in our core areas of immigration, family, housing and inquests and inquiries, as well as those who specialise solely in crime.

At One Pump Court we take a radical approach to the issues facing our clients, staff and members, including the logistics of balancing a court-based practice with caring and other commitments outside the workplace.

Our Crime and Prison Law Team offers cooperative support for those wishing to undertake paperwork to complement their court appearances, as well as opportunities for practitioners wanting to pursue a more traditional criminal defence practice.

We offer a lively, inclusive environment with flexible working practices and excellent fee collection by our dedicated fees clerks. Please see the application form at the bottom of this page

Our COP team would welcome applications from practitioners from all levels of call with established COP Practices.

One Pump Court is seeking confident, compassionate and effective family lawyers who share our ethos to join our highly regarded, busy and friendly Family Group.

Members practise in all aspects of family law, including public and private children’s cases, matrimonial finance, trusts and modern relationships, domestic abuse and cases with an international element. Individual members also work in complementary fields including immigration, crime, housing and community care and the Court of Protection.

We have a diverse client base working with solicitors in London, the South East, and across the country. Our clerking team are friendly, efficient and highly supportive. We also actively encourage direct access and mediation work.

We now invite applications from barristers with a developing practice up to 5 years call and established practitioners from 5-10 years call.

We are always happy to hear from more senior candidates who can complement our range of expertise.

We are also open to approaches from groups of colleagues who are looking for a positive change.

If you would like a confidential and informal discussion please contact our Head of Group Jamie Presland [email protected] or our Senior Practice Manager Scott Haley [email protected].

Please use the application form at the bottom of this page.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Our housing and community care team is accepting tenancy applications from senior or junior practitioners with an established housing practice. Our growing team is instructed across the breadth of housing, property and social welfare work. Our members are ranked in Chambers and Partners and Legal 500, with experience at all levels up to the Supreme Court. We are looking for talented, passionate and driven barristers who share our commitment to the One Pump Court ethos to join us.

If you would like to have a confidential conversation to discuss your interest, please contact our Head of Group Martin Hodgson [email protected] or our Senior Clerk to chambers Ian Burrow [email protected]. Applications will be treated in strictest confidence.

We are currently welcoming applications from established practitioners with a practice in inquests/ inquiries, and/or claims against police or public authorities, who have a commitment to the One Pump Court ethos.

If you would like to have a confidential conversation to discuss your interest, please contact Angelina Nicolaou [email protected] or our Clerk Scott Haley
[email protected]. Applications will be treated in strictest confidence.

We offer 12-month pupillages funded by way of a grant for the BSB’s minimum London pupillage award (currently £20,703), plus an allowance for out-of-London travel, plus the full retention of all earnings received in the second six in addition to the grant.

Pupils have the opportunity to complete periods of training across one or more specialist areas within Chambers: family, immigration, crime, and housing. There are also opportunities to gain experience in other areas including community care and prison law.

We are committed to publicly funded work and to ensuring access to justice. We seek to promote diversity and equality in all aspects of our work.

Chambers undertakes work at all levels, and members practise in the following specialist groups: family, crime and civil. Many members are also direct access qualified and Chambers actively promotes this avenue of work.

Family practitioners provide a multidisciplinary and socially responsible approach to family legal services in all areas of national and international law. Members specialise in public law and private law Children Act applications, as well as ancillary relief and cohabitee disputes. The family team has a large mediation group and is committed to developing a holistic ADR service for all client groups.

The crime group consists of an experienced team of barristers practising exclusively in criminal defence work. Members of the group provide representation to defendants charged with the whole range of criminal offences at every stage of criminal proceedings.

The civil group includes practitioners specialising in housing and immigration. Housing work concentrates on problems faced by tenants and the homeless. Our large immigration team is committed to both asylum and non-asylum work with a particular emphasis on representing vulnerable clients in the face of increasingly restrictive legislation.

Judicial review is an important area of work within chambers, particularly in respect of housing, education and immigration work.

Chambers works closely with law centres and other agencies who are addressing unmet legal needs. Some members are prominent in legal pressure groups and voluntary organisations, seeking to reform and improve the provision of legal services and access to justice. Chambers also operates a strong prison law team.

Chambers has a complaints procedure. Members are required to comply with Chambers’ quality codes by which standards are set, monitored and developed. Chambers has a strong commitment to equal opportunities and to combatting discrimination. Chambers select candidates solely on merit, seeking to ensure that we reflect the community that we serve.

Pupillage Selection Criteria
Marking Applications
Please see our mark scheme

2. Interviews

We usually hold two rounds of interviews. The final arrangements for the upcoming round of interviews will be confirmed nearer the time, and will be notified in due course to candidates who are invited to interview.

The interview process usually includes an advocacy exercise, and a short presentation on a subject chosen by candidates from a list of topical questions relevant to Chambers’ practice areas (both of these are prepared in advance), as well as a range of unseen questions.

Answers to all the questions and exercises are marked on the basis of the following criteria: advocacy, legal knowledge, and commitment to human rights and access to justice. These criteria are weighted differently depending on the question.

All interviews are conducted by a panel of members of Chambers and are observed by an equality, diversity and inclusion monitor.

We are pleased to confirm that we are now offering 15 mini-pupillages for 2025. Taking place between May to September 2025.

We aim through this scheme to increase the number of state-school-educated and other socio-economically excluded prospective pupils who undertake mini-pupillages and go on to consider applying to Chambers for full pupillages.

We encourage anyone who is interested in completing a mini-pupillage with us and meets the following criteria to apply. Applications are particularly encouraged from those traditionally underrepresented at the Bar, including women or those from racially minoritised communities.

The deadline for 2025 applications is 31 January 2025.

How to apply:

Send an email to [email protected] with the subject as “Mini-Pupillage Application”.

Attach a letter to Chambers containing at most 250 words, explaining why you would like to undertake a mini-pupillage at One Pump Court Chambers, with reference to our Chambers’ ethos statement.

Complete our equality monitoring form if you are happy to do so. (Please note, this is optional and will have no impact on the outcome of your application.)

Complete the mini-pupilage declaration.

What happens on a mini-pupillage:

Chambers’ mini-pupillage programme provides mini pupils with an insight into life at the Bar. Mini pupils will travel to court with counsel, observe hearings and trials, sit in on conferences and negotiations, and (if appropriate) read and analyse case papers. Mini-pupils may also be asked to undertake legal research relevant to cases that they are observing at the discretion of the supervising barrister.

Each mini pupillage lasts for a week from Monday to Friday. However, successful applicants can request for a shorter duration up to a minimum of 2 days. Such a request should be made to the Pupillage Officer as soon as is reasonably possible.

Each day of the mini-pupillage will start at 9am and finish at 6pm unless the mini-pupil is informed otherwise. The Chambers Administrator / Senior Clerk will liaise with the clerking team every evening to identify appropriate hearings, conferences, or members for mini pupils to shadow within Chambers and will so far as is possible accommodate any preferences in particular as to areas of law put forward by the mini-pupil to the Pupillage Officer.

Mini pupillages are unassessed. Their purpose is to obtain a greater understanding of what a career at the Bar entails. The offer or rejection of an application for mini-pupillage is not relevant to any subsequent application for pupillage.

Expenses:

Chambers will pay mini-pupils’ reasonable travel and lunch expenses. Any such request should be made to the Chambers Administrator who will facilitate payment of those expenses.

Chambers may also in its discretion exceptionally assist mini-pupils with expenses for professional clothing to be worn during the mini-pupillage. Any request for assistance with professional clothing shall be made and considered by the Pupillage Officer and must be made at the latest 21 days before the start of the mini-pupillage.