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Drystone Chambers
35 Bedford Row
London
WC1R 4JH
DX: 332 London/Chancery Lane
CONTACT US
Drystone Chambers
35 Bedford Row
London
WC1R 4JH
DX: 332 London/Chancery Lane
Drystone Chambers is proud to offer mini-pupillages and considers the experience to be a highly valuable means of educating students on the realities of life at the criminal bar.
It can also be extremely valuable to meet at an early stage in their careers, individuals who have the potential to play a significant role in the future development of the bar and indeed Drystone Chambers.
Drystone Chambers is a London-based specialist criminal set with members of Chambers practising in the criminal courts in the London area and on the South Eastern, Midland and Western circuits, which enables us to provide mini-pupillage experiences across a wide geographical area. Outside of London our regular crown courts include Norwich, Kings Lynn, Ipswich, Peterborough, Lincoln, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Southampton and Portsmouth although this list is by no means exhaustive.
Mini-pupils will have the opportunity to meet Members of Chambers and our Pupils and to observe a range of criminal work in the Crown Court and Magistrates Court.
Successful applicants will spend up to a week shadowing one or more of our barristers. We make every effort to ensure our mini-pupils see a variety of cases during the week and you can usually expect to be in court every day. We endeavour to provide our mini-pupils with the opportunity to attend at courts nearest their location whenever possible but this is always subject to the work that we have available. We make an allowance of £8 per day towards food and drinks and up to £25 per day towards the cost of travelling to and from the courts you will be attending during the week. On those occasions where it is necessary to send our mini-pupils to courts further away which will likely result in higher travel fares, the Chambers Administrator will be able to consider the possibility of increasing the daily travel allowance as appropriate.
The submissions window for mini-pupillage applications for 2025 is now closed.
Our mini-pupillages during 2025 will take place in June and between September and November.
Applications are made using our own Application Form which will be available here when next year’s applications window opens in March 2026. Your completed application form should be submitted during the applications window, 1st – 31st March 2026 via email to the Chambers Administrator at russell.burton-lawrence@drystone.com.
Alternatively, you may post or deliver your completed form to Russell Burton-Lawrence, Drystone Chambers, 1 Bedford Row, London, WC1R 4BU marked Private and Confidential.
Applications will only be accepted if they are made using Chambers’ application form. Chambers does not accept applications via CV or covering letter. Only the information provided on the application form itself will be used for assessment, to ensure that all candidates are marked fairly and consistently. It is not acceptable to submit an application form with only basic information that refers to an attached CV or other information.
Due to the sensitive nature of our work applicants must be aged 18 or over. Applicants need to be undertaking, or have undertaken, a degree course, the GDL or BPC. We usually receive more applications than we are able to accommodate so priority will be given to those candidates who are undertaking, or have undertaken, a Law Degree or equivalent.
We encourage mini-pupillage applications from candidates from all backgrounds, especially from people under-represented at the Bar. We are committed to ensuring that the Bar is an accessible profession, open to those with ability regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability, religion or economic background. As part of our commitment to ensuring a diverse Bar, we reserve four mini-pupillages for individuals who meet any of the following criteria:
Mini-pupils who have mobility issues, other disabilities or other commitments such as caring responsibilities, can discuss these in advance with the Chambers Administrator so that appropriate reasonable adjustments can be considered and implemented.
Unfortunately, due to the high volume of applications that we usually receive, we are unable to provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants.
All mini-pupils are required to sign a confidentiality agreement prior to commencement of their mini-pupillage.
As part of the application process, candidates are asked to complete an Equality and Diversity Monitoring form. Whilst you are not obliged to answer all or any of the questions, by providing this information you help us to ensure that our recruitment is fair and objective to all.
You may find it useful to have a look at our mini-pupillage FAQs page.
Thank you for your interest in mini-pupillage at Drystone Chambers.
Further reading: You may be interested to read the Bar Council’s brochure Becoming A Barrister which provides a fascinating insight into a truly dynamic and challenging career.
Good luck ahead!
Our mini-pupillages last for one single week Monday to Friday. However, shorter periods will be considered.
Yes. We make an allowance of £8 per day towards food and drinks and up to £25 per day towards the cost of travelling to and from the courts you will be attending during the week. This will be via a method of reimbursement administered by the Chambers Administrator.
No, our mini-pupillages are not assessed.
The applications window for 2025 is 1st – 31st March 2025.
In 2025 our mini-pupillages will take place in June and between September and November.
Our website www.drystone.com is the central source of all our mini-pupillage information. Prior to the application window we may advertise our mini-pupillage vacancies and application time-table on our social media channels on Twitter @DrystoneCrime and Linked-In. You may like to follow us on these channels to keep abreast of our latest updates.
No, but you need to evidence a strong desire to come to the Criminal Bar. In the event that we receive more applications than places, priority will be given to those candidates who are undertaking, or have undertaken, a Law Degree or equivalent.
Barristers at Drystone Chambers attend at Crown Courts all over London and the South East, the South Coast, the Midlands and East Anglia, and therefore our mini-pupils can expect to be sent wherever we have work available that is suitable for a mini-pupil to shadow. If you prefer your mini-pupillage to take place closer to your location, please include your court preferences in the relevant section of our application form. We will endeavour to assist where diary availability allows, but this is by no means guaranteed. Mini-pupils should therefore be prepared for the possibility of significant travel during their week.
Drystone Chambers covers the full gamut of criminal work. The vast majority of our work is in the Crown Court but where availability allows, we will arrange for our mini-pupils to experience some time in the Magistrates Court shadowing our pupils and junior members in order to obtain a first-hand understanding of real life in the earlier part of a criminal barrister’s practice.
Smart dark office wear, for example, a black, navy blue or dark grey suit and a white or other light coloured shirt. Men should wear ties. Women can wear a black or dark coloured dress and jacket or smart dark coloured trouser suit. Please wear sensible shoes that you can walk in all day as you may find you have a lot of walking to do between courts. For the sake of clarity, trainers are not acceptable footwear. Please bear in mind that whilst you are undertaking your mini-pupillage with us you are representing Drystone Chambers and therefore a professional looking appearance at all times is essential.
There is nothing specific that you need to prepare, but it would be prudent to make yourself familiar with the type of cases that members of Drystone Chambers undertake via our website. Our news page is a useful source of information in this regard as are our social media channels.
No you cannot. The role of a mini-pupil is to observe only. You will get the opportunity to discuss the case with the barrister afterwards in private.
Barristers are bound by very strict rules about confidentiality and you must not discuss confidential information with anyone other than the barrister who you are with. If in doubt ask the barrister. You will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement prior to the start of your mini-pupillage.
You should bring a notebook and pen or equivalent. It is a good idea to make notes to remind yourself of any questions you may have later, but you should avoid making notes of any ‘personal information’. We want you to get maximum benefit from your mini-pupillage experience. Making the most of your time with us by having a positive attitude, taking notes and asking good questions at appropriate times will enable you to gain an insight into life at the Criminal Bar and what it entails.
The point of contact throughout the application process and when your mini-pupillage is about to commence is the Chambers Administrator.
We value feedback on how well we have done and so all mini-pupils are provided with a feedback form at the end of their mini-pupillage to complete and provide comment on their experience, whether positive or negative, as this will help us to review our processes and procedures to ensure the best possible experience for future mini-pupils.
59,687
Cases awaiting trial in Crown Court
2,400
Number of criminal barristers (approximately)
35%
Percentage of the Judiciary who are women
51%
Percentage of women in population in England and Wales
