We are delighted to welcome our five new pupils starting today – Rhys Higginson, Ella Statham, Lily Lovett, Bethany Birkett and Lucy Blue

The Members of Chambers and staff are delighted to welcome our five new pupils – Rhys Higginson, Ella Statham, Lily Lovett, Bethany Birkett and Lucy Blue – who all start their pupillages today.

The decision to take on five pupils reflects our ambition and investment in our junior end.

In 2022 our Pupillage Committee, headed by Claire Howell, undertook a review of our pupillage assessment process and early years of tenancy. Instead of making a decision over two relatively short interviews, our second round now involves an assessed mini pupillage over an entire week. The assessment culminates in a mock trial event before a Crown Court judge (usually one of our former members) when all candidates receive mentoring by our silks and senior members of Chambers.

Our revised system is geared to attracting the best candidates from the most diverse pool of applicants from which we are able to select the most suitable candidates for a career at the Criminal Bar.

Our first intake of three pupils under the revised system were all offered tenancy in 2024 and since then they have all made an impressive start to their career in Chambers. With the recent additions of Anisa Kebbati and Eliza Harris and who were offered tenancy last week, our junior end is an integral part of our plan to grow and develop Chambers.

Our junior tenants enjoy a commission free period following pupillage and then three years commission at a reduced rate. They continue to enjoy in-house training.