Pupillage at David Phillips & Partners

The Firm offers funded 12 month specialist criminal pupillages, from our Essex Office. Richard Craven and Steven Pidcock are barristers and approved Pupil Supervisors based at the Firm’s Essex Office. Steven Pidcock is the Firm’s Pupil Training Principle. Training and supervision from experienced Counsel is provided to pupils on a one to one basis.

In addition to providing a traditional pupillage, pupils will also have the opportunity to work with our litigators providing an insight into both branches of the profession. Placements with Chambers are also arranged during pupillage in order that pupils also gain experience of working at the independent bar.

Pupils can expect to see the full range of criminal work during their first six months of pupillage and will be busy with their own cases during their second six months of pupillage, attending the Magistrates Court most days with some Crown Court work towards the end of their pupillage.

Numbers and types of Pupillages Offered

Two 12 month pupillages are offered each year. One 12 month pupillage commences in April and one 12 month pupillage commences in October.

At any one time therefore, there is one First Six Pupil and one Second Six pupil undertaking pupillage with the Firm. The Firm does not offer Third Six pupillages or ‘squatting’ positions.

Pupils who are not offered a position with the Firm at the completion of their pupillage will be offered temporary employment for a minimum six month period in order to allow them to find employment / tenancy / further pupillage elsewhere.

Recruitment and Procedures at the End of Pupillage

Pupillage will end twelve months’ after the commencement date. The Firm does not take pupils ‘with a view’ to making an offer of a permanent position with the Firm at the end of pupillage.

Whether any vacancy exists at a particular time depends on the needs of the Firm, its clients and the level and types of work available. The Firm will inform pupils at least two months prior to the completion of their pupillage whether a suitable vacancy is likely to exist within the Firm. All vacancies are advertised openly usually on the Firm’s website and / or in the national press or specialist publications such as Counsel Magazine or The Gazette.

Details of the Firm’s recruitment procedure, criteria, application requirements, closing dates, interview dates and notification dates for a particular vacancy are published with the advertisement of the position.

Any vacancies are open to all applicants and are not exclusive to pupils of the Firm. The recruitment procedure applied to pupils is identical to that applied to external applicants. Pupils are not required to submit their completed checklists with an application for a position with the Firm.

If no permanent position exists within the Firm for a pupil, the Firm will provide all assistance it can in helping pupils find a position with another firm or within Chambers. Pupils who have completed their pupillage and are not taken on by the Firm will be granted a six month temporary paid position within the firm, in order to give them time to find an alternative position.

Selection of Pupils

Applications for pupillage at David Philips & Partners must be made on the Firm’s Application Form, which can be downloaded in Word format from the Download Links section of this web page.

All pupillage vacancies are advertised on the Pupillage Portal (http://www.pupillages.com/), although the firm is not a member of OLPAS. Completed Application Forms must be emailed to the Firm at pupillageapplications@dpp-law.com and must be received before midnight on the closing date.

Full details of the Firm’s selection procedures are included in our Pupillage Policy & Programme, which can be downloaded in Word format from the Download Links section of this web page.

The Firm has the following minimum requirements for application:

•A minimum degree class of an Upper Second Class Honours Degree OR

•A minimum Bar School rating of “Very Competent”.

Please note that applications from candidates who have yet to complete the Bar Vocational Course will not be considered. To apply to us, you must have already obtained your results from your course provider by the 4th July.

Application Timetable

The firm holds one selection round each year. Applications open on 4th July and close on 31st July. The highest scoring applicant will be offered pupillage commencing in October of the same year. The second highest scoring applicant will be offered pupillage commencing the following April.

Interviews are held at our Essex Office during August and applicants will be informed of the result of their application by the last working day of August.

Please note that the firm’s pupillage application email box will only accept emails during the application period. Please do not submit applications outside of the application period as these will not be considered nor will they be responded to.

Download Links

David Phillips & Partners Pupillage Policy & Programme.

David Phillips & Partners Pupillage Application Form.

David Phillips & Partners Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form.