From application to offer: Navigating the family law pupillage process

Starting your journey to the Family Bar

Applying for pupillage can be an incredibly daunting prospect, particularly for those who find themselves navigating the process for the first time. This article aims to provide a clear picture of the application process as well as some insight and practical tips for those looking to apply for pupillage with a chambers specialising in Family Law.  

Step-by-step: The Family Law pupillage application process

1. Register on the Pupillage Gateway: The first port of call for prospective applicants is the Bar Council’s Pupillage Gateway. Here, those looking to apply within a cycle of pupillage applications should set up an account. For those intending to apply in the current pupillage application cycle, please note that the applicant account set up window opened on 1 September 2025. Once registered, you can upload your academic and work experience details and nominate any referrees. Here you should draw upon any relevant experience and condense into short passage what you have learnt and what skills you have gained. It should be noted that the word limit for these sections can be limited, that’s why it is important to begin drafting early.  

2. Research and review pupillage vacancies: Firms and chambers will upload their pupillage vacancies onto the Pupillage Gateway and applicants will be able to browse the vacancies. Applicants for pupillage in the current cycle will be able to view the vacancies from 24 November 2025. At this point, you will be able to view important details of the vacancies including the start date, pupillage award and location of pupillage.  

3. Application window and deadlines: The Pupillage Gateway officially opens for applications in the current cycle on 5 January 2026. Prior to this date you will have an idea of the questions that the chambers/firms will ask allowing you to begin drafting before the window opens. It should be noted that not all chambers/firms accept applications through the Gateway and have their own application form. You should ensure that you check on the vacancies page for what the application process entails. The application window for the current cycle closes on 22 January 2026. After this date, no further applications or amendments will be allowed, and chambers/firms start to sift through the applications received and shortlist for interview.  

4. The interview stage: Those who have been successful in this initial paper sift will be invited to interview. Some chambers/firms may hold one single round of interviews, whilst others hold two or more rounds. Regardless, if invited for interview you can expect to be asked questions relating to the answers you have provided in your application as well as ethical-based questions and an exercise testing your advocacy skills. After the final round of interviews, applicants will wait to hear whether they have been successful from chambers/firms applied for. For those applying in the current cycle, successful applicants will be notified on 8 May 2026. Those who have not been successful will also be notified and may receive feedback. Once an offer has been made, you have 7 days to communicate acceptance of the offer. 

Preparing for Family Law pupillage interviews

When I was preparing for interviews with chambers/firms, there are three tips that I found most useful:  

Know your application inside out

It may seem obvious, but you have to know what you have written in your application like the back of your hand! You want to avoid any situation where you have given an answer in interview that contradicts what you have said on paper. I found it useful to mind map each of the experiences, pulling out what I had learnt and what I had seen. I found that in doing this, my answers at interview seemed more natural and fluid as opposed to regurgitating the same information I had written.  

Research the chambers of firm

Once again, it may seem incredibly obvious, but many people make glaring errors in respect of the type of work a chambers/firm specialises in or even name-dropping individuals who do not practice there. Do your homework around the chambers/firm, particularly if you are given an indication as to who it is that will be conducting your interview. See what cases they have been working on recently as this may form the basis for some of the questions you will be asked.  

Don’t overprepare

Preparation for interview is important, but do not prepare to an excessive level. You want to be flexible to answer the questions you are asked and do not want to simply answer the questions that you have prepared. There are certain questions that you can anticipate will likely be asked, such as ‘why this area of law?’ and ‘why this chambers/firm?’ but they may be framed differently at interview. My advice would be to bullet point down answers in bullet point format to general topic areas as opposed to specific questions. Furthermore, practice interviews can be useful in getting yourself used to answering questions you have not answered before but be cautious about doing too many.  

Making the most of mini-pupillages

Mini-pupillages are a great way to gain insight and understanding to life at the Bar. 

Take detailed notes

In order to make the most of your experience on a mini-pupillage, I would recommend that you take a detailed note of the time you spend with the barrister(s). This is important as you can later draw upon your experience in applications or in answering questions at interview in relation to who you were with, who you were against and what judge you were in front of. You do not want to be in a position where you are unable to answer questions about your mini-pupillage as you are unable to recall. Taking a detailed note helps avoid that from happening!  

Ask questions and engage

A mini-pupillage is also an opporutnity for you to ask questions not just observe. As you will gather, chambers/firms like to know why specifically you have applied there, so use the time you spend with a member of that chambers/firm to gauge an understanding of what it is like to work there, what the culture is like and the support offered. All of this can help contribute to answers during the application and interview stage.  

Practical tips for appyling to Family Law Chambers

Firstly, don't neglect non-legal experience. Part-time or previous full-time employment can be a great way to demonstrate you have the skills and attributes required to be a Family Law Barrister. For instance, I had worked several part-time hospitality roles prior to starting pupillage. This often involved interacting with members of the public and in some cases in building a rapport quickly to ensure problems were solved. This mirrors the role of counsel when first meeting with their client at court. Particularly in the context of Family Law, non-legal experience demonstrating your people skills is massively important, be sure to highlight these in applications! 

When reading around chambers in preparation for applications or interviews, focus on the work that the more junior members of chambers are doing as this will demonstrate your understanding of the type of work you can expect to have in your diary after completing pupillage.  

Finally, you want to have an understanding of the culture of chambers. Whether that be a more corporate or a more intimate set, it is important to go into any application or interview with that in mind. Speaking with members of chambers at outreach or networking events can be a good way for you to gain some insight into the culture of chambers.  

Final thoughts

Securing a family law pupillage is a highly competitive process, but with early preparation, clear focus and genuine passion for the work, you can set yourself apart.

Written by Pupil Barrister, James Woods.