Advocate Caseworkers to begin pupillage in September 2024

Advocate are proud of our dedicated caseworkers, many of whom are looking to become barristers themselves. Karl and Emma are two of those caseworkers, who first became involved with Advocate in 2022 as casework volunteers before starting roles as full-time caseworkers in 2023. Karl will start pupillage at the Government Legal Department, and Emma at 30 Park Place Chambers in Cardiff, in September 2024. They have shared more about how their experiences at Advocate have fed into their journeys to becoming barristers and the advice they would give to others looking to apply for pupillage. 

Karl

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to begin my legal career at the heart of government. I have always found Public Law, particularly Public International Law, very interesting. At university, I developed a keen interest in Public Policy and the challenges of governing. When I learned that the Government Legal Department offered pupillages, I knew it would be a fantastic way of combining my legal and policy interests. I was fortunate enough to have worked as a volunteer at Advocate before I secured pupillage in 2022. I used my time as a volunteer to help me stand out as someone who, although young, had practical experience working on difficult cases.

Working at Advocate as a Caseworker has been an invaluable experience. My job has exposed me to a huge array of cases, spanning every Court and Tribunal in England and Wales. The variety I have dealt with will serve me well on a pupillage where I will see such a breadth of Civil Law. Furthermore, Advocate has equipped me with the skills and knowledge I need to begin pupillage. I am fortunate enough to have overseen the Court of Appeal Scheme with the help of the Civil Appeals Office, which has allowed me to work on dozens of interesting, and often complex, cases. Finally, Advocate has been a fantastic way to become immersed in life at the Bar. I have had the pleasure to work with countless barristers and chambers, all of whom have been an inspiration for what I can accomplish at the Bar.

My number one tip for pupillage interviews is to be confident in your experience and your abilities. If you get to the stage where you are being interviewed consistently by different Chambers, then you know your experience is sufficient. It is just a matter of showing the panel your strengths and what makes you unique.

Emma

I am delighted to have secured pupillage at 30 Park Place Chambers in Cardiff. Even a year after receiving the news, I am still thrilled and I cannot wait to get started. The application round in which I was successful was my third year applying, and my first after having completed the Bar Course. I was lucky enough to receive two offers and one reserve offer, so I faced an unexpected choice on offer day. I chose to accept 30 Park Place due to its stellar reputation, the breadth of work practiced as it is a multi-disciplinary set, and as I would have an opportunity to practice in Welsh Law. My LLM is in Governance and Devolution, with a focus on Welsh Law, so this really drew me to apply to the Welsh Circuit.

I started as the Public and Admin Law Caseworker at Advocate in September 2023. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working at Advocate. Pro bono has been important to me since my time as a student at Cardiff University, where I volunteered as a student representative on a couple of pro bono projects. During and after completing the Bar Course, I also volunteered for the Free Representation Unit and CAIWU. From my experience, involvement with pro bono projects is incredibly important for obtaining pupillage, not least because it enables you to develop an understanding of the law in practice, but also because it is important to give back to the community and assist the most vulnerable who otherwise would not have access to justice.

My number one tip for pupillage applications and interviews is to plan ahead as much as possible. Be critical of your CV, and cross-check it against a list of qualities and experiences you will need to demonstrate on applications. This will help you identify any gaps. Then you should aim to fill those gaps. Pro bono can be a really good way of doing this!

Interested in applying for pupillage next year? Read a young barrister’s Top Ten Tips.

Find out more about volunteering opportunities at Advocate.