Careers

A mini pupillage with St Mary's allows you to build an understanding of what life at the Family Bar is like.

We offer a limited number of three-day mini-pupillages each year.

During your mini-pupillage, you can expect to accompany a number of our barristers to court, be present during conferences and assist with research where appropriate. You will have the opportunity to meet members of chambers and have your questions answered. Attendance at court or a conference will always be subject to the wishes of the barrister’s client, as well as the court’s discretion.

Applications

Please note that due to a large number of applications we are unable to accept applications for the period 1 December 2024 - 28 February 2025. This page will be updated when we are accepting applications again.

You can apply for a mini-pupillage by emailing your CV and covering letter to clerks@stmarysfamily.co.uk. The subject of your email should state clearly ‘Mini-pupillage application – FAO Lorna Robertson’. Your cover letter should address the following two questions: 

1. Why are you interested in becoming a barrister, and

2. What interests you in family law and are there any specific areas you would like to observe?

Your application should detail the dates you are available within that period. However, St Mary’s cannot guarantee it will be able to offer a place to a successful applicant for the dates in their application.

Demand for our mini-pupillages are high and each year we receive more applications than we have spaces. This can sometimes lead to a delay in responding to your application, but we will respond to your application as soon as we can.

A candidate who is unsuccessful with their application will not be eligible for a mini-pupillage at St Mary’s until 12 months have elapsed since their last application. You are therefore encouraged to apply when your application will be strongest.

Applications will be considered on merit. Preference will be given to candidates expressing a genuine interest in pursuing a career at the Bar and specifically within the field of family law. Those applicants who have already completed the second year of a law degree or the third year of a non-law degree will be given priority.

It is important that applicants who are still completing a particular course should specify their marks on that course to date. For example, a student in the last year of their law degree should give a breakdown of the previous two years’ results, and a student on the GDL should provide the overall result of their first degree and a breakdown of their GDL marks to date. Applicants who do not do this are unlikely to be successful with their application.

Application Windows

Applications are considered quarterly by a member of our pupillage committee. The application windows for the coming year are:

By 31 January for 1 March to 31 May

By 30 April for 1 June to 31 August

By 31 July for 1 September to 30 November

By 31 October for 1 December to 28 February (Please note that due to a large number of applications we are unable to accept applications for the period 1 December 2024 - 28 February 2025)