DAC Beachcroft to offer pupillages for first time

In-house advocacy group 8DB looks to recruit two rookie barristers

International law firm DAC Beachcroft will offer pupillages for the first time, it has confirmed.

The major recruitment move comes after the firm’s advocacy group, 8 DAC Beachcroft Buildings (8DB), was granted status as an authorised training organisation by the Bar Standards Board earlier this year.

It will initially offer two pupillages on a salary of £30,000.

The in-house unit, which launched just over a year ago, is still awaiting further approval to determine whether it is able to recruit its first pupils immediately or if it must wait until the next pupillage cycle.

Upon completing pupillage, candidates will become counsel employed by DAC Beachcroft.

Sahar Farooqi, DAC Beachcroft partner and co-head of 8DB, told Legal Cheek:

“We are incredibly excited about the opportunity to shortly recruit for pupil barristers, especially in the current climate where there continues to be a dearth of pupillage opportunities nationally. We intend to offer salaries for pupils of £30,000 pa, together with access to the: resources, facilities, training and hardware available to us as part of a large, multi-national firm. Any pupil who trains with us can expect a varied and engaging general civil pupillage with a view to a permanent position with us, as counsel, upon successful completion of pupillage.”

Although uncommon, DAC Beachcroft is not the first major law firm to offer pupillage places.

In 2015, we reported that London litigation outfit Kobre & Kim was looking to take on its first wannabe barrister, while more recently, in 2018, national outfit DWF began offering pupillage spots for the first time.

Away from the bar, The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2022 shows DAC Beachcroft takes on roughly 20 trainee solicitors each year, on a starting salary of £35,000.