Significantly higher number of women experienced issues personally
Over a quarter of pupil barristers personally experienced or observed bullying, harassment, or discrimination during their pupillage, new research has shown.
Twenty-six percent of the 173 pupils surveyed as part of the Bar Council Pupil Survey 2024 reported witnessing or experiencing inappropriate behaviour. A significantly higher number of women experienced these issues personally, 28% of those surveyed having personal experience compared to only 3% of men.
Those with disabilities also faced higher levels of bullying, harassment, and discrimination, 41% of disabled pupils reporting an incident compared to 13% of pupils without a disability.
Elsewhere, the survey notes that 31% of pupils succeeded in securing pupillage on their first attempt, with 34% making the cut on the second attempt, 18% on the third attempt, and 17% after four or more attempts.
The report also found that 91% of pupils found the process either ‘very’ or ‘quite’ challenging, and that men were twice as likely to receive a pupillage award of £60,000 or more when compared to their female counterparts.
Once at the bar, 44% of surveyed rookies reported working between 41-50 hours per week, while 41% stated they worked 50 hours or more. Only 15% worked 40 hours or less.
Eighty-six percent reported having a positive pupillage experience overall, with 94% stating they would recommend a career at the bar to others.
Commenting on the findings, Sam Townend KC, chair of the Bar Council, said:
“The high percentage of pupils describing their pupillage as positive is testament to the high standard of training delivered by the Bar to the next generation. Barristers and chambers professionals make sure pupils receive the guidance and support they need. That 94% of pupils said they would recommend a career at the Bar to others is wonderful news, to the credit of all barristers who give their time for free to train pupils and shows real confidence in the future of the Bar. It is particularly noticeable that pupils consider the quality of supervision to be high, whether that is delivered in person or online.”
He continued: “There is more work to do to make sure that every pupil has the support they need to thrive in their careers. Disabled pupils in particular report feeling less well-supported. Organisations such as Bringing [Dis]Ability to the Bar are doing excellent work to break down barriers to the profession and the Bar Council’s own Disability Panel will look at the Pupil Survey 2024 findings to consider what more can be done.”
Earlier this year, Legal Cheek reported that the overall number of pupillage spots is on the rise , reaching a new peak of 638. The number of applicants also rose, however, with just under 3,000 budding barristers vying for the spots.