Bar hopeful seeks honest views
In the latest submission to our popular career conundrums series, an aspiring barrister asks whether their 2:2 will stand in the way of their dream.
“I would like to remain anonymous. I obtained a 2:2 in my undergraduate law degree due to extenuating circumstances that significantly affected my studies at the time. Since then, I have achieved a Distinction in the Bar Course, which I feel better reflects my academic ability. I am hoping to obtain some honest views on my prospects of securing pupillage. I have completed more than six mini-pupillages, participated in advocacy sessions and training through my Inn, undertaken pro bono welfare work, volunteered with various organisations, and currently work in the compliance and legal sector and being an county court advocate part time.”
“Given my academic profile and experience, do I still have a realistic chance of obtaining pupillage? How much weight are chambers likely to place on the 2:2 compared with the Distinction in the Bar Course, legal experience, advocacy exposure, and the extenuating circumstances that contributed to my undergraduate result? I would be grateful for any insights, particularly from those who have secured pupillage after graduating with a 2:2.”
If you have a career conundrum, email us at tips@legalcheek.com.
yes.
Maybe.
Seeing as you’ve already spent money on the bar course, you have nothing to lose but time by having a few goes at getting pupillage. And pivoting to any other career (e.g. training contracts/ solicitor route) will also take time and be challenging with a 2:2, so you might as well have a punt. The bar course isn’t an academic course, though, so I doubt it would counterbalance a disappointing undergraduate degree result.
Getting one with a 2:2 will be difficult, I imagine you will have to demonstrate extraordinary aptitude under other required competencies e.g. some really impressive mooting wins, for example.
I think you’ve got as good a chance as anyone. Whilst the bar is academic, it’s also very practical and what they look for in pupillage interviews more so is that you have a commitment to the bar, and want to be an advocate. Your practical experience demonstrates that clearly. I think in most pupillage applications, there is a section for any other information and you can put in there any reasoning as to why you got a 2:2 (if it was a difficult time in your life for example – if you didn’t put the effort in then I wouldn’t say that). Even so, I think the distinction in the bar course will help balance out the 2:2.
There’s no harm in trying.
Whilst it’s kind that you’re being optimistic, I think your comment lacks accuracy. Now i don’t believe it’s absolutely impossible, however you must understand that chances are very slim. Pupillage has become extremely competitive in the recent years, even 2:1s and those with firsts are struggling. The distinction will not balance out the 2:2 as most chambers don’t even care for the overall result. Many people usually encourage those with 2:2s to opt for the SQE instead as the bar is known for being brutal towards those who did not obtain a 2:1 and above.
That being said I still recommend giving it a go, you never truly know what can happen! Employed bar may be a good route as well.
getting pupillage is highly unlikely but not impossible
In the pupillage report of 2024/5 people with 2:2s for the first time had recorded offers, which shows how unlikely it is
furthermore, those with 2:2s made up only 1% of offers.
That said – it is possible but its probably best to look at alternatives when faced with the reality of the report
The report: https://www.barcouncil.org.uk/static/36eb6661-50de-4a3b-8b7fbb73885a40c7/Pupillage-Gateway-2024-25.pdf
Congratulations on getting a Distinction in your bar course. I’m sorry to hear that extenuating circumstances affected your undergraduate degree.
You can absolutely become a barrister. I would advise that you turn this ‘weakness’ into a strength. Be honest and open in applications about your 2:2. Convey a narrative that demonstrates resilience and progress. What have you learned? What qualities have you developed? How will this help you thrive at the Bar? Everyone loves an underdog story.
The hardest part may be getting past the initial paper sift with chambers who effectively fetter their discretion with rigid grade requirements. This is especially the case for Tier 1 and commercial and chancery sets. (The bar council report mentioned by others is a bit of a reality check and makes for sobering reading.)
However, you can do other things to demonstrate your academic ability: enter essay competitions, mooting competitions, etc. Your county court advocacy is very relevant here.
You haven’t said where you wish to practice. You may wish to secure pupillage in the regions and then move to London later in your career (if London is your goal).
A longer route is also available; you may wish to qualify as a solicitor first and then transfer over later in your career. Law firms often use aptitude tests to judge competence instead of degree grades. You would be fighting on a more equal footing. I know plenty of excellent lawyers with ‘weak’ academics.
I wish you all the best.
— Anonymous
I second going for a less competitive circuit, however I have heard from multiple barristers that approaching this when your aim is eventually the london circuit you must be careful
If you’re home address is listed as London, you should be addressing why you want to go into that outside circuit. Even personal reasons such as family living there or having been to uni there is enough. Chambers do not want to be a ‘stepping stone’ for a barrister who will run off to London and therefore are slightly sceptical when someone in London applies to them (at least through what I’ve heard)
Obviously in all applications you should be targeting it to the specific chambers, but I’ve heard some assumptions that people think they can apply for 15 London sets and then a ‘safety net’ outside London, and it doesn’t really work that way
Hello, apologies for long post but this may help you:
I did not have a 2.2 but I had a very low (60.4%) from a non Russel group university. I then went on to do the GLD and the Bar course attaining a ‘Commendation’ and ‘Very Competent’ respectively (though I did have a smattering of 1st class marks across all three of these courses). It wasn’t because I was not bright enough, rather I really struggled with exams and studying over long periods (more of a last minute- turn it around in 24 hours type of person). Late into the day, I realised I probably have adhd which led me to better understand the struggles of being bright but underachieving. I have not relied on this as mitigation, instead I have focused in my pupillage applications on the fact that in my last year of university, I achieved a first in five out of six of my final exams, demonstrating that I do have the ability.
I went on to get a major scholarship from my Inn, and threw myself into every possible extra curricular possible; mooting, mini pupillage, pro bono, volunteering etc. I regularly attended seminars on my topics of interest, and networked furiously (though this will not get you pupillage in the end). Once on a mini pupillage, I mentioned my keen interest in environmental law, and the barrister I was with mentioned and gave me the contacts of an environmental law silk he knew at a leading set. I emailed the silk out of the blue (though I will say I played on a local connection), and he agreed to take me for a mini. Once I had been at that chambers, I was able to secure more mini pupillages at other leading sets. In short, each experience was a stepping stone for the next.
I studied the profiles of barristers at sets I would wish to join, and I noted what experience or accolades they had that were still open to me, i.e. I could not go back and do my university degree again, but I could, for example, apply to be either a research assistant at the Law Commission or a judicial assistant. I also strategically applied to do a master’s in law at a top university, a place I got through sheer grit and determination, evidencing all I had done to foster my interest in environmental law. At that university, I entered the Jessup Moot and won first prize.
All this is to say, it took much longer than if I had succeeded earlier on at university, but I wasn’t ready to abandon my goal. I have now secured pupillage a leading london set (age 30) – something my bar course tutors said was out of reach. It took many, many years of being a paralegal, research assistant, you name it. It took hours and hours of working on Saturday evenings making applications whilst my friends were enjoying their twenties.
Be realistic, but don’t give up. If you are willing to accept the long and winding road ahead of you, you will eventually succeed with hard work and tenacity. You won’t get into One Essex Court, that door is closed. But there are many other ways for you to make it to the Bar, via the GLD or CPS is a great example. You need to do everything in your power to stand out from the crowd; it’s tough, it’s expensive, and it’s lonely. I have no doubt if you want it enough, and you believe in yourself, you will succeed. At my pupillage interview I was asked about resilience, and boy could I demonstrate that I had it. I wish you every success in your endeavours, and I’ll see you at the Bar.
Excellent advice.
Wow….all of that……. can’t we just go back to the days when a blowie would do it.
I will add also (to my already lengthy comment), that it entirely depends where you seek pupillage and what type of law you wish to do. If you want pupillage on circuit, you are much more likely to get it as competition is far less fierce than in London. If you want to do crime/ family, this is also more easily achievable in your circumstances than commercial law. I forgot to add, I got a commercial pupillage, but as set out below, it was far from easy.
As many have already said, you have already made the investment so you might as well have a go! One of the most important mindsets of a barrister is resilience because there will be days when everything you touch turns to dust And you need to be able to take a positive approach. BTW if the extenuating circumstances were mental health related, I wouldn’t waste your time, they hear that every day! However if it was something like a serious physical illness or accident or something of that ilk Then you are in with a chance.
Without a doubt. Will you start off at Essex Court? No. Can you eventually get there, maybe (some of those chambers are exclusively 1st’ from Oxford). However, you will be able to obtain a pupillage or alternative routes to become a practicing barrister. Once qualified, the sky is your limit. I am a solicitor with 2:2 at an institution not worth mentioning. I am almost 7 years qualified. I am a Partner at a top London law firm with over 400 staff. I advise on complex disputes, sometimes in excess of £100m. I work with some of the top barristers in the country and against some of the ‘top’ law firms. I do not feel out of place, because I learnt my craft, challenged myself and continued to observe my performance and output against the rest of the industry. Does your level of qualification matter – initially yes – is it determinative – absolutely not.
At 6PQE, you’re not a Partner at a “top” London law firm though, are you?
Oh ye of little faith.
If you get an outstanding, or a high VC with a top of year mark in at least one module and/or have a highly impressive CV otherwise (e.g. meaningful scholarship(s)/awards)), then you have a fair chance.
I wouldn’t read past that degree result on an application before moving on to the next one.
All these “go for it” comments are about as useful as ChatGPT saying you have a chance.
As useful as a cock flavoured lollipop?? Eh??
Short answer:
If you want to do Crime, Housing or Personal Injury- yes. It’s possible.
In many chambers, including my own, a 2:2 is an automatic rejection unless you have sufficient mitigating circumstances. We can debate whether that should be true, but the reality is that it is true.
Thus, much depends on what the said circumstances are.
Having marked many pupillage applications myself, I would say this.
Mitigating circumstances are a shield and not a sword. When used correctly, they protect you from a rejection that would otherwise be made. For example, if you tell me that you suffered a serious illness or a family bereavement that significantly disrupted your studies (two classic examples of sensible mitigating circumstances for which I have the utmost sympathy) then I will not apply the automatic rejection and I will look at the rest of your application.
However, mitigating circumstances are are not a positive reason to take you as a pupil. If upon reading the rest of your application, I see that the rest of your academic results continue to be of ‘2:2 level’, then I have no reason to accept you. If, by contrast, your other results are of first class level, I then have reason to believe that you are, in reality, a first class candidate and should be treated as such, and that your 2:2 grade is an outlier caused by said mitigating circumstances. Alternatively, you could disclose exceptional legal experience that outweighs your academics.
Similarly, if you’re going to raise mitigating circumstances, you need to be clear, detailed and specific. I do see applications where applicants refer vaguely to difficult life circumstances. Without proper detail, I cannot place any weight on that. I appreciate that these things can be difficult to talk about – I have seen applications where candidates have disclosed utterly heartbreaking circumstances that no human being should have to endure. But without specifics, I simply cannot help you.
This is first class advice. I see lots of submissions that talk around vague issues and if you want me to apply it you need to spell it out.
I imagine it will be different depending on the area of law you want to go into.
I got a 2:2 in 2005, BVC in 2007 and started pupillage in 2010. It wasn’t easy but I had good reasons for why I wanted to practice at the criminal bar and I gradually made contacts and built a CV which demonstrated that desire. I’ll be honest, I thought a 2:1 was now required for the BPTC. If you’re at Lincoln’s Inn they run an excellent course called the Pupillage Foundation Scheme (no doubt other inns do similar) get on it and good luck!
Side note, ‘distinction’ doesn’t tell people much these days, as the institutions all have their own marking schemes now. At ULaw I believe a distinction is 70-79%, at BPP it’s 70-84%, and at City it’s 80%+. Probably better to lead with the percentage you got. Good luck.
With what youve done you’d think you’d be a barrister already. Hmmm. I think if youre not a barrister already you must have come across some barriers already.
Youve managed so many other things I don’t see why you wouldn’t manage a successful pupillage/tenancy also.
Just apply. But I expect itll be criminal bar or employment bar…perhaps a human rights chambers that might be prepared to think differently. Perhaps not those IP chambers, tax chambers….ah yes…that snobby bollocks I had forgotten the word …Chancery sets….those guys might not have the capacity to think differently.
Actually…. one question… when you do make it in chambers are you gonna be different and also take a broader look at applicants when youre in chambers?
Most successful applicants hold a 2:1 or a First; the Bar Council’s Pupillage Gateway shows offers are concentrated among Firsts and 2:1s, with only around 1% of offer-holders recorded with a lower second (2:2) in the most recent data. So, a 1% chance.
I do not believe anyone else gets to decide whether you will make it or not. If you genuinely believe that your place is at the Bar, then you will keep moving forward until you get there. Persistence will always outlast opinion.
There is more than one route to the same destination. If criminal advocacy is your calling, consider applying for pupillage with the CPS. Equally, opportunities may exist within other government departments, such as HMRC or the Government Legal Department. Another option is to qualify as a solicitor through the SQE route, build a substantial portfolio of advocacy experience, and then transfer to the Bar by way of a Transferring Qualified Lawyer application to the BSB. If granted a dispensation, you may then apply directly to chambers for a third six, practising pupillage or what some refer to as “squatting”.
The point is that success is not defined by the path you take, but by where you ultimately arrive. The real question is whether you are prepared to commit yourself to the journey, however long it may be. If the answer is yes, then keep going. You have already come this far,do not allow someone else’s opinion to dictate the course of your life. This is your career, your ambition and your journey.
Listen to advice, but take it in context. Most people speak from the perspective of their own experiences, limitations and circumstances. Their path is not necessarily yours. If you have made up your mind that the Bar is where you belong, then the doubts of others should not be enough to shake that conviction.
My advice is simple: go for it. Set yourself the challenge of making it happen, and refuse to give up until you do.
I wish you every success.
Govt Legal Service recruits 2:2’s + BVC s / BPTC – their training is 1st class and consists of- commercial, contractual and international transactional work too.
Plus a gold plated pension!