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Pupillage odds revealed: Do you stand a chance?

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By Saul Agar-Ward on

The Legal Cheek Podcast dives into the new data

Fewer than half of UK bar students secure pupillage within five years of starting their training. With fees rising and success rates varying widely between course providers, should aspiring barristers think twice before enrolling?

This week on the Legal Cheek podcast, editor Tom Connelly sits down with writer Saul Agar-Ward, recent Bar Course graduate and future pupil barrister, to unpack the Bar Standards Board’s latest bar training report.

How much does your choice of provider, or your degree classification, shape your chances? Is average tuition of £17,600 a sensible investment given the odds? And is it smarter to secure pupillage before signing up for the course at all?

The Legal Cheek Podcast is sponsored by Simpson Thacher, home of the private equity training contract

In this episode, we look at the competition for pupillage and the role of providers. We also cover the BSB’s plans for a full review of the bar training system, and the potential changes we would like to see.

We also discuss how students can pay for these five-figure courses, whether providers should warn students off, and how to know if the bar is right for you.

You can listen to the podcast in full via the embed above, or on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

To help with your research, check out and compare sets on the Legal Cheek Chambers Most List 2027.

The Legal Cheek Podcast is proudly independent. Thanks to our sponsor Simpson Thacher, home of the private equity training contract, for making that possible


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