Devereux Chambers

In terms of the cases you take on, work starts off relatively basic, with a sprinkling of more complex stuff that steadily transforms into working towards higher value instructions more regularly. One junior sums it up: “The work has a mix of discrimination work with great human interest and technical tax work which is incredibly difficult and intellectually challenging. Highly stimulating in a variety of ways.” Another highlights the mix of challenging law and the supporting mundane tasks: “Working for a brain injured claimant can involve high-stakes negotiation, but it can also involve tedious number-crunching and costs budgeting.” Baby juniors are handed opportunities to develop advocacy skills — which are “not afforded at all top sets” — through being expected to run their own civil court and employment cases from the get-go. There is also opportunity to be led in large commercial and tax disputes, including “plenty of trips to the Court of Appeal or Supreme Court clinging to the coat-tails of senior members”.

There are certainly plenty of exciting cases taking place in chambers. In just this past year, Joshua Carey and Max Schofield have been successfully battling with a £5 million VAT assessment, whilst Bruce Carr KC and Anna Greenley successfully obtained an interim injunction in relation to the Birmingham “bin strike”. Howard Watkinson and Max Schofield have also been working through VAT exemptions on food in the Court of Appeal, with John Platts-Mills tackling a very different issue in the High Court addressing rugby’s concussion trial. Whether it’s the income tax liability of sports pundits, or VAT on sports drinks, Devereux have it all.

Even with all these big cases going on, Devereux Chambers is notably a friendly and collegiate place. The “lack of egos” is a particular like of one Devereux insider while another tells us simply “we work as a team”. This means there is always someone willing to lend a hand if you get stuck on a tricky point of law. “From the junior end right up to the most senior silk — if you have a question that touches on someone else’s experience or expertise, everyone tries to help,” one junior at the set tells us. Another comments: “I regularly take any knotty problems to other members and inevitably come away with the answer, or with something much closer to the answer.”

With so much hard work going on, it’s inevitable that work-life balance is “not perfect” but it’s pretty good at Devereux. As one tenant puts it: “Clerks are excellent at keeping an eye on workload. There’s no pressure not to take holidays or breaks and there are work/life balance coaches available.” Insiders do report some long hours but these are said to be “a matter of personal choice”. As one barrister says: “I have never felt under pressure to work longer than I want to, either from the clerks or more senior members. You have to work hard (and sometimes long) to maintain a practice anywhere, but at Devereux you feel in control.” The clerks are especially praised for helping the barristers to manage their time. We are also told by one tenant who has recently taken a substantial period of paternity leave that chambers have been very supportive of this.

When there is some downtime, Devereux’s building is perfectly positioned next to The Devereux Pub meaning there is scope for after work drinks. We are told bonds at work are strengthened further by regular lunch in Middle Temple Hall, and sponsored charitable activities such as walks, fun runs, cycling contests, and quiz nights. Flexible working has taken its toll, with many said to “work fully from home now” but insiders say there’s still “always someone to have a drink or a coffee with” and one tells us “my roommate was my best man at my wedding.” We’ve also heard that the “Christmas party is an institution!” (We’ll look out for our invite in the post).

Location-wise, Devereux has an ideal position within Middle Temple. Overlooking Fountain Court (which does contain a fountain) and with a pub next door and the Royal Courts of Justice just across the street, it’s not a surprise this “stunning building” has featured on many period and legal dramas. There are less glowing reviews for the inside space, with the main building “not necessarily set up for modern office life.” Nevertheless, we hear the set is redecorated every year and the rooms are “generously spacious”.

Technology wise, there are conference rooms, permitting hybrid conferences –- especially useful these days. The IT support is said to be “amazing” within chambers, with Jacki Muirhead -– director of operations – getting a particular shoutout. A recent switch in external IT providers has “done wonders” for the previously “patchy” support and at least one member makes “regular use of the camera-enabled conference rooms for remote hearings.”

Devereux Chambers offers two pupillages per year, each coming with an award of £75,000. The assessed part of pupillage is split between three pupil supervisors, and pupils can express a preference for seats, choosing from employment, tax, personal injury/clinical negligence, and commercial. There is also a possibility of a fourth unassessed seat, during which the pupil can gain experience in another practice area, if desired. As a result of working for different members of chambers, pupils “are able to observe, learn from and draw upon the broad spectrum of strengths, skills, and styles held within chambers”, according to one tenant. In the first six, pupils will undertake legal research, work on client papers, draft advice, pleadings and skeleton arguments, and accompany their supervisor to conferences and to court. In the second six, pupils will start to take on their own cases, usually in tribunals and the county court. Throughout pupillage, there will be a number of written and advocacy assessments.

Pupillage at the set is highly praised. One former pupil notes that it is “carefully planned and well executed” albeit with the caveat that “some areas are better taught than others”. One junior tenant who recently went through pupillage at the set describes it as “second to none. It was rare among my cohort of pupils to have supervisors at such a high level of call. That, combined with the willingness of even the most senior silks to involve pupils in, for example, appeals to the Supreme Court, meant that I started practice with an excellent understanding of both the work that I would be doing immediately, and the work that I hope to do when I reach the pinnacle of my career”. Even beyond pupillage, the learning continues. As one senior junior puts it: “Every day is a school day, even after over twenty years of experience.”

Applicants to Devereux Chambers should apply through the Pupillage Gateway. Paper applications are marked and narrowed down to around 40 candidates who are invited to a first round interview. This interview is fairly relaxed and only lasts around 15 minutes. Those scoring highest in the interview, around 10, will be invited to a final round interview where they will be given a legal problem 30 minutes before the interview and asked to prepare. The interview will then take place in front of a panel. Throughout the process, the criteria on which applicants are assessed are: intellect and analysis, a good approach to problem solving, communication and presentation skills, and an aptitude for chambers’ core areas of practice. For the last four years in a row every rookie that the set has taken on has been offered a tenancy — a perfect record!

Devereux Chambers participates in access and social mobility schemes, such as the Pegasus Access Scheme run by the Inner Temple and the Social Mobility Foundation Bar placement scheme, alongside the 10,000 Black Interns Programme. Additional mini-pupillages to the ones typically on offer are available through such schemes.

The pupillage experience

I was initially drawn to Devereux by its excellent reputation in employment law, but I also liked the idea of practising in its other specialist areas: personal injury, tax, and commercial law. I also felt that I connected well with the Devereux barristers who interviewed me, and that they understood where I was coming from as an applicant switching careers. I’m sure that that was helped by the fact that several other Devereux members have previously worked in other fields.

Pupillage at Devereux is rigorous and well organised. It is divided into four three-month seats: assessed seats in employment, tax and personal injury, and an unassessed seat after the tenancy decision in an area of the pupil’s choice. At the end of each assessed seat, your supervisor prepares a written report with detailed feedback and marks for your performance across different areas. They then sit down with you to go through the report in detail. In addition, pupils complete seven assessments organised by the pupillage committee: five written and two advocacy. You do not know who has set them and, for the written assessments, your work is anonymised so that the assessor does not know it is yours until after they have marked it. The advocacy assessments are done before a panel of three people, including a former judge. They are a great opportunity to improve your advocacy skills.

All this means that as a pupil at Devereux you are assessed in a structured, objective, and transparent way. It is a demanding process, but you will have a good idea of where you stand as the year goes along and as the tenancy decision approaches in July.

In terms of day-to-day work, sometimes your supervisor will set you a task they have already completed themselves, but most of the time you will be helping them with “live” cases, giving you a true sense of what practice is like. I saw my supervisors appear in court on a range of different matters, from a multi-day trial in the High Court, to hearings in the employment tribunal, the tax tribunals, and the Court of Appeal. As well as doing research, I drafted pleadings, skeleton arguments, and notes of advice. I was extremely impressed by the quality of the training across the board.

The transition from pupil to tenant

My pupillage left me as well prepared as I could have been for the transition to tenancy. On top of the rigour of the pupillage itself, Devereux supervisors are encouraged to give pupils opportunities to shadow very junior tenants, so you get an idea of the kind of work you will be doing right at the start of tenancy. In addition, in your final months as a pupil at Devereux you are likely to take on several of your own cases. You will still have a supervisor at this time, which means that you can start to build up court experience while also having someone more senior on hand to discuss your cases with you and answer your questions.

That said, nothing can quite prepare you for your first few months as a tenant: everything seems new, your clients are looking to you for answers, you are still learning how to manage your diary, you are trying to work out whether you need your robes for a hearing… The list goes on. That’s why it is so important to have people in your chambers who are willing to give you advice and tips. My colleagues are very supportive, which has made the transition to practice smoother. I have now been a tenant for a little over a year, and I feel much more confident about managing my own cases and about standing up in court than I did initially. It is very satisfying when you come across a problem you have encountered before and can draw on your experience to achieve the result your client wants.

What is your practice like now?

I practise across all of Devereux’s areas of specialism: employment, personal injury, tax and commercial. This means that I get exposed to many kinds of work. In employment and personal injury in particular, you will find yourself appearing in court several times a week from the start. But there are also plenty of opportunities to work with more senior barristers on bigger cases, especially in tax but also in employment, personal injury, and commercial work. This mixture of work means that you get to hone your own advocacy and cross-examination skills in your own cases, while also seeing more experienced practitioners in action and learning from them.

Another big advantage of practice at Devereux is the variety of clients you are likely to work with. Your clients could range from members of the HR team at a large employer with plenty of experience of litigation in the employment tribunal, to an individual personal injury claimant who has had an accident at work and has never been to court before. I find it stimulating to work with such a wide range of clients.

As a junior tenant the hours can be long, and it can be difficult to achieve a good work/life balance. I expect that that is true for most junior barristers. But because you are self-employed you have some control over your hours and workload. As a solicitor I had to do whatever work was allocated to me; now I have more freedom to choose what work I do, and when.

The job is too varied and unpredictable for there to be a typical working week. You have to learn to juggle different tasks and to cope with uncertainty. While that can of course be stressful, it is one of the things that makes this job so stimulating.

 What is the culture of chambers?

I feel very lucky to work with such an accomplished group of colleagues in an atmosphere which is friendly and supportive. While the pandemic has resulted in more people working from home, there are always a good number of people in chambers. We have a great rapport at the junior end and meet up for lunch or drinks quite regularly. On top of that, the senior leadership team are very approachable and good with people.

At Devereux we are also lucky to have a brilliant team of clerks and support staff. I have regular practice development meetings with my clerks to assess my workload and the type of work I am doing, and to plan ahead. I know that they have my best interests at heart and want to help me succeed in my career.

Finally, one of the best parts of the job is the physical environment. At Devereux we have rooms in our own building at the entrance to Middle Temple and on two floors in Queen Elizabeth Building. It is a huge privilege to work in such beautiful surroundings.

Top tips for those wanting to become a barrister/secure a pupillage at your chambers

My three top tips for getting pupillage are:

1. Make your application as strong as you can across the board. For example, no matter how good your academic record is, it is likely to be more difficult for you to succeed if (say) you have no advocacy experience and have not done any mini-pupillages. It is therefore important to identify where the weaker points in your application are and to take steps to address them.

2. Don’t be disheartened by rejections. The pupillage application process is very challenging, and you will almost inevitably face disappointment at one point or another. It is important not to let this dent your confidence. Try to learn from each experience and keep looking forward to the next opportunity.

3. Do your research. We are not expecting detailed legal knowledge of our practice areas, but we are looking for people with a genuine interest in the work we do.

The application process requires a lot of hard work and commitment, but it is all worth it for the chance to work in this unique profession. Good luck!