The Legal Cheek View
Meet 5 Essex Chambers at Legal Cheek’s next Virtual Pupillage Fair on 9 October 2025
If inquiries and police work interest you, 5 Essex Chambers is the place to go! A public and civil set with a stellar reputation, 5 Essex Chambers is one of the leaders when it comes to defence of the forces, inquests, public inquiries, but also investigations, employment, professional discipline, and public and administrative work — among others. Acting for the police and for government means a lot of human rights cases come their way. You can expect to find members appearing everywhere from broadcasted public inquiries and disciplinary panels to coroners’ courts and the Supreme Court. One tenant told Legal Cheek “The main reason I applied to join 5 Essex was because of the work available — and it has certainly lived up to the hype!”
5 Essex Chambers is made up of 56 tenants — including seven KCs — who take on a range of interesting work. Members are instructed by every police force in England and Wales and by Police Scotland, meaning there is often a lot of travelling around the country. Cases might involve defending the police in cases of false imprisonment, use of facial recognition technology, or misfeasance in public office. One tenant tells us: “We are lucky enough to get a lot of fascinating cases which involve balancing different public law rights.” Another junior adds: “I’m involved in some incredibly exciting police law cases, involving characters such as an alleged Neo Nazi, terrorists, Organised Crime Group Members, bent cops — it’s all very Line of Duty!”
There is the opportunity “to argue novel points of law” and every case “has its own challenges and rewards”. But what’s so fantastic, according to members at 5 Essex, is that their work “mixes the academic with the very human. A case may be considering a technical point of law but the context is always about the relationship between the state and the individual.” One junior describes their “first rate work” as “in the media” and “engages complex issues of fact, law” — plus “outcomes really make a difference” to boot.
It’s not just police work, however — you probably know the Post Office Horizon scandal by its ITV dramatisation, if not the public inquiry. Jason Beer KC practically became a celebrity for his witty examination as counsel during the inquiry, but Samantha Leek KC, Catriona Hodge, and Aaron Moss all played leading roles too. You can find tenants defending teachers in regulatory proceedings, working on huge inquests — from a billionaire’s helicopter crash to cocaine toxicity — and representing NHS Trusts in defending claims for discrimination, and even acting as lead counsel to the Mayor of London in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. What ties the work of members of 5 Essex Chambers together is that it often attracts media attention. As one member puts it, 5 Essex Chambers’ work is “of high public interest — involving novel and cutting edge issues affecting large sections of the public and issues of great controversy”. “I cannot believe how lucky I am to do the work we do in chambers.” One junior tells us, with another stating how they “can’t imagine a more interesting range of work”.
And these are just the cases we’re allowed to hear about. National security issues come up a lot in tenants’ work, as one rookie tells us: If cases “aren’t in the news, it’s because they are incredibly sensitive, with cases such as the Dawn Sturgess Inquiry and Afghanistan Inquiry raising difficult issues of national security.” One would be forgiven for thinking these things only make the work more exciting — the insiders certainly seem to think so: “Every case I work on could be a novel, film or TV series. Many of my cases are tragic, but all are fascinating, challenging and engaging” says one. Drama runs high in this work, as another junior told us that “much of my work is more thrilling than a John Le Carré or an episode of Line of Duty. The hours sitting at my desk fly by because the work we do in chambers is so interesting and exciting. Some days I cannot believe I am being paid for what I do because it is such fun.” Who wouldn’t want that?
“Complex, varied, challenging and consistently manages to hit a sweet spot which combines novel legal argument on matters of high principle with the gritty reality of human life.” We can’t think of a more accurate description of what members of the set are getting up to. Post Office Inquiry? 5 Essex are there. Grenfell Inquiry? Check. Infected Blood Inquiry? Yes again. Thirlwall Inquiry, The Covid-19 Inquiry, The Dawn Sturgess Inquiry (Novichok), Plymouth Shootings Inquest, Yassar Yaqub Inquest, Guildford Pub Bombings, Fishmongers’ Hall Inquests, Undercover Policing Inquiry… The Reading Terror Attacks Inquests, Malkinson Inquiry, Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, Jalal Uddin Inquiry, Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan, Police Overtime Claims Litigation… Brook House Inquiry, Omagh Bombing Inquiry? All yeses. The set’s work even goes as far as representing the claimant in the case of former Welsh Rugby and British & Irish Lions Captain, Gareth Thomas, who was accused of recklessly transmitting HIV to a previous partner. For those familiar with their tort syllabus the cases of Michael v Chief Constable of South Wales Police, and Robinson v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police might also ring a bell. That’s right, both 5 Essex again.
Where do pupils and baby juniors fit into all this exciting work? Well, we are told they get the chance to get stuck into interesting cases from the get-go. They are not sitting around doing document review — instead, their “‘bread and butter’ is serious cases involving stalkers, paedophiles and drug dealers”. A former pupil told us that in their pupillage year they “collected two High Court challenges in two days — that indicates the high level work undertaken”. Meanwhile a baby junior tells us that in their first year of tenancy they worked on four major public inquiries: the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Post Office Inquiry, the infected blood inquiry, and a police shooting inquiry. They also appeared solo in the High Court and frequently appeared in the Crown Court. There’s certainly plenty to keep you on your toes!
If that all sounds like a lot to dive right into, worry not. “There is a healthy mix of formal and informal training at every level”, we’re told, with juniors raving about the “exceptional” training and quality of pupil supervisors. “Advice and guidance provided by my pupil supervisors during pupillage has been invaluable” one rookie tells us, with another commenting on the lecture series run within chambers to introduce pupils to 5 Essex’s main practice areas. One rookie said the training is good enough that coming from a commercial set for a third six at 5 Essex allowed them to rapidly pick up “a totally new area of law”. “There is a well-developed training programme for pupils, which everyone is welcome to come along to for a refresher should they wish to”, which sounds helpful for those needing a top-up, especially the “frequent lunchtime talks, covering topics such as how to make best use of AI.” Indeed, training doesn’t end with pupillage, as described by one junior: “[my] pupil supervisors continue to monitor my progress and assist me despite becoming a tenant almost 2 years ago”.
“Lots of sets say they are friendly, but at 5 Essex it is actually true.” That’s the verdict of one very jolly junior when asked about the set’s collegiality. Other answers included “they are the best”, “my colleagues are — quite simply — the best”, and “I can’t imagine doing this job without the level of support provided in chambers.” There is an open door policy throughout chambers, as well as a WhatsApp group among pupils and juniors (in which both legal questions and memes are exchanged), ensuring “there is always someone who can provide advice and support”. The group chat is also apparently “an endless source of amusement”. Plaudits extend to the head of chambers, silks, and senior clerk, all of whom are on hand and “very approachable”. “You’ve not seen real open doors and collegiality until you’ve seen 5 Essex” another junior tells us. What more could you want?
The supportiveness of colleagues extends to all areas. We hear there is great support for parental and adoption leave, as well as a “wonderful” clerking team that barristers can’t seem to praise enough. Inevitably, work/life balance can be a challenge — this will be true of any good set. One tenant confides that striking the balance is “an endless struggle” — partly, as another notes, because the work is so top-drawer — but also states that the clerks are there to support and will “often flag that I need a holiday before I realise it myself”. “There are some people who prefer to work 9am — 5pm, others who take long holidays, and others who work every hour of the day. Chambers supports all of those.” One tenant notes: “The large amount of women in chambers means that childcare and family arrangements are spoken about and accounted for much more than in other chambers”, with the maternity policy praised for being “brilliant”, including a “rent holiday”! Senior clerk Mark Waller gets several special shoutouts for being “superb” in terms of helping tenants strike the right balance, with his team described as “excellent” and “amazing”. Collegiality might not be a strong enough word to describe the support here, at least according to one insider: “I love my colleagues. They are a huge source of support — way more supportive than my husband and family! There is no feeling of competition across chambers, instead there is a feeling that we celebrate everyone else’s success and consider others’ success is chambers’ success.” Senior members of chambers are also said to be supportive in this regard, one junior confiding that there is “no pressure” to work excessive hours. Another tells us they generally take a holiday every couple of months to recharge, with a third noting that the clerking team are “excellent about encouraging breaks and never push to take on more than I can/should.” Not necessarily what you might have expected from a set at the top of its field!
In terms of the social side of chambers, we hear it is common for members to grab lunch together, with “a very active junior end” also meeting regularly for drinks. Bigger events are organised and members at 5 Essex Chambers “love any excuse for a party”, with one rookie even boasting of a social event every fortnight! Also on the roster are Monday night yoga, birthday parties, a juniors curry night, royal ascot, welcome drinks for pupils and, of course, “trusty pub trips”. Some juniors even go on holiday together! Whilst inevitably social lives are different in a post-covid world, the consensus is that life at the set is “excellent”. Those who worry covid killed the social life should follow 5 Essex’s example: “in the aftermath of Covid – it felt like the ‘good old days’ of chambers socialising might be at an end. However, in the last year, a team has reinvigorated chambers’ social life, with monthly social events”. One tenant adds, “We’re off to the theatre together next month…” According to the set, they introduced “a programme of monthly social activities” in recent years, on top of everything else, making for “a very successful and enjoyable initiative.”
Clearly fond of a good thesaurus, the set’s juniors variously describe their “seriously fancy” new premises as “swanky”, “Incredible”, “Gorgeous”, “Stunning”, (deep breath), “classically beautiful”, “unbelievably swish”, “fantastic”, “really impressive”, and “state of the art”. Having spent almost 70 years at Middle Temple, 5 Essex can now be found in Gray’s Inn with all of the facilities that a top modern chambers could want. There are “beautiful conference rooms, a state-of-the-art clerks room”, a “top notch reception and waiting area”, and, to top it all off, air conditioning. We even hear that there are “fancy coffee machines” in every conference room. The layout of the members area has also received a great deal of praise, with juniors enjoying the “even more friendly and collegiate” feel.
With the new facilities comes a boost to the IT and tech support, including “AI/tech lunches”, with artificial intelligence hot on chambers’ agenda. Receiving special praise are the office manager and senior clerk, along with the dedicated IT team and “support at the end of the phone whenever we need it”. Offering another indication of just how friendly the 5 Essex bunch are, one junior tells us that whilst the IT team are on hand, “the go-to for most of us” is just “sticking your head into someone else’s room and asking”. Although there is a suggestion that full support “it is not quite finished yet”, members are unanimous that the set is “moving well in the right direction”. Also causing a buzz are the specialist cybersecurity consultants brought in, and the IT committee, “which is very active”, leaving no stone unturned in the pursuit of technological perfection.
For those sold on 5 Essex Chambers, applications should be made through the Pupillage Gateway. The set takes on up to three pupils a year and offers an award of £65,000. Marking the application, the Pupillage Committee will consider academic record, legal and non-legal experience, mini-pupillages, clarity and quality of presentation, and any other special or interesting features. The 30 highest-scoring applicants will be invited to a first-round interview where they will be asked to analyse and discuss a number of legal and ethical issues. The top 10 applicants will then be invited to a second-round interview, where they will be assessed according to legal knowledge, presentation, communication and interpersonal skills, and motivation.
Those prospective pupils who are successful will typically have three pupil supervisors over the course of the year. They will spend their first six months predominantly shadowing and completing paperwork for their supervisor. In the second six, they will take on paperwork for other members of chambers and also begin to build their own practice. This will comprise of both advisory work and increasingly being instructed to appear in court — usually two to three times a week. The training throughout pupillage is said to be “excellent”. The in-house advocacy programme delivered by Master Alastair Hodge is particularly praised. There is also funding available for external courses, and with more senior members of chambers passing on their knowledge “the training never stops”.
5 Essex Chambers is keen to emphasise that it particularly encourages applications from black and minority ethnic candidates, and from those with non-traditional backgrounds. The set works in partnership with Middle Temple and Inner Temple to offer mini-pupillages and also participates in 10,000 Black Interns and the Bar Placement Scheme. This year, 5 Essex Chambers also runs “Inside Five” — online open evenings designed to give aspiring barristers an insight into the pupillage process and life at a top-tier chambers.