Gough Square Chambers

The investment doesn’t stop there, however. Tenants at the set, whether supervisors or not, are willing and able to continually help rookies’ development, we hear. “If the chambers succeeds, we all succeed!”, seems to be the consensus, with one sentimental member sharing that they “could not ask for a more supportive team — barristers and clerks. Always available to help with queries and always very generous with their time”. Indeed support comes from all directions, with “everyone willing to lend an ear or a hand when they can”. Whether it’s the members who are “always available at the end of the phone or in chambers”, the doors that are “kept open”, or the weekly members’ lunches “which always provides an opportunity to ask questions”, juniors confirm that there is “a genuine sense of camaraderie” at the set”, where “individual successes are always celebrated.”

This collaborative structure means that knowledge is shared around chambers informally, with everyone at the set “willing to discuss thorny legal problems!” This extends beyond just work, however, with “all members of chambers ready and willing to assist others with work-related and non-work-related issues. There is always someone to turn to if you need support,” we are told.

All of this preparation, training, and support seems very necessary when you consider the quantity and quality of work that tenants are involved with. “Members are in the privileged position of operating from a specialist set but working in litigation across the civil and criminal jurisdictions. This means that the work is very varied and by virtue of being true specialists, always at the cutting edge of legal developments within our specialisms. One day I might be working on a high value financial services dispute, and another on advising government agencies on prosecuting a rogue trader.” Another happy member simply notes that “the work I do is varied and interesting”, and that “chambers has been instrumental in increasing my practice.”

We are told that work contains “a good mix of criminal, civil and regulatory consumer law, including food law”. You can expect “good court work and paperwork (advices, letters, pleadings)”, according to one member. As expected, the work is also “intellectually challenging” and there’s high admiration for the resident clerks who we’re told are “very good at sourcing and allocating a variety of matters that will be beneficial for a junior developing a career at the bar”.

Personally, we can’t think of a better way to describe the work that tenants at Gough Square are getting up to. Whilst appearances in appellate courts are a regular occurrence, prospective pupils will be interested to hear about the sets work on BA Cityflyer Limited v Lipton, a Supreme Court case on air passenger rights and post-brexit application of EU law. Demonstrating the range of chambers’ work, juniors have also represented both sides of a dispute in the First-Tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber) over whether honey can be marketed as “raw” within the Honey (England) Regulations 2015. How interesting!

It’s not all work here though, tenants do have a (very enjoyable looking) life too: “There are always impromptu trips to the pub or out for lunch. Members go for runs together and practice yoga. Personal life events are frequently celebrated with the whole of chambers often invited to wedding celebrations and birthday parties.” One senior member adds, “meeting colleagues in a social environment is a key feature of chambers’ life. It helps forge bonds with colleagues who, because of the nature of the bar, are not always in chambers”. We even hear rumours of annual trips within chambers, including an annual conference in Puglia, which is said to “provide the perfect opportunity to socialise and learn from each other.”

Not all of the fun happens in chambers though. “Members are encouraged to have a life out of work and the clerks are always keen to facilitate life outside of work where possible” chimes one insider, another noting that the “clerks are always willing to assist to help achieve a work-life balance. Members of chambers are all aware of the need to maintain a work-life balance and none place pressure on others to work excessively.” When asked about their own balancing act, one junior did admit feeling a lack of “any active promotion of the ‘life’ part of the equation”, before confirming that “members are receptive to people taking time away from work when they need to and for whatever reason”, with time away from court or papers “never an issue”. What’s more, one insider spills that they have “not experienced any question or judgment when taking short or long periods away from work. There are no complaints about members being too busy or not busy enough. There are no complaints about members being unavailable because they are not working.” Sounds pretty good to us.

To strike this balance, however, rookies will need to drag themselves away from the chambers. One junior notes how the set’s HQ “shares Gough Square’s charm and refinement”. Others rave about the “beautiful red brick building”, and the recent renovations — which have “significantly improved the work environment and the facilities for colleagues and clients” (with more to come). Situated in historic Gough Square, the home of Dr Johnson, famous 18th century poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, literary critic, sermonist, biographer, editor, and lexicographer, “chambers is a small building but tastefully maintained and decorated to a high standard. The facade of chambers is imposing and in keeping with the area.”

As for the tech and IT offering at the set, juniors again have nothing to complain about. We’ve had reports of chambers being “responsive and helpful”, with the online libraries described as “very useful” and “very user-friendly”. Word on the street is that the set has also “recently switched to a top provider”, exciting stuff.

For those roused to throw their hat into the ring for the coveted single pupillage spot, you can find the set on Pupillage Gateway. Applications consist of two rounds of interviews in front of a diverse panel of members, with candidates typically encountering up to eight members across the two panels. These interviews, and the paper application stage, assess candidates on six criteria: Intellectual Ability, Advocacy, Analytical ability, Interpersonal skills and temperament, Initiative, and Interest in and suitability for consumer and regulatory law. “Every pupil who has started in Chambers over the last 15 years has gone on to become a tenant”, the set says. If you want to dip a toe in the water, Gough Square juniors and silks also host monthly webinars, which are aimed both at professionals and prospective pupils.

During pupillage, the lucky recruit will have an initial induction and informal reception followed by monthly reviews during the non-practising six. This will be complemented by meetings with the head of pupillage. Prior to launching into practice, the rookie will undertake a formal oral advocacy assessment in chambers and will then continue to have regular reviews during their practice period with their supervisor, head of pupillage, and the senior clerk.

The pupillage experience

I was drawn to Gough Square Chambers for its quality of work in both civil and criminal jurisdictions and for its unstuffy, collegiate nature. I liked that I would be developing specialist knowledge early in my career while enjoying scope to explore the full breadth of regulatory law, and that I could decide after being in practice what the right balance of oral versus written advocacy was for me. I was attracted to the idea that a practising second-six would be a stepping stone between the non-practising period of my pupillage and tenancy, and, importantly, I felt I would fit in with Chambers’ members.

Currently, Chambers recruits one pupil per year. I found this to be really helpful because I was not sharing opportunities to see some of the most interesting work in Chambers with a co-pupil and because I knew that, without competition from a co-pupil, my tenancy decision would be based solely on my own performance aptitude. I found there were plenty of opportunities to socialise with other pupils, so I did not feel as if I was missing out on the benefits of having a sociable and supportive co-pupil.

During the pupillage year, I had three different supervisors with practices that are quite different in some respects. That really helped me to see a variety of work and styles and to get a better sense of the type of work I might like to explore. I was also fortunate to complete pieces of research and drafting for, and spend time shadowing, other members of Chambers. In particular, I enjoyed attending two criminal prosecutions of large-scale fraud and money laundering offences where in each case a team of Chambers’ members was instructed.

I had three formal written advocacy assessments, one with each supervisor, and a formal oral advocacy assessment shortly before starting my second-six. I found the feedback I received immensely helpful, particularly after my oral advocacy assessment, and confidence-building as I progressed towards getting on my feet for the first time. The work produced for my supervisors was considered informally, of course, and will have helped my supervisors build a picture to report back to other members.

In my second-six, I was very regularly in the County Court and occasionally in a Magistrates’ Court, all under the helpful guidance of my supervisors and other members of Chambers. After two years of studying, gaining experience, and applying for pupillage, I very much enjoyed the feeling of finally being in Court in my own right. At first, all of my work was checked by my then supervisor before it went off, for which I was grateful. The transition to being entirely self-dependent, aside from the regular question or quick chat, was gradual such that I felt confident with my work.

The transition from pupil to tenant

For me, the transition from pupil to tenant was fairly unremarkable in that I have felt the support of my pupil supervisors when needed just as much in tenancy as I did as a pupil. Equally, having undertaken a busy second-six that allowed me to be in Court at least three times a week, I was fairly comfortable with many of the cases I had as a new tenant and I had gained confidence in arguing those cases before a judge.

A practical but important benefit to practising in my second-six before tenancy was that I received payment for my second-six work in the first months of tenancy when I stopped receiving my pupillage award. That meant there wasn’t a period of a few months at the start of my tenancy where I was waiting to be paid, which can sometimes happen if your first paid work is only done at the start of your tenancy.

What is your practice like now?

Fortunately, I have been very busy since joining as a tenant. I have regularly been in the County Court, Magistrates’ Courts, and Crown Court, and I have been led on cases in the High Court, the Upper Tribunal, and the Supreme Court. While many of my cases have been consumer finance cases, which is one of Chambers’ specialisms, I have also undertaken work that falls into the areas of commercial, public, regulatory, health and safety, and criminal law. I have enjoyed that variety and aim to maintain a diverse practice.

I am usually in Court two or three times per week, though I have a good amount of written work to do too. I work long hours, but I learn something from every case and my workload is certainly within my control and something that can be freely discussed with the clerks. It is easy to block time in my diary to catch-up on paperwork or take a break, so I have the tools to maintain the right balance.

I have a great mentor through the scheme run by Lincoln’s Inn, and I would really recommend a mentor to those starting out at the Bar. It has been useful to be able to ask questions about practice management, practice development, and marketing to a senior member of the Bar able to give the view of someone outside Chambers. That, in addition to the support I receive from those in Chambers, continues to be invaluable.

What is the culture of chambers?

Gough Square Chambers is a friendly set where you are supported by your colleagues and your clerks. In my view, the considerable merit in Chambers’ being fairly small is that you know everyone and everyone knows you. This means you have a good sense of everyone’s experience, which helps with knowing who to run an idea or question past, and more senior members of Chambers get to know you well and can more easily understand the type of junior work that would interest you.

Members of Chambers generally share rooms, though it is quite rare for more than two people to be in Chambers at the same time, and we all share Chambers’ facilities, which include a printing room, conference room, books and journals, and two kitchens. To help things run smoothly, Chambers has various committees, two Heads of Chambers, a Chambers Administrator, Marketing Executive, and a very efficient clerking team led by our Senior Clerk.

Chambers has been a sociable environment since it was founded. It is not uncommon for members of Chambers to have lunch, coffee, or a post-work drink together, and Chambers holds an annual consumer law conference in Puglia, which also provides an opportunity to socialise between members of Chambers and clients. The summer party has also become quite the annual event, with this year’s party held in the National Portrait Gallery. All of this creates a collegiate spirit that has helped me during my pupillage and first year of tenancy at Gough Square.

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

I can’t profess to have any unique advice or insight, but I really benefited from the following pointers others kindly shared with me when I was applying:

1. If you decide that the Bar is for you, throw absolutely everything at it — you are unlikely to be successful if you don’t completely commit to it by actively searching out opportunities to gain more experience and build your profile

2. Have an open mind when it comes to applying — it is tricky to get a full picture of what a particular set or practice area is like until you are there or practising in that field, so be slow to decide that a particular area of law is not for you.

3. Think about the type of barrister you would like to be — some barristers may be in Court every day while others may spend much more time on written work than they do in Court. It’s important to have a sense of what might work for you and then explain to those interviewing you not just why you would like to be a barrister, but why you would like to be that type of barrister.

4. Don’t underestimate yourself but be realistic too – when selecting the sets to apply to, try to think very dispassionately about whether your application is likely to be successful there. You can only make a limited number of sets, so use your applications, time, and energy wisely.
Don’t just tell, explain with examples — it is much more helpful to those reviewing your pupillage applications and interviewing you for you to show them examples that substantiate your resilience, adaptability, analytical mind, advocacy skills etc. Saying you are or have those things is not enough.

5. Good things can take time — while you will likely be desperate to get an offer of pupillage and start your career at the Bar, it is uncommon to get an offer first time around. There will be many barristers who secured pupillage after a few years of applying, so be realistic but also don’t be unreasonably deterred and use time between application rounds to keep building your CV.