No5 Chambers

As well as the work on offer at No5 being broad in range, it is also high in quality. One tenant tells us: “it’s intellectually stimulating and varied. I work on legally complex cases on a weekly basis”. There are opportunities to work on bigger, newsworthy cases (often as a junior to a KC), as well as to take on your own smaller matters, whether landlord-tenant disputes or personal injury claims following a minor road traffic accident.

One junior offered this insight into their experience so far: “During the first six of my specialist pupillage in personal injury & clinical negligence, I got exposure to a wide array of cases relating to various medical areas (gynaecology, birth injuries, spinal cord injuries, cancer, dental injuries, amputation cases, gastrointestinal cases etc) and types of personal injuries (fatal accidents, road traffic accidents, occupiers’ liability, and employer’s liability). I also got to shadow members at various hearings, including multi and fast-track trials, small claims trials, inquests, approval hearings, CCMCs… I have gained experience by completing work in respect of each case that I was exposed to. Everything felt highly stimulating from the get-go.”

Over the past year, tenants at No5 have been working on some exciting cases. Whether it’s Colin Banham persuading an employment tribunal to order the reinstatement of a Royal Mail employee, or Michael Duck KC successful in reaching criminal convictions for defendants accused of making “assassination kits”, it’s all interesting stuff. Other areas of recent interest include the overplanting of solar farms, Philip Rule KC acting in the Chagos Islands deal challenge, and Philip Dayle continuing to represent victims of the infected blood inquiry. The unlawful use of x-ray body scanners, predatory actors, and green belt farms also make the list — could you have a more diverse range of cases to work on?

And it’s not just the seniors who work on interesting matters. One baby junior at the set reveals: “as a very junior tenant, the work is fascinating right out of pupillage. I’m handling cases as sole counsel that peers at other chambers won’t do until 5+ years of tenancy”. Of course, it can’t always be headline-grabbing stuff: “some stuff is “same old same old”; some is very interesting”, one No5 tenant confides.

When it comes to work-life balance at No5, views are somewhat mixed, but this is standard at the bar. Whilst some tenants burn the midnight oil, others prefer to have more downtime, but all generally recognise that the choice is their own: “work-life balance is very much a choice at No5 in my experience”, said one, “many juniors choose to prioritise this balance, some even work the typical 9-5 hours. However, in my pupillage, I have found myself working late hours slightly more often than I would have chosen.” That being said, this junior went on to tell us that they were “nowhere near as overworked as my friends were at others chambers during their pupillage” and we hear the set promotes a supportive environment with “flexible paternity/maternity leave policies, as well as chambers-wide schemes to ensure people can balance their home life with their intended practice”.

Tenants at No5 also generally praise their “highly supportive and caring colleagues”. One junior at the set gushes: “the colleagues are the best part about the job. We go for regular Friday drinks and are genuinely very good friends outside of work. In the job, everyone is immensely supportive and more than happy to answer the phone to deal with any queries you might have. There are numerous group chats set up for the juniors to discuss any pressing issues and stay in contact generally”. It sounds like a splendid community. Other tenants claim they “discovered what support looks like” after moving to No5 from another chambers, whilst one simply states: “we are family”.

Unfortunately, all this support hasn’t quite translated into a booming social scene, with many tenants working from home full-time or simply too busy. That being said, insiders do report on several socials at various bars and restaurants, office drinks every Thursday, and football-minded peers watching the Euros together. We’re told the most fun is to be had in Birmingham, with recent highlights there including “turning chambers into a casino, a mini-golf course, and a huge inflatable igloo”.

Another bonus for No5’s midland residents is the premises. One tells us: “the Birmingham mothership is a huge building and it’s easy to get lost! Members have traditional rooms and can choose to share as they wish. It’s sometimes easy to forget you’re in the West Midlands and not a traditional building in Temple”. The new space at 103 Colmore Row is said to be “even larger, more modern and sleek than London” which is no mean feat when you consider chambers’ Savoy-adjacent digs in London have just been refurbed. It is said to be “sleek, modern, and in a great location”. However, for those who prefer the more traditional setting of the Inns of Court, “it may not tick those boxes”. The tech and IT on offer suffers no such mixed reviews, with tenants across the board cheerily noting you “can always get help” from the “all new and excellent support team”.

No5 Barristers’ Chambers takes on six to eight pupils per year across its locations and different practice groups. An award of £30,000 is made during the first six months of pupillage with a guarantee of at least £30,000 during your second six. Pupils can expect to sit with one supervisor for the entirety of their pupillage — something which is very unusual. During the first six, pupils will assist with tasks such as drafting opinions, whilst the second six will see pupils get on their feet, taking on their own cases. Throughout the 12 months training, pupils are “carefully monitored” to ensure progress, with supervisors preparing reports which provide feedback. Advocacy sessions and exercises are conducted throughout the year to help pupils gear up for the practising second six which involves “varied and challenging” work, often in county courts around the country.

“The training is very specialised. While some people might miss the variety, it gives you the chance to spend 12 months focussed on your own specific area”, one former pupil tells us. Other tenants also speak highly of the training that they received during pupillage, especially the pastoral support. “Not only was the technical side of pupillage taken care of but they also created an environment for pupils to do well and thrive”, one tells us, adding: “I genuinely felt that everyone was rooting for me to succeed”. Support is on hand from junior members who act as mentors to pupils, and the set says all its heads and deputy heads of group and pupillage are fully trained as senior counsellors, showing that pastoral support and wellbeing is a top priority for the set.

Those wishing to apply for pupillage at No5 should make their application through the set’s own application form. Prospective applicants should be ready to demonstrate intellectual ability, experience of law in practice, public speaking experience, written presentation ability, commitment/motivation, and interpersonal skills. The set will invite the highest-scoring candidates on the application form to a first-round interview, which focuses on the content of the application form. Those who impress will be invited to an advocacy exercise, followed by a one-day mini-pupillage before coming back for a second-round interview. This interview is more extensive and includes a legal problem.