The application process for a pupillage commencing in October 2026 closed on 6th February 2025. Applications for October 2027 will be accepted from 11.00am on 5th January 2026.

Why Coram Chambers?

At Coram, we believe and invest in our pupillage system. Our focus during your pupillage year is support, training and learning: we believe that happy, encouraged pupils are the best kind. We want to give pupils an environment in which to think laterally, have the freedom to ask questions, and ultimately build the practice to which they aspire.

Our junior barristers are always encouraged to maximise their potential. In recent years, our juniors have won the Family Law Awards: Young Barrister of the Year (2016, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021), Junior Barrister of the Year (2017, 2018, 2020 and 2022), Case of the Year (2020 and 2023) and Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year (2016 and 2017). In 2019 we won Family Law Chambers of the Year: London and in 2021, Family Law Clerking Team of the Year. To Coram, pupillage is vitally important. We are recruiting practitioners who will go on to shape the future of the Bar, and we view that as a profound privilege.

“What I love about Coram Chambers is that people are invested in each other’s successes and are right next to them during their difficult moments.”
Srishti Suresh, Barrister, Co-head of Pupillage, Coram Chambers

Our pupils receive practical and theoretical training at the highest level, and of fantastic quality. Our comprehensive training is provided by members of chambers at all levels of seniority, with scope to tailor what a pupil learns to their interests. We have designed a mock advocacy and written work scheme to take place throughout the year, preparing pupils before they ‘get on their feet’. Formal assessments do not start until pupils approach second six, allowing plenty of time to get settled into chambers’ life.

We have a mentoring scheme that ensures legal, practical and pastoral issues can be raised and addressed appropriately. We will always ensure that our pupils are supported. We are committed to reflecting the ethos of chambers as an approachable and friendly set in all of our policies. Each pupil also has the benefit of a ‘buddy’ (a very junior member of chambers – usually one who has just completed pupillage) who will offer more informal support.

“An absolute dream team. They are accommodating at every level and willing to assist with finding a solution outside the box for every client and situation, no matter how complex or unusual.”
Chambers & Partners, 2025

Pupils have three supervisors throughout the year, each seat lasting four months, and will experience the whole range of work undertaken in chambers. Our hope is that pupils gain valuable experience with leading cases, high-profile and sensitive work, and complicated legal and factual issues. These cases are often at the very forefront of legal developments. In the past few years, members have been briefed in leading cases in the UK Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the European Court of Human Rights, the BIOT and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

Members of chambers frequently give lectures and write both articles and books, including the Red Book, Hershman and McFarlane, and many others. Pupils are encouraged and supported to undertake speaking or writing commitments of their own, guided by members of chambers who are leading authors of many of the best-known texts in family law. Pupils and junior members are encouraged to get involved more broadly in the functioning of the family justice system: for example, some of our juniors hold roles on the Bar Council, the FLBA (National Committee and Scholarship Committee), and have reverse mentored with the BSB. In short, even our junior barristers are involved in shaping law and policy for this profession. We believe that their voices should be championed.

“If you are interested in experience in all types of family law, Coram is the best place to do your pupillage. We are a brilliant, warm and friendly set doing high-quality, challenging legal work that makes a real difference to our clients.”
Alex Laing, Barrister, Co-head of Pupillage, Coram Chambers

Pupillage at Coram has a special dimension. It offers pupils full grounding in the breadth of family law and creates the potential to become a junior tenant in whichever area, or areas, pupils find interesting and rewarding. Our juniors have practices across the spectrum; from specialist private finance, private children or child abduction, and legally-aided care proceedings, to practices including some or all of the above, in proportions led by the individual. We believe knowledge is agency. The more pupils see and learn, the better informed they become to shape their careers. We find that a well-rounded pupillage bolsters the confidence of our pupils and informs the quality of their advocacy.

The principle that underpins our work with pupils is progress; not perfection. This is a dynamic job in which we are all constantly learning and recalibrating. The measure of a successful pupillage is their propensity for growth. It is with that spirit that we approach tenancy decisions. The tenancy decision is taken in late June or early July of the pupillage year. We aim to be as transparent as possible. No outcome should come as a surprise: we have mid-seat and end-of-seat discussions with pupils. We talk about how pupillage is going, strengths, and any areas for improvement that might have been flagged.  Our hope is that pupils will remain at Coram and commence their tenancy with us. The whole year is geared towards that aim and ensuring that pupils meet the objective standard we set. We have a very high retention rate. As an example, over the past six years, each and every pupil has commenced tenancy at Coram. If, at the end of the pupillage year, we are not the right fit for a pupil, or if they are not the right fit for us, then we work hard to identify a third six or starter tenancy for them in another top set.

Curious to know what life is like for a Coram Chambers pupil? Please  read Jake Walker and Sam Watts’ blogs on “A week in the life of a Coram pupil.”

We also produced a video with members of chambers talking about the work and life at Coram, which you can view here.

“A top family law set with a strong team of exceptional barristers.”
Legal 500, 2026

Pupillages Offered and the Pupillage Award

Each year, we offer two fully funded 12-month specialist family law pupillages with a first-six award of £40,000 that can be taken tax-free. In addition, we guarantee pupils’ second-six earnings of £10,000. Pupils are entitled to retain any receipts above this. On commencing tenancy in chambers, pupils’ earnings are likely to increase significantly and quickly (on recent average: upwards of £100,000 within the first 2-3 years of tenancy).

The Application Process

We are not part of the Pupillage Gateway, but we follow the Pupillage Gateway timetable, available here.

The application process for a pupillage commencing in October 2026 closed on 6th February 2025. Applications for October 2027 will begin in January 2026.

At all stages of our process we shall make reasonable adjustments for any candidate who requires them. 

Equality and Diversity

Coram Chambers is committed to Equality & Diversity. You can download our Equality and Diversity Policy here.

The Written Application

The criteria that we look for are academic achievement, intellectual aptitude, work experience (including an understanding of how such experience equips candidates with the skills necessary for life at the Bar), reasons given for applying to chambers and the answers given to a short essay question. Each answer or box on the form attracts a set number of marks.

The application form is marked out of a total of 35. The marks are awarded as follows:

Before being given to markers, every application form has identifying information completely redacted. It is then separately marked by two members of chambers of differing seniority, experience and background. If there is a significant discrepancy between two marks given to an application, then a third member of chambers also marks it. The average of those marks is taken and all of the applications are ranked.

The top (approximately) 14 candidates are invited to first-round interview. The process is highly competitive. In recent years, candidates have needed to receive at least 30/35 on the written form to be invited to first-round interview.

Save for in exceptional circumstances, candidates who did not obtain at least a 2:1 at undergraduate level will not be considered. We do have a scheme of automatic interview for exceptional or extenuating circumstances where we feel that assessing on the written form alone would cause a candidate unfairness.

There is no need to have completed a mini-pupillage with us.

The Interviews

We are dedicated to fair recruitment. Our process is challenging and demanding, but our approach is intended to make candidates feel comfortable and provide them with the best possible chance to shine. The interview structure is the same for every candidate. In accordance with fair recruitment principles, we don’t ask candidates any assessed personal questions on our application form (for example; hobbies, likes and dislikes, favourite book).

The first round will be a short interview. Candidates will be interviewed by three or four members of chambers of different seniority and practices. To settle a candidate in, we will ask a warm-up question that is not marked (this will come from information contained in the application form), before asking a number of formal, assessed questions. Each question is likely to have follow-up questions that may require a candidate to think more deeply and to reason through their answer.

The second is a lengthier interview, lasting approximately 25 minutes. Candidates are asked to arrive a little in advance and are given some legal documents to look at. The interview is run by five members of chambers of different seniority and practices. During the interview we will ask a warm-up question that is not assessed, before asking a number of formal, assessed questions. Each question is likely to have challenging follow-up questions.

At each interview round, we are looking for candidates to show us the following key skills and every answer is marked on those same criteria:

The two successful candidates will be notified in accordance with the Pupillage Gateway timetable.

Candidates who attend rounds 1 and 2 and do not progress to an offer are also offered a short feedback call to convey the panel’s views on their strengths and areas for improvement. In line with our motto of progress over perfection, the hope is that if this round is not the round in which they obtain pupillage, they reflect on how much they have achieved by attending an interview and are able to apply any observations that resonate to future applications; including at Coram.

If you have any other questions about pupillage or about life at Coram Chambers please get in touch by emailing Ginny Wilson, our Administrator, at pupillage@coramchambers.co.uk