Life As A Pupil

The best way to understand what pupillage is like at 5KBW is to hear from people who have recently been through the process.

Three of our recent pupils, all now tenants, share their experience of life as pupil at 5KBW.

Aamina Khalid

During pupillage, I had the opportunity to observe and assist members of chambers on a wide range of criminal cases, from back-to-back murder trials at the Old Bailey to assault trials in the Magistrates’ court. Pupillage at 5KBW was exciting and interesting. I felt I was constantly learning and improving.

The first trial I observed was a gang-related murder at the Old Bailey, where my supervisor, William Davis led by Charlotte Newell KC, was prosecuting and our head of chambers, Sarah Forshaw KC, was defending. I saw first-hand the eloquence, skill and enormous hard work that members of chambers displayed in the preparation of the case and the delivery of their advocacy.

5KBW leaves no stone unturned when it comes to the education and training of its pupils in relation to understanding of the law, written advocacy and, of course, oral advocacy:

In relation to my written advocacy and understanding of the law, I completed a range of work for members of chambers. This included research notes on expert-witness evidence in a rape case; research into POCA in a complicated fraud; a sentencing note in a child sexual offences case; detailed schedules of psychiatric evidence for a murder; and multiple skeleton arguments on a range of legal issues. After each piece of work I received detailed and structured feedback and advice from members of chambers.
My training in relation to oral advocacy was truly exceptional. 5KBW holds multiple advocacy sessions for pupils every month. These include sessions on submissions relating to bad character, bail applications, hearsay, and half-time submissions, as well as sessions on witness handling and speeches. Members of chambers generously take a lot of time out of their busy practices to draft detailed advocacy exercises and then judge and provide specific and incredibly helpful feedback. On multiple occasions I have used this feedback to inform my submissions in court in real trials. All of these advocacy sessions culminate in a mock list of cases in front of real Crown Court judges at Inner London Crown Court where pupils at 5KBW and from other chambers have the opportunity to take part in multiple hearings and display their oral advocacy. This final advocacy exercise is attended by many members of chambers. It is certainly challenging but is an amazing opportunity to test your advocacy in a real court setting before you get on your feet. It is also an excellent opportunity to have some fun, show off your oral advocacy and demonstrate how it has developed in front of members of chambers.

Pupillage at 5KBW was challenging, exciting and deeply rewarding. Members of chambers were kind and supportive throughout and I feel that my pupillage at 5KBW has provided me with the best-possible foundation to succeed in my career at the criminal bar.

Claire Mainwaring

During my First Six, I spent most of my time shadowing my supervisor, Catherine Farrelly KC, as she prosecuted murder and serious sexual offences at the Old Bailey, Southwark Crown Court and Croydon Crown Court. As well as taking a trial note and preparing jury bundles, I was regularly set written tasks including opening notes, skeleton arguments and sentencing notes. Catherine and I would draft these documents in parallel, which allowed me to compare our final versions and identify areas for improvement. This process, combined with Catherine’s in-depth written feedback, was invaluable in building my confidence ahead of Second Six.

During First Six, I also began to draft written work for other senior members of chambers. This was an excellent opportunity to get to know other members and to compare different approaches to advocacy and legal drafting.

In Second Six, I was instructed in cases across the Southeast, often travelling across the country from one court to another in a single day. Although the majority of my time was spent in the Magistrates’ and Youth courts, I was also expected to cover Crown Court hearings at a very early stage. This early exposure helped to build my understanding of Crown Court trial procedure as I moved towards being instructed in my own Crown Court trials.

I also undertook numerous CPS lists during my Second and Third Six. This gave me my first experience of prosecution and was extremely helpful in understanding the inner workings of the CPS and the day-to-day challenges they face.

During my Second and Third Six, I balanced my own practice with written work for members of chambers. This not only helped build my profile but also gave me ongoing opportunities for feedback and development.

Throughout my time as a pupil, I felt incredibly supported by other members of chambers. The juniors were always on hand – either in person or over the phone – to answer my questions, and each of my supervisors was consistently generous with their advice.

Pupillage at 5KBW was not without its challenges and the learning curve is steep. But having completed the process, I feel well-prepared for the demands of life at the criminal bar and am continuously fulfilled by the nature of my work.

Harriet Palfreman

Throughout my pupillage at 5KBW, I was able to observe and also work on a multitude of cases, ranging from some of the most serious cases in the country at the Old Bailey to trial lists in the Magistrates’ Court.

During the first six months of my pupillage, I was supervised by Louise Oakley. Her practice largely focuses on prosecuting murder trials at the Old Bailey, and I was fortunate to be able to observe a number of these during my first six. The first of these trials was a six-handed murder trial involving firearms, where Louise was led by Anthony Orchard KC. This trial was my first direct exposure to the dedication and extreme skill that is required in this job, the importance of building rapport and the attention to detail required.

I was also able to shadow other members of chambers during my first six, including observing head of chambers Sarah Forshaw KC defending in a rape trial, and shadowing Valeria Swift prosecuting in a case that involved an individual charged with sexual communications with a child.

I have been able to conduct work for numerous other members of chambers, developing written advocacy and being enhancing my courtroom advocacy through the chambers’ advocacy programme, which culminates in a mock Crown Court list exercise at Inner London Crown Court presided over by current circuit judges.

5KBW is extremely collegiate. There was never a shortage of people I could turn to with queries and questions – members were always extremely helpful and kind. While pupillage had many challenges and was definitely a steep learning curve, I could not have been supported any better. Pupillage at 5KBW has certainly stood me in very good stead as I build my career at the criminal bar.