Mini-Pupillage - Serle Court

Mini-pupillage at Serle Court is designed to be an enjoyable and useful experience, allowing mini-pupils to see what Chambers is like for themselves.

Our mini-pupils attend an Open Day, which takes the following format:

Breakfast in Chambers, meeting barristers, our Head of People and EDI and Practice Managers.
The morning is spent shadowing a barrister in their regular working day.
Lunch with members of Chambers.
An advocacy demonstration from members of Chambers.
A closing talk from the Chair of our Pupillage Committee or other senior member.

Mini-pupillages are not formally assessed and are not a requirement for an application for pupillage, though prospective pupils are, of course, welcome to apply.

What We Offer

We offer around 30 mini-pupillages per year via two application rounds (in autumn and spring) each year.

If you are offered a mini-pupillage, we will reimburse your reasonable travel costs. We will also consider covering one night’s accommodation costs for those who need to travel more than two hours each way and cannot otherwise afford to come to London. Please state in your application whether you are seeking accommodation costs.

In addition, Lincoln’s Inn offer a ‘Mini-Pupillage Grant Scheme’ which gives financial assistance to students who have secured a mini-pupillage but need additional funds to complete it. More details, including all application criteria and the application form, can be found here.

What We Look For

Our mini-pupillages are available to individuals who have completed at least the first year of a law degree or one term of the GDL.

Applications are assessed against our matrix of attributes that we consider make an excellent barrister. At the mini-pupillage stage, we focus on identifying potential to develop the various attributes.

Please note that we receive many more applications for mini-pupillage than we can accommodate.

How To Apply

We operate two application rounds (in summer and spring) each year.

Autumn

The Autumn round opens each year in May and closes on 31 August.

You should apply in this round only if you intend to apply for pupillage in the Gateway window that opens the following January. Successful candidates will receive invitations to Open Days in December and January, before the Gateway window opens.

Spring

The spring application window is for mini-pupillages taking place in summer 2026. This window is now closed.

You should apply in this round only if you intend to apply for pupillage through the Gateway in early 2027 (targeting a pupillage commencing in 2028).

The mini-pupillage application form can be found here.

Please send your completed application form to pupillage@serlecourt.co.uk. Applications received outside the windows stated will not be considered.

Reserved Mini-Pupillage

Three additional mini-pupillages are made available via the summer round for applicants from groups that are underrepresented at the Bar. Recipients of reserved mini-pupillages who subsequently apply for pupillage in the pupillage recruitment cycle immediately following their mini-pupillage offer will be guaranteed a first-round interview.

Successful applicants will attend Chambers individually for a day at a convenient time between November and January. They will shadow one of our members for the whole day and meet other members over lunch. Our Head of People and EDI will also spend time with you to discuss the pupillage application process ahead, and will be happy to review your CV.

You are eligible to apply for a reserved mini-pupillage if the majority of your secondary (post-11) education was not at a fee-paying school and:

You are black, or of mixed black heritage; or
Neither of your parents went to university; or
You are currently in receipt of state benefits other than child benefit, or the income in your household for at least 3 years of your secondary education came from or was materially supplemented by state benefits other than child benefit; or
You are currently classified as having no recourse to public funds, or your household for at least 3 years of your secondary education was classified as having no recourse to public funds (with ‘no recourse to public funds’ bearing the meaning set out in s.115 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999); or
You were ever eligible for free school meals; or
You have been in care; or
You have caring responsibilities or had caring responsibilities at any time during your secondary education or while you were at university; or
You have refugee status.

You must indicate on the application form that your application is for a reserved mini-pupillage. The application process is the same in all other respects. You will be considered for an unreserved mini-pupillage even if you do not secure a reserved mini-pupillage. You may apply for a reserved mini-pupillage even if you have previously applied for an unreserved mini-pupillage.

If you have any questions or need assistance, email pupillage@serlecourt.co.uk.

LEADING SET:
UK Bar 2026

WINNER:
MENA Awards 2026 - English Bar in the Middle East: Commercial Set of the Year

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Best Chambers for Work / Life Balance 2026

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UK Bar Awards 2025 - Chancery Set of the Year

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Bar Awards 2025 - Chancery Set of the Year

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Chambers of the Year Award 2025

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Bar Awards 2024 - Chancery Set of the Year

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Middle East Awards 2024 - Middle East-Wide Dispute Resolution: Leading UK Barristers' Set

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Bar Awards 2024 - Intellectual Property Set of the Year

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Bar Awards 2024 - Commercial Litigation Set of the Year