About Chambers
About ChambersHeads of chambers: Tom Weisselberg KC and Jane Mulcahy KC.
Who we are: Chambers occupies newly renovated premises, providing an enhanced, modern working environment in which to meet the needs of our barristers and their clients. We enjoy our collegiate working environment; members of chambers work closely together, seeking regular advice from colleagues. We do not believe in rigid hierarchies and our members participate fully in the life and work of chambers.
What we do: We offer a friendly and supportive environment in which to complete your pupillage and develop your career as a junior barrister. Our members specialise in a wide range of legal practice areas, including:
- Commercial: financial/business law, international trade, banking, regulatory, insurance, conflicts, media and entertainment, sport, intellectual property and professional negligence, EU and competition.
- Employment: all aspects (including discrimination) are covered by the extensive employment law practices of members of chambers.
- Public law: incorporates judicial review, acting both for and against central and local government agencies and other regulatory authorities, human rights, other aspects of administrative law and commercial judicial review.
What we’re looking for: Successful candidates will have demonstrated high intellectual ability and will usually have at least a 2(1) honours degrees, although not necessarily in law.
What you’ll do: Our pupils are welcomed into chambers with an induction including admin and IT tasks to get you up and running before joining your supervisor; thereafter you will move through four seats, experiencing the dynamic and aspirational practices of each supervisor.
After pupillage, a new tenant can expect a busy and wide-ranging practice with opportunities to specialise later.
Perks: Blackstone Chambers offers up to four 12-month pupillages each year.
We offer a pupillage award of £75,000 for pupillage commencing in 2026.
Pupils may apply to draw down up to £22,500 during their BPC year.
Life as a pupil barrister Femi Adekoya, pupil, Blackstone Chambers
University: University of Cambridge University of Pennsylvania
Degree: Law; Masters
I studied law at university unsure whether I wanted to become a barrister or a solicitor. After learning about the two professions, I decided that a life at the Bar was one for me. Being a barrister is a very unique and special job. You are in control of your career. You are self-employed so your pay is proportional to your effort and dedication. A life at the Bar involves the ideal combination of intellectual rigour and commercial practicality. Barristers both advise on how the law applies to their client’s commercial context, and persuade judges to accept their arguments on untested propositions of law.
After completing my undergraduate degree in law at the University of Cambridge, I studied for a master’s at the University of Pennsylvania. I also worked as a judicial assistant in the Court of Appeal and as a research assistant in one of the leading regulatory and environmental sets in London.
A pupil at Blackstone sits with four supervisors. Blackstone is unique for its variety of high-quality work, and the pupillage process reflects this. My supervisors’ areas of expertise covered all of Blackstone’s main areas of practice. After a seat with a supervisor that specialises in employment law, when one has just about got to grips with the contours of that practice area, you will start your next seat and have to do the same with commercial law. Ultimately, the range of work you do throughout your pupillage makes the job more interesting and prepares you to be a better lawyer.
Across pupillage, you will assist your supervisor in drafting the key documents of a barrister’s career, for example, opinions, pleadings and skeleton arguments. Your supervisors give you detailed feedback throughout the year so your aptitude for crafting these all-important documents increases markedly. The second six at Blackstone is non-practising, but Blackstone recognises the importance of oral advocacy. There are several advocacy sessions throughout pupillage in which you practise cross-examination and delivering submissions, and remain in awe of the advocacy trainers, hoping that one day you can deliver submissions on the minutiae of contract law so effortlessly.
Pupillage is a daunting year. It is hard work, and it can feel like a year-long job interview. In many ways, pupillage is a great leveller, because despite the varied career paths which can lead one to the Bar, no pupil is familiar with working as a barrister. The prize comes in the form of developing the skills needed for a successful career at the Bar. Additionally, and no less important, are the lifelong relationships you develop with your fellow pupils through your shared experiences.
Blackstone’s culture has a material impact on the pupillage experience. Members of chambers are supportive and remarkably approachable; their doors are always open for a chat. Weekly teas and drinks are an institution to which pupils are invited, so pupils are expected to be wholly part of making Blackstone the friendly and collegiate chambers it is.
Diversity and inclusion
For information please see our website: https://www.blackstonechambers.com/about-us/ethos/.
https://www.blackstonechambers.com/about-us/pro-bono-community-action/.
Since 2019 we have incorporated use of the Rare Contextual Recruitment System as part of our pupillage recruitment process.
https://www.blackstonechambers.com/pupillage/what-we-offer/rare-contextual-recruitment-system/.
Interview with A recent pupil, Blackstone Chambers
Why did you want to practise at the Bar?
I was initially attracted to the Bar because it is powerful to be able to speak on behalf of others and to represent their interests in court. I am also attracted to the flexibility of areas of work that comes with being self-employed and the practice that a lawyer can build in that context.
Why did you choose Blackstone Chambers?
Initially I was attracted to Blackstone Chambers because of the practice areas I was interested in, such as public law, public international law, commercial, arbitration, and competition.
When I eventually completed a mini pupillage at Blackstone, I saw that it was also an incredible place to work. Everyone is friendly and approachable. I remember speaking to three or four Silks during my mini pupillage and they were welcoming and helpful. The vibe of Chambers and how open everyone is has really appealed to me.
Tell us about your pupillage experience
During my pupillage I was involved in a huge range of work. For example, I was involved in public law cases such as judicial review matters to cases related to parole board hearings. I also worked on commercial trials, competition cases, and sensitive international law work advising on the interpretation of international treaties. I further worked on sports law cases, media law, and copyright cases.
During pupillage, we received frequent feedback. Blackstone has a policy whereby there is a formal feedback session with your supervisor halfway through your seat, and another at the end, in addition to routine (less formal) feedback throughout the seat. The end-of-seat review includes a detailed form that your supervisor fills out and discusses with you.
We also had set work at the end of each seat which was marked by a Silk and a junior. We had a feedback session with both to find out how we did, and they would also write a report about how we performed.
In addition, we had frequent oral advocacy sessions conducted by two Silks. The second half of these are recorded and assessed. We received detailed feedback during and after all sessions.
Blackstone supervisors are in chambers every day, which is great for building relationships and for learning opportunities with them.
You learn so much, very quickly, with highly skilled supervisors and immense support from Chambers. It is truly a magnificent and transformational experience.
Tell us about the tenancy selection process at Blackstone
Tenancy selection is based on the reports that your supervisors prepare and additional reports based on the set work that you do and the oral advocacy sessions completed during pupillage. These reports are then compiled by the tenancy committee.
The process was very transparent, particularly due to the frequent feedback sessions with supervisors throughout pupillage.
How would you describe the culture of Blackstone?
Blackstone is a very social Chambers. Just a few examples include our afternoon teas on Wednesdays, evening drinks on Thursdays, and Pilates training on our rooftop terrace. Blackstone also runs breakfast briefings where members will talk about cases they have done recently or recent developments in the law.
In Chambers most people tend to leave their doors open, so when you are walking down the corridor, you can say hello. Chambers prides itself in having a flat hierarchy.
The clerks are brilliant and very friendly. They will always ask how everything is going.
During pupillage, you feel like everyone in chambers is there for you, supporting you and rooting for you. You also feel a part of the Blackstone community as a pupil.
Do you have a tip for anyone thinking of applying to Blackstone?
One tip is it helps to show in your application that you are interested in at least two of Blackstone’s main areas of law, which are commercial, public, and employment.
What advice would you give to those who want to pursue a career at the bar?
For your CV: I would recommend that anyone who wants to come to the Bar does as much oral advocacy as they can. It is good to have the experience of making submissions in front of a real judge or panel and representing someone. It also gives you the chance to see if advocacy and representing others is something you enjoy.
In terms of the pupillage gateway process:
- Remember that the people reading your application could be marking dozens in a day. Make it as easy as possible for them to identify key information by keeping your answers concise and using bullet points where possible.
- Always try to support your answers with examples. For instance, if you are saying that you have strong advocacy skills, provide a concrete example of when you used them.
- Keep your application focused and avoid using unnecessary words.
In relation to interviews: Go through your CV and create a list of experiences you want to highlight during the interview. Have that list to memory when answering the questions in interview so you can deploy examples as appropriate. It is important to have a very clear idea of what you want to get across to your panel before your interview starts.