About Chambers
About ChambersHead of chambers: Nicholas Bacon KC
Who we are: 4 New Square Chambers is a leading barristers’ chambers specialising in commercial litigation and arbitration. Our members act and advise in disputes in the UK and internationally, and have a well-earned reputation for the strength of their advocacy and client focus. We are regularly instructed in some of the largest disputes handled in courts and tribunals worldwide.
What we do: Our barristers have a strong reputation for commercial litigation, professional negligence, construction, costs litigation, professional discipline, financial services, insurance work, international arbitration, sports law and public law.
We are known not only for our legal credentials but also our commerciality, excellent client service and collegiate working practices. We are committed to furthering equality and diversity and maintaining a friendly working environment which nurtures member and staff wellbeing.
What we’re looking for: Successful candidates for pupillage must demonstrate the ability and motivation to succeed in the areas of work our members specialise in.
The aim of our selection process is to allow candidates to show they meet a standard of excellence judged by our selection criteria. Our criteria are objective and we welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds and from all universities. The process focuses on your ability and aptitude, and our experience is that this is not pre-determined by the place that you studied, or the background that you come from.
In assessing candidates against our criteria we recognise that pupillage is itself a training process and that people follow different routes to pupillage and are often at different stages of their legal education. It is the potential of candidates we are concerned with. The aim of pupillage is to develop talent so that pupils go on to succeed as tenants in our chambers.
For further details regarding selection criteria please see our website.
What you’ll do: Starting your pupillage: At the beginning of the pupillage year, each pupil will be introduced to as many of the members of chambers, clerks and staff as practicable. Early on in pupillage, pupils will also be offered training in respect of pleadings by some more junior members of chambers (but not the pupil supervisors) or by an outside trainer. During the first three months of pupillage, there will also be an advocacy-training workshop.
Pupillage structure: Pupillage is split into three periods with three different pupil supervisors. The periods run from October to December, from January to March, and from April to September.
The work pupils do is largely based on our core work but as members of chambers (including pupil supervisors) have their own specialised practices, pupils may also see other areas of chambers’ work.
The first six months: The work of a pupil is varied and you will be involved in most aspects of your pupil supervisor’s practice. You will attend court and conferences with your pupil supervisor. You will assist your pupil supervisor with their work, for instance by carrying out detailed legal research. You will also draft statements of case and write opinions.
The second six months: In the second six months you will continue to do work for your own supervisor and you also do some assessed written work for a prescribed panel of other members of chambers. Chambers places great importance on getting pupils into court in their practising six months as appropriate and you can expect to be in court about once a week during your second six so far as possible.
Advocacy: There will also be two advocacy exercises during pupillage, which are assessed pieces of work. The two advocacy exercises are generally overseen by two members of chambers, a judge and an advocacy assessor. Prior to the practising period of pupillage, there is also a further training session on the types of applications and hearings which you are likely to undertake during your second six months.
Training: For full details of the training that chambers provide as part of pupillage, please visit our website.
Environment: We aim to provide a friendly, supportive and sociable atmosphere. Pupils are included in chambers social events throughout the year.
Perks: The total annual award is £90,000 (for pupillage commencing 2026), of which £10,000 is paid immediately upon acceptance of the offer and a further £20,000 can be drawn down during the BPTC year. Pupils are allowed to keep any earnings from their second six months.
To assist new tenants to start their careers after pupillage on a sound and stable footing we provide guaranteed minimum earnings for the first three years of practice (£95,000 in year 1, £105,000 in year 2 and £115,000 in year 3). In the first year, to assist with cash flow, guaranteed earnings are paid in 12 equal monthly instalments. These guaranteed earnings are normally exceeded by a considerable margin.
In addition, room rent is not charged in the first year of practice and is subsidised in the second year. New junior tenants are not required to pay fixed share expenses in the first year, and pay a percentage of fix share for years two and three.
A day in the life of... Faye Metcalfe, Junior tenant, 4 New Square
University: University of Cambridge
Degree: Languages (French and Italian)
My day-to-day as a junior tenant: As a junior tenant at 4 New Square, every day looks a bit different. One day I might be researching a legal point for a more senior barrister; another day I might be going to a County Court to represent a client in a hearing. My day will often include some form of drafting (be it an application, skeleton argument, pleading or advice). I find that the commercial Bar provides a nice balance of doing my own cases and being led on bigger matters as well as time in and out of court.
My background: By way of background, I studied French and Italian at university and spent a year studying literature in Paris. During my undergraduate degree, I considered a career in law and decided to complete the law conversion course after graduating.
Alongside the conversion course, I applied for both vacation schemes and mini pupillages to get a sense of the two different career paths. I also competed in mooting competitions (one in French) which I really enjoyed.
Ultimately, I decided that because of the advocacy opportunities and independence that come with being a self-employed barrister a career at the Bar would suit me better.
Pupillage at 4 New Square: During pupillage, I sat with three supervisors (two for three months and the last one for six months). My day-to-day largely consisted of completing written work set by my supervisor which was usually a matter they were working on at the same time as me. The work mirrored the kind of drafting I now do in junior tenancy.
Every piece of work I did was marked by my supervisor against how they expected my work to look like at that stage in pupillage and I was provided with detailed feedback on each occasion. During the year, there were also pieces of assessed ‘panel work’ set by other members of chambers and two advocacy assessments.
The last six months of pupillage at 4 New Square are practising. Personally, I think a practising second six is a big advantage as it meant that the transition from pupillage to tenancy is not quite as drastic as it otherwise might be. Come day one of tenancy, I had already experienced having my own clients and going to court on my own.
Inevitably, pupillage is a steep learning curve, but I found pupillage at 4 New Square transparent throughout which means I was never left guessing as to how it was going. 4 New Square is a friendly and supportive set, making an (inevitably) stressful year a rewarding one too.