Survey Results - Trainee feedback on 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square Barristers Chambers
Survey Results - Trainee feedback on The lowdown - Pupils (in their own words) on 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square Barristers Chambers
We sent The Legal 500 Future Lawyers Pupil and Junior Barrister survey to pupils and juniors up to two years in tenancy at 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square Barristers Chambers. Here is what they had to say:
Why did you choose these chambers over any others?
‘Its expertise’, ‘it was the most reputable chambers in its field’
How does your training compare with what you hear from pupils/juniors at other chambers?
‘Training is informal but focused’, ‘very supportive supervisors who take an active interest in your development and give very useful feedback on work’
Best thing about chambers?
‘Scope of the work, commercial clerking, friendly atmosphere’, ‘its relaxed and supportive atmosphere’, ‘the culture’
Worst thing about chambers?
‘Too many members working from home’
Best moment to date?
‘Opportunities to take on some advanced cases’, ‘being seconded to an international law firm’, ‘working on a Supreme Court case, attending the hearing and seeing my supervisors make submissions on the matters I had assisted on’
Worst moment to date?
‘Having urgent instructions on the shortest notice’
CSR/Pro bono?
‘Outstanding’, ‘very good’
About Chambers
Joint heads of chambers: Timothy Straker KC and Rupert Beloff.
Who we are: 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square is a leading civil, public and commercial law chambers.
We have a reputation for excellence and are home to a group of intellectually energetic and highly regarded barristers, mediators and international tenants.
We are committed to providing creative and practical legal advice to meet the commercial needs of our clients. We have a reputation for excellence in all of our core practice areas. Our barristers are supported by a first-class practice management team.
What we do: Our core areas of law include: administrative and public law, social housing, commercial, planning and property, dispute resolution, election, local government, regulatory and disciplinary, and international law.
What we’re looking for: We seek to identify candidates with the skills and potential to be outstanding barristers within our fields of expertise.
What you’ll do: Pupils’ work will include research, drafting opinions and arguments. Pupils will shadow their pupil supervisor as they do research, paperwork and go to court, sharing an office and analysing how they perform their day-to-day tasks.
Perks: Chambers shall accommodate pupils’ reasonable requests for flexible working hours in order to allow for parents of children and other dependents to allow them to meet their caring commitments.
A day in the life of... Fabjola Aruci, tenant (former pupil), 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square Chambers
University: Queen Mary, University of London
Degree: BA Law, First Class; MA Criminal Justice, Distinction
Giving an accurate summary of life at the Bar, whether as a pupil or otherwise, through the medium of a single day comes with significant difficulty; each day as a barrister is so varied that it would be impossible to choose just one to represent the work we do, even as a pupil. However, below is a range of experiences during my pupillage to provide a clearer picture of the beginning of life at the Bar.
A typical day in the first six months saw me following my pupil supervisor to court in London, observing trials and hearings of all kinds from housing or company law to local government appeals alongside our head of chambers. I assisted with research tasks, written notes and drafting pleadings, which I would compare with my pupil supervisor and get valuable feedback. I always found feedback throughout my pupillage to be constructive and fair and have no doubt that this approach improved my abilities/skills. On return to chambers after the court day, I would have time to discuss the case and any questions freely with my supervisor. Alternatively, I worked on research tasks for members of chambers of all levels of seniority on cutting-edge points of law often in the Court of Appeal/Supreme Court. On Tuesday mornings chambers have a chambers’ breakfast, as well as a chambers’ tea on Thursday afternoons – so there was always an opportunity to pick someone’s brain or just have a friendly chat. Chambers and my supervisors were live to my caring responsibilities throughout my pupillage when assigning work or managing my diary and were exemplary in their flexibility and understanding.
Turning to the second six months, from the first day I made independent appearances in the County Court, mainly across London. The clerks in chambers were live to the type of work that they would assign, and my pupillage supervisors were always available if I needed advice on any aspect of my cases. A typical day might see a hearing in relation to housing, advising a client on their position, dealing with any arising points on my feet, drafting pleadings or providing written advice.
I was also fortunate in chambers securing a secondment for me, which enabled me to develop my understanding of the relevant area of law from the perspective of those instructing. I advised the relevant client departments on their legal options, drafted pleadings, and appeared in court to represent those clients. It was hugely beneficial to see and experience the legal process from beginning to end.
My supervisors and chambers as a whole took the approach that pupillage was a learning experience which enabled me to fine tune my skills and provide me as a pupil with the arsenal that I needed post-pupillage, rather than being a one-year-long interview, which made pupillage a very positive experience.
Diversity and inclusion
Please visit www.4-5.co.uk/about-us/equality-diversity.
Percentage of female juniors: 39%
Percentage of female silks: 29%
Percentage of BAME juniors: 29%
Percentage of BAME silks: 14%
Interview with Kaykay Marivate, tenant (former pupil), 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square Chambers
Can you describe a typical day as a pupil?
It can be difficult to summarise what a typical day in the life of a third-six pupil would involve, given that the work is so varied: you could find yourself representing a tenant resisting eviction at a first-possession hearing in the morning, only to find yourself defending a landlord from a disrepair claim in the afternoon.
What types of work are you involved in?
My practice is mainly in housing, so the bulk of my day will be spent either in the county court dealing with any claim or application involving landlords or tenants, or in chambers doing research or writing pleadings and advice for clients.
As is common in the junior Bar, I spend most of my week in court so will be attending in-person hearings where I will often meet the client at court and give advice in conference before the hearing begins. For more substantive hearings, where a case is likely to be decided on the day or where the court is likely to give important directions in my case, I often arrive in court armed with a skeleton argument or draft directions which I hand to the usher or my opponent to make sure the hearing runs smoothly.
At the most junior end, hearings can last anything from ten minutes to a full day, so ensuring my submissions are tailored to the amount of time I’ll have is an important part of my preparation.
Can you tell us one key skill necessary for this work?
Things develop quite quickly in housing cases, so keeping abreast of my emails for late instructions is a must; the broad range and fast pace of work is certainly something that keeps me on my toes.