Survey Results - Trainee feedback on 4 Pump Court

The lowdown - Pupils (in their own words) on 4 Pump Court

We sent The Legal 500 Future Lawyers Pupil and Junior Barrister survey to pupils and juniors up to two years in tenancy at 4 Pump Court. Here is what they had to say:

Why did you choose these chambers over any others?

‘I really liked the areas of work; the ethos; and the focus on junior advocacy’,
‘4 Pump Court seemed to have the best mix: great work, great culture, and great potential to build my own practice as I saw fit. It is a genuinely exciting time to be in chambers and I’m very happy with my choice’

How does your training compare with what you hear from pupils/juniors at other chambers?

‘I feel like we are given structured and thorough training with a strong focus on improvement over time. Work is always given to us because it will be useful for our development – not given tasks more senior members don’t want to/have time to do’, ‘the pupillage programme at 4 Pump Court is comprehensive, supportive, and transparent. The work is appropriately challenging without being overwhelming. You are provided with regular feedback and there is transparency at every stage about your prospects of tenancy. The practising second six is also invaluable in providing a transitional period between being a pupil and a tenant. Overall, the training is outstanding and leagues ahead of most other chambers’

Best thing about chambers?

I’m a really big fan of pretty much everything, but I would say the collegiate atmosphere is really fantastic. It is very open door and there is lots of support’, ‘the people. Everyone in chambers has been so welcoming, friendly, and generous with their time. You could not ask for better colleagues’

Worst thing about chambers?

‘Post-pandemic, I think actual attendance in chambers has diminished, so there are sometimes not many people around. There are still always people to go to for support, but it sometimes lacks “buzz”‘, ‘like most of the commercial bar, chambers still has a way to go in improving diversity and inclusion. There have been major strides in the last couple of years though, including the appointment of our first female head of chambers’

Best moment to date?

‘Either having ownership of my first piece of work in my second six and realising I had responsibility for this client’s outcome, or participating in a two-week shipping arbitration with my supervisor and being able to act more like a junior than a pupil. Seeing my writing in the written closings for the arbitration was pretty life-affirming’, ‘getting to assist on an urgent injunction’

Worst moment to date?

‘There was a point in the second part of my first six where I spent a week or so on dead work because I specifically wanted to address an issue with my advice writing. It was incredibly useful for my development but I found it hard to motivate myself to work on dead issues’, ‘one of our pupillage assessments: useful, but absolutely gruelling’

Pro bono/CSR?

‘We aren’t specifically encouraged to do pro-bono but members of chambers do appear to be involved in various initiatives and I feel like I could if I wanted to’, ‘many members of chambers do pro bono work, although I’ve not been involved in any to date’