Pupillage FAQs

If you have any further questions which aren’t answered below or elsewhere on our website, please feel free to contact the Secretary to the Pupillage Committee via email at pupillageenquiries@keatingchambers.com.

Are students without a law degree at a disadvantage?

No.  We welcome applications from candidates who are studying for or who have completed a GDL.  A significant number of our current members undertook a non-law degree at undergraduate level. In fact, a number also had a different career entirely before coming to the Bar (e.g. in engineering, strategy consultancy and advertising).

What sort of cases are your barristers instructed on?

Construction, technology and associated professional negligence disputes often relate to high-value and high-profile projects in the UK and overseas. We are involved in disputes of all shapes and sizes: from residential building works to multi-million pound projects for the construction of airports, dams, power stations, ships, oil rigs and bridges. Members of Chambers have also been instructed on well-known projects such as the Olympic venues, Wembley Stadium, the Pinnacle, the Shard, the Gherkin, the Millennium Bridge, the London Eye and the Channel Tunnel.

Do I need to have any construction or technological experience?

Most of our cases are contractual disputes, but principles of tort, restitution, mistake and misrepresentation frequently arise.  The cases are intellectually challenging and the complexity of the disputes requires thorough analytical skills. We emphasise that no specialist or technical knowledge of construction or engineering is required or assumed: no questions are asked about this at any stage of our recruitment process and it forms no part of selection for pupillage.”

Are there opportunities to work abroad?

Yes – many of our members specialise in international arbitration and this involves hearings and projects based outside of the UK but particularly in the Middle East, Far East, Africa and the Caribbean. We have been instructed on projects such the Dubai metro, airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong and the Philippines, the Tsing Ma suspension bridge in Hong Kong, the Shinkansen high speed train network and cases involving mines, ships, rigs, oil wells and various types of plant (biofuel, gas turbine, nuclear etc) across the world. See James Frampton’s account of his first year in tenancy for further information: James Frampton Brief Encounters