London sets fall over themselves to throw extra cash at wannabe barristers
Highly-regarded employment and commercial specialist Littleton Chambers has boosted its pupillage award to £67,500.
Up from £55,000, the big money move — which sees the Temple-based set become one of the top pupillage payers in the country — equates to an increase of £12,500 or 23%. According to Legal Cheek’s 2016 Chambers Most List, Littleton rookies will now be walking away with the same levels of cash as their counterparts at 2 Temple Gardens, and only pupil barristers at commercial duo Atkin Chambers and 4 Pump Court pocket more.
While 2 Temple Gardens and Atkin Chambers’ pupillage awards remain unchanged, 4 Pump Court has also recently notched up its pay. Confirming an 8% increase, pupils will now take home £70,000, up from an already respectable £65,000.
Top pupillage payers
Elsewhere, a host of other chambers have followed suit, upping pupillage pay packets.
The likes of (and take a deep breath) Erskine, 20 Essex Street, 4 New Square, 4 Stone Buildings, Brick Court, 3 Verulam Buildings and Crown Office Chambers have all boosted their pupillage awards from £60,000 to £65,000 — an increase of 8%.
Meanwhile, civil specialists 12 King’s Bench Walk confirmed an 11% increase to £50,000 and Enterprise Chambers revealed it had increased its pupillage award to £55,000 (up from £45,000) — an increase of 22%.
For those unfamiliar with the remuneration structure during pupillage, it’s not uncommon for pupils to receive the first six months of their award tax free. With pupils likely to undertake their own work during their second six, baby barristers are likely to pull in levels of cash much higher than the basic figures quoted above.
Earlier this week — sparking a furious debate within the comments section — Legal Cheek revealed that nearly 60% of newbie barristers completed their undergraduate degree at either Oxford or Cambridge.
But fear not pupillage hunters. In more positive news, the stats also showed there were 15 chambers that had more non-Oxbridge junior barristers than they did Oxbridge rookies.
May the odds be ever in your favour!