Exclusive: Rookie barrister pay now £55,000
Police and public law specialist 5 Essex Court has become the latest London set to chuck extra cash at its baby barristers, Legal Cheek can reveal.
The Temple-based chambers now offers a pupillage award of £55,000, a healthy increase of £15,000 or 38%. It offers up to two pupillages each year and is currently home to 42 barristers, including seven silks.
Head of chambers Jason Beer QC said:
“As part of chambers’ continued commitment to its pupils, I am delighted to announce a significant increase in our financial offering to £55,000, including a substantial element of guaranteed earnings in the second six months. This will enable us to continue to recruit the very best candidates, regardless of their background.”
The move puts 5 Essex Court’s pupils on a pay par with their peers at the likes of Hardwicke, Enterprise Chambers and One Crown Office Row. Legal Cheek’s Chambers Most List 2017-18 shows that the top pupillage award continues to be provided by construction law specialist Atkin Chambers, which bumped rookie barrister remuneration by 20% to £72,500 back in 2015. Sitting just below Atkin with pupillage awards of £70,000 are commercially-focused trio 2 Temple Gardens, 4 Pump Court and Henderson Chambers.
5 Essex Court’s pay uplift follows similar recent moves by other London sets.
Earlier this month, Legal Cheek revealed that Henderson Chambers had bumped pupillage pay by 40% to £70,000. Meanwhile, planning law specialist Francis Taylor Building and commercial all-rounder 39 Essex Chambers increased rookie remuneration to £60,000, boosts of 33% and 14% respectively. At the same time, pupil wedge at both 7 Bedford Row and No5 Chambers was raised to £50,000.