Exclusive: Criminal set Dyers Chambers — which specialises in high value fraud and serious crime — withdraws its pupillage for 2015.
With its well-hedged practice that spans not just high end crime, but regulatory and public law work, Dyers Chambers is the sort of criminal set that appears more resistant than most to the legal aid cuts.
But, in a worrying move for wannabe barristers, the London-based set has pulled its pupillage for next year. Dyers, which boasts four QCs on its roster, says the move is directly due to the legal aid cuts. A statement on Dyers’ website, which appeared on Monday, reads:
“Unfortunately, and as a direct result of massive and sustained reductions in public funding, Chambers have reluctantly decided that we cannot at present offer a pupillage starting in October 2015. That decision will be kept under review, and further developments published here and more widely.”
The withdrawal follows a host a cancelled legal aid pupillages last year, with Charter Chambers, Guildhall Chambers and the now defunct Tooks Chambers all abandoning their graduate recruitment last year because of the cuts.
When contacted by Legal Cheek yesterday, Dyers declined to comment further, other than to confirm that its pupillage for this year has been filled and will run as normal.