Atkin Chambers

One particularly rewarding aspect of the work, we’re told, is that tenants are able to see concrete results long after their work has finished. Whether it’s The Shard, Wembley Stadium, the Olympic Village, the Channel Tunnel, The British Library, The Rolls Building, Heathrow T5, the M25 and London Un­derground, the work of Atkin’s barristers’ lives on well after the case ends. This is all without mentioning the “megaprojects overseas in the construction, engineering, oil and gas and information technology” fields, which Atkin counsel often find themselves in and amongst.

In order to help pupils build a solid foundation to tackle this range of challenging work, the set puts a significant focus on training. “The quality and dedication of supervisors is second to none” one insider tells us, with another commenting on the “great training from pupil supervisors” supplemented by a “very useful” series of in-house training sessions delivered by more senior barristers. In all this leads to a pupillage programme that is ”unparalleled in depth”, exposing rookies to a behind the scenes view of “market-leading” domestic and international litigation in all of chambers’ core practice areas.

This training doesn’t end on tenancy, however. “The best thing about the training one receives in Chambers is that long after one qualifies, one’s colleagues are supportive, helpful, and full of useful insights”, we’re told. This all builds into the set’s “’it takes a village’ approach”, ensuring that pupils and juniors are involved and included from day one, with more senior members always on hand to provide constructive feedback.

Adding to this family feel is a “great camaraderie within the set”, with the chambers described by one tenant as “a happy place”, where, “however busy one’s colleagues are”, they will “invariably” put down their own work to lend a hand. Doors are, “generally”, always open, with the smaller size of the set meaning that juniors “know everyone by name and face and can go walking along the corridor seeking discussion and know that there will always be someone willing to help”.

This collegiality and unity is particularly nice as barristers “will often be appearing against people in matters or pitching for the same work.” Put simply, “I love working here”, one rookie tells us.

This friendliness flows through into the social side of chambers. The daily chambers’ tea is “generally well attended”, with cake on Tuesdays and Friday drinks also regular fixtures in the Atkin barrister’s calendar. Monthly chambers lunch is also a hit, as are the set’s pilates sessions. Other key goings on include the “universally memorable” Christmas party, summer party at Gray’s Inn, and a plethora of client focussed events dotted throughout the year. It’s also reassuring to hear that although there are “plenty of social opportunities in chambers”, tenants are able to maintain a good social life outside of work. We also hear that “nothing is forced which means when members come together it is out of a genuine desire to socialise which is always nice!”

All of this socialising is only possible thanks to what is, for the bar at least, a solid work life balance in chambers. We hear that pupils “rarely work past 6pm” during the training year, with the set enforcing a “uniquely good work-life balance”, where rookies are given space and time to learn.

The clerks also receive a great deal of praise from tenants. One jolly junior reports that they “never assert pressure on us to work more which really helps give you total control over how much you take on”, with a second happy tenant confirming that “I feel listened to by my clerks in managing my workload (including making time for business development).” “Incredibly supportive” is another phrase used to praise the clerks. “Not once have I ever been pressured into taking a case or not going on holiday at a certain time,” one insider tells us. “On the contrary, our clerks work with us to pre-empt busy times and ensure we have the support we need to manage those times.”

Juniors really are the architects of their own practice, we’re told. And even when extra work is required, one junior tells us that they “don’t consider having to work on the weekend if I have taken things at my own pace in the week or have an exciting trial to prep for as a bad thing”.

With the reviews we’ve received on the Atkin office it’s hardly surprising that barristers don’t mind putting in a few extra hours from their swanky abode. Based in Gray’s Inn, the premises is described as “a perfect combination of old and modern”, with the high ceiling Georgian town house featuring refurbished modern conferencing facilities and members’ rooms with “grand” views of the Gray’s Inn Walks or Jockey’s Inn Fields.

Much alike a jockey’s mount, one tenant reports that the “wonderful” catering manager and front of house team keep barristers “well fed and watered” with a “well stocked” kitchen. With each barrister also having their own room, decoration and personalised designs are encouraged, and “makes walking around chambers quite fun”. Those lucky enough to land a spot at the set can also look forward to functioning air con and heating, still something of a luxury at the bar.

Helping the set keep its barristers working away with speed and security is a full-time in-house IT specialist, “meaning that IT help is always quickly available when needed”. Also described as “friendly and helpful”, the support reaches both domestically and internationally. “Any problems are fixed quickly and without any fuss”, with the IT team “ever patient”, and “always pre-empting ways to improve our IT set up and cyber security”.

This chambers offers two pupillages a year with pupils rotating between three seats; two in the first six and one in the second six. They do not tend to be on their feet in court during pupillage but will be involved in drafting pleadings and advices for their supervisors and are apparently not expected to work weekends or evenings. Pupils also receive a KC for a mentor. Commenting on their supervisors, one former pupil tells us: “My three supervisors were a triumvirate of wise old heads with very different approaches — I learnt an enormous amount from each of them”. Another adds they “felt the whole of chambers pulled together to ensure pupils were seeing the best opportunities”.

There is a structured approach to assessment with pupils completing written and advocacy exercises on an ongoing basis with feedback provided. At the end of second six, pupils are given written work by a panel of members of chambers and must complete a test paper as well as advocacy exams. Tough work but heavily appreciated through a pupillage award of £80,000 (one of the highest at the bar), showing the focus Atkin Chambers puts on its pupils. It aims to grow “organically” by focusing on pupil recruitment and offering tenancy to every pupil who meets the expected standard.

Atkin is keen in its corporate social responsibility and has provided support for several initiatives. A number of tenants are founding members of the TECBAR BAME Network, the set supports FreeBar, “a forum focused on LGBT+ people and their allies working at and for the bar”, and signed a pledge for gender diversity in international arbitration. In light of the difficulties faced during the pandemic, Atkin Chambers also provided funding for criminal pupillages which would otherwise have been postponed or cancelled.

Although there is no blueprint for an Atkin chambers barrister, the set looks for those who have the “capacity to build a successful practice in chambers’, “commitment to a career at the commercial bar” and “drive, motivation and determination”. Being such an internationally focused set, with members speaking languages including Mandarin, Urdu and Italian, among many others, the set has a history of assisting with visa applications and has conducted remote interviews for those based abroad or in a foreign country. Applicants are made directly to chambers by way of CV and cover letter. While post-graduate qualifications are “viewed favourably” according to the set, they are not essential. Atkin Chambers has produced a series of videos on the pupillage process and experience which can be viewed here.

In the run up to making my pupillage applications I got involved with the events my Inn (Middle Temple) very helpfully run for prospective pupils. I encourage all applicants to check what their Inn organises for them, as the talks and events are incredibly helpful. A highlight was an advocacy weekend where we practiced cross-examination and opening and closing submissions in small groups overseen by experienced members of the Inn.

I also completed ten or so mini-pupillages. These helpfully demonstrated the significant difference between the life of a barrister and of a solicitor, enabled me to practice my application style (what works, what doesn’t work) and to soak in the atmosphere of different chambers. It was also helpful to learn how the barristers approached certain tasks. The mini-pupillages were reflective of life of as a pupil in that they generally involved reading into a set of papers, then independently completing a written task before discussing that task with your supervisor.

The pupillage experience

Having had experience in project finance, and with a demonstrated interest in infrastructure, I wanted to develop that interest at the bar. With its specialism in construction disputes, Atkin immediately stood out to me and I was delighted to start pupillage there in autumn 2022.

Pupillage at Atkin is split into three terms, with one supervisor for each term. There are three advocacy exercises (one in each term) and a number of assessed written tasks that are spread through the year, but particularly concentrated into the final term.

The work of a pupil at Atkin varies and heavily depends on your supervisor’s preferred approach. Generally, I carried out “dead” work over the course of my pupillage. That meant that I was doing tasks that were deemed to touch upon “key” areas of practice that my supervisor(s) thought I would benefit from looking at, but that my supervisor might have completed a number of months previously. The hope is for the pupil to learn as much as possible, and to demonstrate an upward trajectory of improvement. The learning curve is steep but the work was unfailing engaging and challenging — which is precisely why I wanted to be a barrister.

Typically, I would be given a task, asked how long I estimated it would take me (as we do in practice with clients), and then I would be trusted to get on with it in that timeframe. In general, the task might last around seven working days. I was always free to ask questions whilst I worked. The supervisors at Atkin are very friendly and very keen for their pupil to learn and progress well. There was a two-way dialogue in which I was encouraged to identify the areas I wanted to focus on, and my supervisor would then set a task that would “plug that gap”.

Pupils also regularly shadow a range of members of chambers going to court.

The transition from pupil to tenant

Because the pupillage at Atkin is so rigorous, I found the transition to be smooth. The tasks I had been set as a pupil accurately reflected the work I am now doing day to day.

In a pastoral sense, I have also felt well supported by chambers. Our clerking team is second to none and helped me get my practice off the ground from the moment I was offered tenancy.

What is your practice like now?

As I am still relatively new to practice, I cannot describe a “typical” working week. Every week is different!

I am pleased to have got on my feet early in practice and to now be going to court regularly as sole counsel. I have also been heavily involved in adjudication work from the very start of my tenancy, as well as civil work relating to professional negligence and contract law in particular. A benefit of the construction bar from a junior’s perspective is that it involves a gamut of disputes from small homeowner matters to huge infrastructure projects, enabling juniors to get involved on a wide spectrum of different matters from the beginning of their careers as sole counsel and as junior counsel in led work.

What is the culture of chambers?

Atkin truly is a very friendly chambers, and a place that I am delighted to go to every day. The atmosphere is sunny and calm, and I genuinely feel I could knock on most if not all the doors in chambers to ask a question of another member if there is anything I get stuck on, or want to discuss.

A highlight of the week is chambers’ tea on a Tuesday afternoon, where a cross-section of chambers will gather to enjoy some delicious cake and to chat about legal issues and life in general. There is laughter and camaraderie.

Top tips for those wanting to become a barrister/secure a pupillage at your chambers

For those wanting to become a barrister I would recommend trying to do a solid number of mini-pupillages if you can (I was advised to do a dozen) so as to gain exposure to how barristers speak, what it feels like to be in chambers, the types of task you might be asked to do, and how to approach them. Try to soak up as much as possible about what it is that different chambers are looking for. Be honest about your CV to yourself — are there any gaps that you can fill? Consult your Inn to see if they have organised anything relevant that might speak to any gaps.

When it comes to making applications you do not need to imitate how you think a barrister might write — keep it simple and structure your answers using headings or formulations such as “there are three reasons why… first, second, third”. You do not need to reinvent the wheel. Think carefully about why you really want to practice at the Bar, and give an honest answer that draws on your experience and interests.

As for applying to Atkin, I would recommend that applicants spend a bit of time familiarising themselves with the work of the Technology and Construction Court. Think about whether that work appeals to you, and if so, why. Personally, I liked how contract-heavy many construction disputes are, and the range of people I might get to speak to (engineers, architects, contractors, developers) when working on a case.