Pupillage

We have a deserved reputation as one of the friendliest sets in which to do your pupillage. Located in modern offices beside St Paul’s Cathedral with cutting-edge knowledge and technology, 4PB has maintained its position as one of the leading sets by blending unrivalled stability with a forward-looking policy of modernisation and expansion.

4PB combines the best of modern and traditional aspects of life at the Bar. Members aim to be approachable and supportive of pupils, whilst allowing them sufficient space to demonstrate initiative and to develop as individual practitioners. 4PB’s status coupled with the quality and breadth of training means that the pupils who do not obtain tenancy usually do so elsewhere. Members of 4PB go on to do great things; including being appointed to the High Court and Court of Appeal.

4PB are an exclusively specialist family law set. We are nationally and internationally recognised as one of the leading family law chambers. We specialise in high-profile and cutting-edge public law, private and public children law, financial remedies, international and Court of Protection cases and are instructed in cases which regularly make the front pages of the newspapers as well as the law reports. Members regularly write articles and give lectures and seminars around the country.

Applications for pupillages are advertised through the Pupillage Gateway.

Through Pupillage Gateway applications for pupillage starting in October 2025 will open for browsing from 25th November 2024. The application window for submission is from 2nd January 2025 to the deadline, 6th February 2025.

Application forms will be marked by the following four criteria:

• Academic and intellectual qualities
• Impact and written articulacy
• Commitment, drive and capacity for hard work
• Qualities and suitability for the Bar/4PB

There is a two-stage interview process. Applicants selected for a second-round interview are usually invited into chambers for a one-day mini-pupillage.

We also invite applications for a 3rd six-month pupillage commencing in the autumn. We are particularly interested in applications from those with experience in financial remedies and who wish to practice predominantly in that field. To apply please email pupillage@4pb.com.

4PB offers either 2 or 3 funded 12-month pupillages every year, these are purely family law based.

The award for pupillages starting in 2025 will be £50,000. This consists of a £40,000 grant per year and is further supplemented by guaranteed earnings in your second six which is expected to be a minimum of £10,000.

In your second six, you can expect to be in court on average two to three times per week. As one of only two to three pupils, you will take on a varied but manageable caseload in your second six months.

During your 12 months, you will be allocated four pupil supervisors and in addition to working with your supervisor, you will work for and go to court with other members of 4PB. You will see the full range of family law work during your pupillage, including private, public and international children, and financial remedies.

In your second six months, you will have a caseload of your own to which priority will normally be given. You will have the opportunity to see all types of family work including financial remedies, public and private childcare, adoption and parental child abduction cases.

If you are taken on, you can expect earnings in your first year roughly equivalent to those of a newly qualified solicitor in a medium-sized city firm.

4PB’s status, coupled with the quality and breadth of the training we provide, means that those pupils who do not obtain tenancy with us have, invariably, been placed in other sets.  4PB regards it as part of our duty to our pupils to endeavour to find alternative tenancies or third sixes for those not taken on.  We have, at present, a 100% success rate in this endeavour, with our most recently unsuccessful pupil walking straight into a tenancy at another well-regarded London set.