Rose Glanville is a barrister at 30 Park Place Chambers practising in crime, public and civil law. She is a member of her chambers’ Mini-Pupillage Committee and, alongside her practice, is Chair of the Young South Wales Bar and a representative of both the Bar Council's Young Barristers' Committee and Gray’s Inn Barristers’ Committee.
30 Park Place receives an average of 6 applications for every mini-pupillage place, making the process almost as competitive as pupillage itself. Shortlisting is difficult, but one thing helps: strong applications don’t just list achievements - they advocate for them.
In this blog, I share insights from the shortlisting process: where to find mini-pupillages, what makes an application stand out, the common mistakes to avoid, and the resources available to support you. Whether you’re an undergraduate or career-changer, this is your reminder that a mini-pupillage application isn’t just admin - it’s your first chance to think, write, and sound like a barrister.
What is a mini-pupillage?
Mini-pupillages are short periods of legal work experience (typically 3–5 days) within a barristers’ chambers. You shadow practising counsel, observe hearings, and sometimes complete assessed written work.
Unlike pupillage - the formal training year before independent practice - mini-pupillages offer an early insight into life at the Bar. They help candidates test the waters, and allow chambers to assess potential.
In competitive chambers, mini-pupillages can be a stepping stone to pupillage itself.
Where to find mini-pupillages
Mini-pupillages typically run in the summer, with deadlines in the spring. Each chambers runs its own scheme, usually coordinated internally by practising barristers on a voluntary basis.
Application details and deadlines are published on chambers’ websites. At 30 Park Place, the deadline is typically the end of April.
Shortlisting criteria
We assess mini-pupillage applications using similar criteria to pupillage:
- Strong academics - whether you’re an undergraduate, GDL or Bar student, or changing careers, we assess achievement in context and look for intellectual rigour.
- Commitment to, and genuine interest in, the Bar – we don't expect years of legal experience, but we do want evidence that you understand what life at the Bar entails and are actively pursuing this path. Mini-pupillages aren't a substitute for a vacation scheme - they're for those committed to developing a barrister’s skill set.
- Advocacy potential – mooting and debating help, but so do volunteering, public speaking, or student journalism. We're not looking for polished professionals, we're looking for promise.
- Achievement - awards, scholarships, and extracurricular accomplishments show discipline and the ability to manage competing demands, which is a key aspect to life at the Bar.
- Chambers-specific interest - a compelling application explains: why us? Understanding our practice areas and culture shows you've done your research - and can see yourself thriving here. We will see that too.
Top tip: Your application is your first act of advocacy. We’re not just assessing your CV - we’re assessing how persuasively you can communicate it to us.
Mistakes to avoid
Mini-pupillage applications are often submitted under pressure. But even strong candidates are let down by avoidable mistakes that can make a lasting impression:
- basic errors – spelling mistakes, bad grammar, or copying the wrong chambers’ name are easy mistakes to fix, though hard to forgive. If you can’t proofread, it not only suggests you’re not taking the opportunity seriously but also that you are someone who, during pupillage, may risk submitting a skeleton to the High Court with the wrong case name in the header. Remember, the application is a professional document requiring the highest standards of grammar.
- CV/application mismatch – if your standout achievements appear only in your personal statement and not on your CV, they may be missed entirely. The worst outcome is that we notice the discrepancy and assume that you don’t quite know how to present your strongest case, first!
- vagueness – listed answers without prioritisation weaken your application. You should highlight the key qualities that would make you a good a barrister: judgment, clarity, communication, and resilience.
Top tip: a short CV should showcase key experience. Use the application form to go deeper: select one or two elements and convince us that they matter.
Helpful schemes and resources
Access to the Bar is important and there are many free, meaningful ways to gain experience. These aren’t just CV-fillers - they’re also chances to develop the interpersonal skills that barristers rely on daily:
- the Inns of Court (Lincoln’s, Inner, Middle and Gray’s) offer mentoring, mooting, events, and scholarships to students. Many are online and have regional offerings, too
- the Bar Council's Pupillage Fair is a great opportunity to meet chambers, network, and ask questions
- university law and Bar societies offer moots, debates, and talks with practising barristers that build your skills and network
- access schemes for underrepresented applicants:
Your application should not merely pass us data; it is your first test in advocacy. Content matters but so, too, does clarity, structure, and conviction. Can you argue for yourself clearly and with good judgment? Use that application to demonstrate that you’re thinking, writing, and ready to learn like a barrister.