Pupillage

Deka Chambers is a common law set of barristers’ chambers based in central London. The set was created in 2022 on the merger of two established and respected sets of chambers: 9 Gough Chambers (formerly 9 Gough Square) and 1 Chancery Lane.

We offer two 12-month pupillages each year, each with a financial support package worth £65,000.

Our members practise across a range of areas of law. Some members have mixed practices, meaning that they undertake work in varied types of law. Other members have specialist practices in which they focus on one or two areas. Practice groups in chambers bring together barristers involved in distinct areas of law for support and organisation.

Our main areas of practice include personal injury, clinical negligence, crime, public family (care), private family (both children and adults), police, regulation, travel, inquests and Court of Protection work. Our barristers also practise in professional negligence, property, inquiry and public sector work. Many of our cases involve vulnerable and injured people, human rights considerations and matters of public interest.

Our pupils experience work in our main areas during the non-practising period of pupillage (the first six months) and undertake cases in a mixture of areas in the practising period (the second six). The arrangement provides enviable advocacy experience and develops an interesting and varied practice

Tenancy is not automatic, but our selection process, our programme of teaching and support, and the capabilities of our pupils mean that we have a good record of recruiting from pupillage.

We are looking for candidates who are interested in, and capable of, having and developing a common law practice.

We invite applications for pupillage on our own application form through our own online system. We do not accept applications through the Pupillage Gateway, although we adhere to the Pupillage Gateway timetable.

We will soon be inviting applications for up to two pupils to commence pupillage in October 2025. The application window will be open from 3 January 2024 to 7 February 2024. First round interviews will be held on 2 March 2024, and second round interviews will be held on 27 and 28 March 2024. Offers will be made from 10 May 2024.

The application form will be available on this page in due course.

If you missed our recent Virtual Pupillage Open Event you can view it here.