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• Fountain Court

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  Fountain Court chambers is a blue-chip, premier set operating a large and reputed practice in commercial law. On its rolls are some of the best and brightest legal talents in the UK; the chambers enjoys a prominent position in the limelight on account of the big-ticket issues and cases it takes on.
  
  Fountain Court has had a share in almost every large and highly publicised commercial dispute in recent times – Equitable Life v Ernst & Young, Rabobank v Natwest, BAA v Ryanair, Three Rivers District Council v Bank of England, Dubai Aluminium v Salaam, to list a few. Its members are also noted for penning several articles and books, some of which are considered as the definitive word in the respective area of law.

  Undoubtedly a premier chamber whose addition would add lots of glitter and value to any CV, Fountain Court may be one of the best places to launch a legal career, which means that the process and effort required to get in will be challenging. It is definitely not an easy ride. What one needs, first and foremost, are brains, and a lot of it.
  
  A rigorous selection process sifts through the haves from the have-nots and the chambers can be very pragmatic on the type of profile it wants on the rolls. Acute mental fitness and agility apart, it is also vital that you have charisma and a gung ho attitude. It’s not enough to be a bookworm and a mental drone.
  
  The atmosphere at chambers can be described as eclectic, with camaraderie prevalent across the board. There is no rigidly defined hierarchy, the approach being very much egalitarian. Pupils are provided with the best resources and support, whether from supervisors or other chamber members or the clerks and administrative staff.
  
  Pupils are constantly challenged to porgress as rapidly as possible, but without compromises on quality, effort or time. Hours can be long at times, especially when there is a lot of research and study involved on complex points of law or issues, but there are plenty of controls in place to ensure that you are not overburdened with tasks.

  Fountain Court has a large and varied practice, covering the full range of commercial law. The form focuses on the following areas: banking & finance, aviation, insurance and reinsurance, employment, civil fraud, commercial litigation and international commercial law.
  
  There is also a lot of work done with professional negligence, public law, product liability and arbitration & alternative dispute resolution. Essentially, the chambers covers a broad range of practice areas that will give any trainee a thorough understanding of the inner workings at the Bar.

  Minimum educational qualifications should be a 2:1 or higher degree with a proven history of excellence in academic and extracurricular activities. The chambers is interested in candidates who are committed to a career at the Bar and are proficient in verbal and written communication.
  
  You must also possess good presentation and negotiation skills. Creativity is also of paramount importance, as is a sound knowledge of current commercial and legal trends and confidence by the bucket load.

  During the training year, pupils spend time with three different pupil supervisors. One supervisor is assigned for the first and last three months of the pupillage, the other two supervisors take on oversight in the middle six months. Most of the work on which pupils will assist various members of chambers will be commercial in nature.
  
  The tasks to be completed will consist of research, preparing draft versions of pleadings, skeleton arguments and accompanying the supervisor to court and client conferences. Pupils will not get to do any paid advocacy until the tenancy decision is taken.
  
  Thereafter, a dedicated clerk allocates small value cases to various new and junior tenants to ensure all get a similar amount of courtroom experience. The chamber also conducts several un-assessed mini-pupillages throughout the year during Easter, Christmas and in the months of June & July. The training lasts for 2 days and gives trainees a flavour of the type of work done in chambers and a general idea about a career at the bar.

  Each pupil receives an annual grant of £40,000, payable in monthly instalments during the pupillage year. Pupils who are offered tenancy can also expect some paid work in the last three months of pupillage.
  
  New tenants do not make any contributions towards chambers’ expenses in the first year of practice, but taken on some amount of pro bono and unpaid cases. The chambers also reimburse any expenses incurred towards attending compulsory continuing training programmes.

  Application should be submitted through OLPAS during the summer enrolment schedule. Forms can be accessed at http://www.pupillages.com. References should be sent directly to the chamber. Two rounds of interviews are conducted; the first is a generic and informal session.
  
  Shortlisted candidates further appear for a second round of interviews, this is a more thorough, specific and formal interview where the ability and temperament of a candidate for a career as a barrister is ascertained.
  
  References should be sent directly to Natalie Davis (Pupillage Assistant) at Fountain Court Chambers.
  
  Mini-pupillage application forms are available at the chambers’ website: http://www.Fountaincourt.shapeshed.com/pupillage/mini-pupillage.
  
  Please contact Natalie Davis on 020 7583 3335 for any pupillage related queries.

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