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• Monckton

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  An old and well-established commercial set practising out of London, the growth and history of Monckton Chambers begins in the 1930s, and the set has ever since never looked back. The chamber was renamed as Monckton Chambers in 1996 after its initial founder William Monckton.
  
  With over 40 practising barristers and large clerking and administrative support teams, this set is recognised as one of the premier and top-tier practices in the UK.
  
  Some of the cases the set has worked on: Ford Motor Company v HM Revenue & Customs, Total Revenue SL v HMRC, Byrne v Motor Insurers Bureau, Letting International v London Borough of Newham, The Boots Company plc v HMRC and HMRC v Weight Watchers UK Ltd.

  This is a set which is committed to and comfortable with a blending of the old and the new, tradition with modernity and the ability to reinvent itself with changing times. Commended for its tax, competition, public law and procurement practice, the chamber provides a training programme which fits in very well with its work ethos.
  
  Pupils rotate across various practice areas with supervisors changing every three months, and there are no conditions which bar linking up with other members in the chamber and assisting them on their cases.
  
  Since a major portion of the set’s practice revolves around issues where advocacy is generally not one of the strategic approaches, pupils will find their time occupied with a lot of researching on points of law and other principles, and reams of paperwork in the form of skeleton arguments and opinions.
  
  This is a good foundation for any barrister who wishes to be part of an increasingly business-oriented and commercially-rich field of law, and the general approach and culture at Monckton ensures that one gets the best of training, competence and experience.

  Monckton’s practice is built around a multi-pronged approach; the main areas where it works are commercial law, competition law, employment, European Community law, human rights, environment, public & administrative law, sports, telecommunication, procurement & construction law, VAT & customs law and all tax-related matters.
  
  The set is recommended mainly for its expertise in VAT and other tax matters, completion & European Community law, public law and procurement issues.
  
  The various courts and tribunals where barristers from Monckton regularly make appearances are the VAT tribunal, Privy Council, House of Lords, High Court, Technology & Construction Court, Court of Appeal, Competition Appeal Tribunal, employment tribunals, European Court of Justice, European Court of Human Rights and Court of First Instance.

  The chamber looks for pupils with an outstanding academic background – a first or high second class degree are basic requirements for law students. Non-law students, in addition to obtaining degrees as mentioned above, must gain at least a ‘commendation’ in their GDL/CPE or other conversion course.
  
  Other qualities which interest the chamber are good oratorical and writing skills, excellent time and people management skills, creative and analytical reasoning abilities and interests in a diverse range of extracurricular activities (i.e.mooting, debating and public speaking).
  
  It is also helpful if aspiring candidates complete mini-pupillages during their study years, at Monckton or elsewhere, or have vacation or part-time work experience where they’ve been exposed to legal and/or commercial perspectives.

  The chamber offers two 12-month pupillages each year, which are divided into four seats of three months each. At each seat, pupils are assigned to a pupil supervisor, who provides assignments for the pupil to carry out and monitors performance and provides guidance.
  
  Pupils are also encouraged to link up with other members in the chamber so that they are able to experience the full range of chambers’ practice. Most of the work for pupils involves research and draft preparations of arguments and pleadings, some small proceedings before tax tribunals are assigned during the second six.
  
  Tenancy decisions are taken around the end of July, and in the last three months of the pupillage, newly-tenanted pupils take on a lot more advocacy work. The chamber also conducts mini-pupillages where trainees can gain an insight into the working of a commercial set and the requirements for a successful career as a barrister.
  
  The sessions are held between November and January, barring the holiday period, and run for durations of one week each. The mini-pupillages are assessed for performance and taken into account should the trainee apply for a full pupillage later. A pupil master is assigned for the week who will allocate various tasks to be completed by the mini-pupil.
  
  Tasks can involve doing research, attending court proceedings, preparing draft arguments and opinions, etc. Mini-pupils are also given a sample case study for which they will need to produce a written opinion by the end of the training session.

  The annual maintenance grant provided by the chamber is £36,000, of which an amount up to £10,000 can be drawn in the BVC year.

  Monckton recruits pupils through the summer round in OLPAS, application forms should be submitted as per the timetable set by the latter. Details and forms can be found at http://www.olpas.co.uk.
  
  The interview process is conducted in two stages – the first interview is informal and covers information provided in the CV; the second interview is for shortlisted candidates from the first interview, and consists of a case study which the candidate will read through and analyze, the test is aimed at gauging the reasoning and communication skills of the candidates.
  
  Mini-pupillages are conducted during the period between November and January, excluding the holiday period and are open to law students in their final year and non-law students doing their CPE or conversion courses. A detailed CV and covering letter can be submitted via email to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) latest by 31 October.

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