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• Quadrant

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  Quadrant Chambers is very well-known for its shipping & aviation related commercial litigation expertise. Established after World War II and then known as 4 Essex Court, the chambers quickly garnered clients from the shipping and insurance segments, building up a reputation for work in the aviation segment in the last 10 years.

  Quadrant prides itself on providing a sound foundation and continued development for pupils, built on a premise that every pupil taken on is a future tenant of the chambers. In the past, three out of the four pupils taken for training accepted tenancy offers, proving the efficacy of Quadrant’s training programme.
  
  Unlike other chambers where pupils take on their own cases during the second six, pupils at Quadrant do not undertake any paid work until the decision to offer a tenancy is made after an evaluation of nine months’ performance.
  
  During this period, pupils undergo a rigorous regimen of drafting, research, pleadings and argument preparation on live cases being handled by their supervisors and pupil masters with several sessions of mock trials and case presentations overseen by senior barristers and silks.
  
  Once an offer of tenancy is made, pupils begin to handle small matters on their own, with support provided as required. Ninety percent of the time is spent on paperwork in chambers.
  
  There are no manic hours expected as long as the required work is completed and is of acceptable quality. The emphasis on basic skills and continuous evaluation during the pupillage ensures that a pupil hits the ground running once accepted as a tenant.

  The four main areas where Quadrant trains its expert guns are commercial litigation, shipping, aviation and insurance & reinsurance. Barristers in chambers are well-honed in English, European and international law in the commercial litigation and dispute resolution sectors. Quadrant also has a reasonably well-known sport and media litigation practice.
  
  The set also has expertise in various commercial matters such as international trade, property, judicial review and commodities. Quadrant’s Conference, Mediation and Arbitration Centre is a dedicated alternate dispute resolution facilities’ centre, available for use not only by chamber members, but also other barristers and professionals associated with dispute resolution.

  The chambers look for future tenants who are mentally agile and temperamentally suited to life as a barrister in Quadrant. This means a high second or first class degree is a must, candidates must be proficient in oral and written advocacy or public speaking and debating skills, flexible and adaptable to rapid changes in daily work activities, possess commercial awareness and a taste for tough and challenging assignments.
  
  High grades in the BVC course are also necessary. Recruitment is a three stage process, stage I is the submission of application forms. In stage II shortlisted candidates are required to complete a series of written tests, including a written opinion on a case already handled by the chambers.
  
  In the third stage selected candidates will attend an interview conducted by a panel of members of chambers; the aim of the exercise will be to gauge applicant’s aptitude and abilities in reasoning, analytics and advocacy.

  Quadrant offers 3 pupillages each year for a period of 12 months divided into two sixes. The first six begins with an induction programme conducted over a few weeks by various members in different disciplines and areas of practice in which the set specializes.
  
  Subsequently each pupil is assigned to two different pupil supervisors, whom the pupil shadows for a period of three months each. A formal performance review at the end of the first six provides an initial evaluation of the pupil’s fitness for a tenancy at chambers.
  
  Thereafter, pupils are assigned to a panel of six pupil masters, who will assign, monitor and grade pupils’ performance. Other formal training imparted during the pupillage includes live or mock advocacy sessions, discussions with other members and seminars on important issues.
  
  Quadrant conducts four sessions of mini-pupillages each year, open to students in the second year of degree and above. Each mini-pupillage is spread over a period of three days, during which students get a flavour of working as a barrister, life at the Bar and at chambers.
  
  The sessions are conducted during the first week of April, third & fourth weeks of June, and the final session is conducted in the second week of September. Mini pupils will shadow a member of chambers, read through pleadings and arguments of cases in progress, research information, attend court and client meetings and complete a series of tests to evaluate their aptitude for a career at the Bar.

  A grant of £40,000 is provided to pupils during the pupillage year, some percentage can be provided as an advance during the BVC at the discretion of the pupillage committee.
  
  An interest-free loan of up to £50,000 is provided to new tenants to manage their financial commitments, again at the discretion of the Management Committee.

  Quadrant Chambers does not subscribe to OLPAS, and application forms can be submitted directly to the chambers on-line or via post. Forms are available on-line at the chambers’ website in two versions – an on-line form and a printable format. The link to download forms is http://www.quadrantchambers.com, at the bottom of the page click on online application form or printable application form.
  
  Application forms for the next year’s pupillage can be submitted between 7 January and 28 February. Second stage tests will be held between 7 March and 12 March; and interviews will be conducted during the third week of March.
  
  Three batches of mini-pupillages are offered in a year and are open to students in the second and final years of their degree. The submission and training timetable is: (i) Session 1 – applications by 31 January, session is held in the first week of April; (ii) Session 2 – submit applications by 31 March for sessions held in the third and fourth weeks of June; (iii) Session 3 – submission by 31 May for session conducted from 15 September.
  
  For any further information and details, the pupillage committee is contactable at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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