PUPILLAGE

Monckton Chambers specialises in European, public and commercial law.

There are currently 52 members of Chambers, including 14 QCs. The focus of much of our work is the relationship between, on the one hand, companies and individuals, and on the other, the power of the State. Members of Chambers practice in a number of different areas of the law, but the same essential question frequently arises across the range of our work: has the State exceeded its powers?

European law is frequently involved in what we do: whether the law of the European Union, or the European Convention on Human Rights.

Much of our work takes place in the higher Courts, including the Administrative Court, where claimants challenge the actions of the State by way of judicial review, or in specialist tribunals such as the Competition Appeal Tribunal. Members of Chambers also frequently act in the Court of Justice of the European Union, and the European Court of Human Rights. Commercial trials within our core practice areas are also an important part of our work.

Whilst the majority of Chambers' work is for private clients, we regularly appear for the Crown, and 20 junior members of Chambers have appointments to the Attorney General's Panel of counsel used by central Government for its civil litigation. Members also regularly advise the European Commission, and the UK Government, on litigation in the European courts. Whilst much of our work arises in the commercial context, members also act for private individuals, charities, non-Governmental organisations and campaigning groups. There is scope within Monckton Chambers for individual members to develop the kind of practice they wish: whether focussing on the rights of individuals, large corporations, or the Government.

Our work is carried out in areas of the law that are rapidly growing and fast moving. It is exceptionally demanding, but also highly rewarding. We are looking for candidates of the highest intellectual calibre. Most successful candidates for pupillage will have a First Class Honours degree (although it need not be in law) or a graduate degree in law.

We do not, however, expect candidates to have any experience or expertise in the specialised areas in which we practice, beyond an interest and enthusiasm for public law and/or European law. We welcome applications from candidates who have degrees in subjects other than law and are taking (or have taken) the GDL.

It is not only intellectual skills that we are looking for: we are seeking candidates with the personal skills to win the trust of clients and judges alike. Monckton Chambers is a dynamic place to work. Members actively engage in speaking at conferences and seminars, in London and internationally, and in contributing to a variety of publications, ranging from our own marketing materials, to specialist journals and practitioner texts. We are looking for junior tenants who will bring real energy to Chambers.

 

OUR PRACTICE AREAS

Whilst members do conduct advisory work, the focus is very much upon litigation. The following areas account for most of the volume of Chambers' work:

Administrative and public law

The focus of Monckton Chambers' public law work is commercial, although members of Chambers also act for individuals, charities and NGOs. Members of Chambers frequently act in judicial review challenges to the decisions of Ministers and regulatory bodies. EU law or the European Convention on Human Rights are often involved.

Communications and Media

We have a particularly strong reputation in the regulation of telecoms, internet services, digital and broadcast media - commercial activities frequently conducted on a cross-border basis and characterised by rapid growth, business innovation and technological change.

Competition

There are two main strands to Chambers competition work. Firstly, members act frequently in the Competition Appeal Tribunal, which has the power to hear appeals and judicial review challenges in relation to decisions of the Office of Fair Trading and other "sectoral" competition regulators such as Ofcom. Secondly, Monckton Chambers is the leader in the growing field of private competition law damages actions, where (for example) victims of cartel action seek compensation from the perpetrator. Competition disputes often involve complex commercial trials, private international law and sustained cross-examination of witnesses, expert and otherwise.

Environmental law

Members focus on the public law aspect of environmental law (as opposed to the planning or toxic tort/criminal dimensions), almost all of which stems from European law. We act in judicial review challenges relating to the decisions of regulators such as the Environment Agency, as well to wider Government policies, and we regularly advise charities, NGOs and campaign groups on matters including complaints to the European Commission.

EU law

Monckton Chambers' expertise in EU law is unrivalled. Members act before almost every imaginable court or tribunal in litigating EU law issues: whether the European Court or even a Magistrates Court. As the scope of EU Law continues to grow, so too does the work of chambers.

Indirect Tax

Much of the law of indirect taxes such as VAT comes from the EU. The tax work undertaken in Monckton Chambers typically involves disputes either as to the interpretation of EU law, or as to its proper implementation in domestic law. Huge sums of money may turn upon the interpretation of a few words of an EU directive.

International human rights

Monckton Chambers is a leader in the field of international human rights law. Members act in or advise on human rights issues arising in jurisdictions across Europe and around the world, commonly assisting with litigation before foreign courts before pursuing applications further to the European Court of Human Rights or the UN Human Rights Committee if necessary. Recent cases have arisen out of litigation in France, Germany, Russia, Switzerland, the Bahamas and Australia as well, of course, as the UK. The variety is extraordinary, from international oil companies to individual detainees, UN sanctions to INTERPOL red notices and includes individual and corporate applicant work, drafting the first Inter State application in twenty years and representing Respondent Governments in the firing line.

Procurement

Public procurement law imposes a range of obligations upon public bodies and utilities. The law has grown out of principles of EU law which are concerned to prevent discrimination on national grounds but now extends to consideration of the fairness of these procedures and the efficiency of their outcomes. Monckton Chambers is the market leader in developing this fast developing and often highly litigious field. Those engaged in this practice are often involved in a range of high value disputes covering diverse subject matters such as high speed trains, defence equipment, clinical products and services, national public building programmes, or even new Parliament buildings.

Sports Law

Sports law encompasses a wide range of legal disciplines from contract law to EU competition and free movement law. Chambers' work is often very high profile, working for national sports governing bodies, individual players (from footballers to female boxers), teams and clubs, and broadcasters, and involves litigation before specialist sports courts and tribunals, such as the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, as well as before the High Court, the European Court of Justice, the General Court, the European Commission and the Competition Appeal Tribunal.

 

APPLICATION FOR PUPILLAGE

Monckton Chambers offers pupillage for twelve months. It recruits pupils in the expectation of being able to offer them tenancy, should they meet the required standard. Most successful candidates for pupillage will have a First Class Honours degree (although it need not be in law) or a graduate degree in law. In the past 10 years, 16 out of 17 Monckton pupils were offered tenancy.

  • Typically, two pupillages have been offered each year.
  • In 2010/11 we offered pupillage awards of £60,000.

Several members of chambers have come to us via a non-standard route - for example having previously worked at NGOs, as solicitors, academics or civil servants. We welcome such applications.

 

HOW TO APPLY

Monckton Chambers is a member of the Bar Council Pupil Portal and all applications should be made in accordance with that scheme. Pupillage Portal operates over one season which starts in March each year. For more information, please visit www.pupillages.com. We invite applications from pupils in the year preceding the October in which pupillage is due to start.

Our interview process is in two stages. The first interview is relatively informal: we try to find out as much as we can about the candidate, with a view to identifying skills, achievements and experiences that may suggest that he or she would make a good barrister in a set of chambers such as ours. The questions we ask at this stage typically focus on the candidate's Pupillage Portal application form. The first interview also provides an opportunity for candidates to ask questions about Chambers and pupillage with us.

We offer a second interview to a short list of candidates. The second interview is based on a legal problem that the candidate has been given to consider immediately before the interview. The problem is intended to test the candidate's critical reasoning skills, rather than his or her knowledge of any particular area of law. It is designed to provide us with a fair and objective way of selecting the best candidates from the small group of exceptionally able people who have made it through to the second round stage.

Candidates invited for a second interview who have not previously completed a mini-pupillage are offered the opportunity of spending a few days with us to learn more about what we do and to experience the atmosphere in Chambers.