Pupillage

3 Verulam Buildings is one of London’s strongest sets of chambers for commercial litigation and arbitration. Its members are widely recognised as leading practitioners in a variety of the fields that make up international commercial practice: banking, financial services, commercial and contractual disputes, civil fraud, energy, cyber fraud and cryptocurrency, insolvency, insurance, international arbitration, IT and telecoms, media, professional negligence and public international law.

3VB prides itself on its professional expertise and the outstanding opportunities afforded to all tenants to build leading commercial practices. It is a forward-looking set, with excellent practice managers, spacious premises and first-class facilities.

3VB recognises that its continued success is dependent upon recruiting exceptional candidates for pupillage and investing in their development, not just during the pupillage year but also in the early years of tenancy. The characteristics we seek in our recruits are a high level of intellectual and analytical ability, very strong oral and written advocacy skills, and the determination to succeed at the competitive commercial bar. We aim to nurture those qualities during pupillage and in the early years of practice. We provide our pupils with an environment that is not only demanding but also encouraging and supportive, to ensure that our pupils perform to the best of their ability during their pupillage year at 3VB.

3VB offers up to five pupillages per year (including 12-month pupillages, shorter “intermediate” pupillages for experienced practitioners transferring from solicitors’ firms or the employed bar, and deferred pupillages). 3VB is a member of the Pupillage Gateway and we invite all applicants for 12-month pupillages to make their application via the Pupillage Gateway website. The Gateway opens for applications on 3 January 2024 and closes on 7 February 2024.

Established practitioners and other applicants who have obtained dispensation from the BSB from the requirement to undertake pupillage may apply outside the Gateway at any time, and we encourage such applications from strong candidates. Candidates who have been or will be granted a full exemption from pupillage by the BSB, and who have significant experience in practice, may wish to apply for an intermediate pupillage. The structure of any intermediate pupillage will be the subject of discussion between 3VB and the individual applicant but may involve a commencement date earlier than the standard October start date and/or a shorter duration of pupillage before a tenancy decision is made.


The pupillage award is £80,000 from 2024, up to £20,000 of which can be drawn down during the year prior to pupillage.


Watch our Pupillage Video

Pupillage Policy

You can find our Pupillage Policy here. 3VB does not usually offer 3rd Six or unfunded pupillages.

Winner: UK Bar Awards 2023
The Lawyer Awards 2022: Chambers of the Year