There is no "clearing house" system for pupillages in local government. Each local authority considers its own needs and determines (if it has an employed barrister working for it who has more than five years' work experience and is a registered pupil-master), whether or not to advertise nationally for such pupillages. There are, currently, only a very limited number of registered local government pupil-masters.

The Bar Council is currently looking at making some changes to its Rules and Regulations so as to allow pupils to do pupillage with senior legal practitioners who are not barristers. These changes, however, are unlikely to be in operation in 2000.

The best course of action, therefore, is to keep a lookout for pupillages in local government by checking relevant local government publications (for example, Local Government Chronicle, Law Society's Gazette, the Lawyer and Bar News). Once you have completed your pupillage, you should not be deterred from applying for "Assistant Solicitor" type positions. Recently qualified barristers (without pupillages) may, on occasions, be considered for such positions although this is proving most difficult.

Other information appearing on this website that may be of general interest to you includes:

(a) A career in Local Government for Barristers;

(b) Your Questions Answered; and

(c) Chairman's Newsletters.