A Wilberforce to be reckoned with 

In the late 1980s, this London set made the decision to adopt the name of Wilberforce, in honour of one esteemed member’s great-great-grandfather, William (…Wilberforce). This renaming has fostered an identity that has become widely recognised in the chancery sphere. Chambers UK reveals the set’s dominance in top-tier traditional chancery work, having triumphed in a number of probate and tax cases. But private clients are hardly the extent of Wilberforce's mighty reach. Its members are involved in pension matters, appearing in several widely reported insolvency cases in the last year and representing seven different parties in 2010's Pilots National Pensions' Fund case, one of the most complex pensions cases to date. The set has also found success on the real estate scene, recently handling several high-value contractual disputes, particularly those concerning development land, and some prolific credit-crunch litigation.

As evidenced by its commercial success, Wilberforce is at the forefront of the chancery sets embracing the ever-diminishing distinction between chancery and commercial work. In addition to private client and professional liability work, the set's chief undertakings are in its business and finance and property groups, which operate both domestically and internationally. The set is also well-reputed in the areas of civil fraud, IP and charities. This range of work is a big attraction for pupils, as it surpasses that of purely commercial sets. Recent noteworthy cases include representation of two international banks seeking to recover €40m from confectioner Ferrero in one of the biggest commercial fraud cases tried in the Chancery Division of the High Court; acting for Leeds United FC in its much publicised proceedings against the Football League after the club was sanctioned with a 15-point deduction; and advising travel company TUI on a contractual issue regarding flight bookings on Ryanair's website.

New directions 

Wilberforce's 50 or so members currently occupy three buildings on idyllic New Square, though plans to move are in the works: management is “currently considering the future direction of the set” and has put in place a long-term development arrangement that includes reorganising chambers' administration and uniting members under one roof. The best way to describe the current premises is swish: a sleek reception and walls dotted with contemporary art suggest that Wilberforce is a modern, progressive entity rather than another classic, stodgy set.

The set is “an actively growing enterprise,” now more than twice the size it was a decade ago. Steadily amassing pupils is an important part of expansion, so the recruitment committee takes on two a year, with the intention of offering tenancy to both. Around 100 candidates apply for these two coveted spots each year, so having the right credentials is vital: browsing through Wilberforce's website, you will see a tellingly high number of Oxbridge grads, although recruiters stress that they “make judgements on grades rather than universities.” Successful applicants “tend to have Firsts” and, according to current pupils, “share the unifying characteristic of being irritatingly clever.” Equally important is a clear interest in commercial Chancery work and “some shred of evidence that you're a human being.” Luckily, the set offers its own bespoke application, so “you can sell yourself in a tailored way” that's unavailable on Pupillage Portal.

So what can a hopeful graduate with impressive grades and relevant extracurriculars expect to encounter in the application process? First up is the paper sift, in which two members of the pupillage committee review all the paper applications made that year to weed out the weak from the strong. Proof of your intellectual ability, experience with communication and ability to cope with the kind of work the set handles all weigh heavily, as does demonstration of an interest in the Bar and Wilberforce above all. The committee's advice for getting an interview: “Sell yourself in the best way possible and take care on paper.” Around 30 applicants get invited to a 'longlist' interview in which each spends 15-20 minutes discussing a topical question raised during the interview, followed by an informal chat to find out interests and ambitions. The subject of debate is usually a “newsworthy current event with a moral edge,” such as freedom of the press, and is designed to test analytical abilities, stress tolerance and people skills. Because the committee “enjoys people who seize the opportunity to fight their corner,” pupils advise applicants to “pick a stance and don't give in!” About half of applicants are given the chop at this point, with the remaining ones returning for shortlist interviews.

The final stage involves a brief chat for the candidates to settle in, followed by a review of a legal problem given half an hour prior to the interview. Current pupils suggest that applicants avoid trying to be “too clever” with these problems as “they're not designed to trip you up.” Giving a sensible answer and “talking on a level-playing field” with the panel is much more likely to show that you can fit into the set. Overall, confidence and top-class intellect “show more than anything that you have the skills for communicating with clients.”

Moving on 

Because the set undertakes such a broad range of work, pupils sit with six different supervisors for two months each. Each seat offers exposure to different tasks, topics and working styles, and a bonus of having only two months with each supervisor means “you're never stuck for too long with somebody you don't like.” Day to day, it's largely research and drafting tasks for pupils, along with the occasional visit to court to observe a superior. Pupils don't make many court appearances in their own right, but they get the chance to accompany supervisors “at every level,” including the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, County Court, Chancery Masters and mediation and arbitration sessions. Pupils also participate in mock conferences to practise advising in court. While not all work is live – indeed, pupils often find themselves taking part in a compare/contrast session with a supervisor's old work – pupils agree that “it's good to do some dead work” since it's still assessed and the pressure to get it completely right is lower. There's “little difference” between the first and second six, although supervisors tend to rely on pupils more during their last few months of pupillage.

Around nine months into pupillage, the committee gathers to make the tenancy decision, a judgement that's made based on confidential reports put together by supervisors. While there's continual assessment throughout pupillage – indeed, pupils stress that “absolutely everything” is assessed – “it's understood that you'll get better as you progress.” Pupils who have been granted tenancy (and happily, both of those at the set in 2011 were) begin taking on live work exclusively for their remaining three months of pupillage, and they can actually begin practising officially, although a clerk called this time “a training period and generally just some time to relax before the real work starts.”

Afternoon tea isn't really Wilberforce's style, but neither does it have a slick suit culture: depending on how senior you are, jeans and jumpers (and the “occasional tracksuit,” as one committee member admitted) are acceptable, though pupils and less senior juniors usually stick to formal attire. Occasional banter with the clerks and regular drinks on Friday mean that pupils “hardly spend every day in sheer terror.” Basically, Wilberforce is both sociable and professional, which are equally important in securing a place at this prestigious set. As one committee member hinted: “Coming to events like chambers' lunches as a pupil is good for rubber-stamping the tenancy committee's decision.”

And finally... 

According to pupils, the “mixed bag” of work at Wilberforce “shows you pretty much everything chambers does,” from private client cases and fraud claims to corporate disputes and charity work.