1 Hare Court - True Picture

Chambers profile

1 Hare Court was the first set of chambers to specialise in family law. The majority of chambers’ work is in the area of matrimonial finance, and members of chambers also advise and act in private child law and TOLATA disputes. We now have 14 silks, 32 juniors and three associate members. Former members of chambers include three former members of the Court of Appeal, three former Presidents of the High Court Family Division, One current High Court Judge (Nicholas Cusworth), and multiple former High Court Judges. Current members of chambers have acted in almost all landmark matrimonial finance cases, including White, Miller/McFarlane, Charman, Agbaje, Macleod, Radmacher v Granatino, Petrodel v Prest, Wyatt v Vince, Sharland, Cooper- Hohn v Hohn. More recent cases of significance in shaping the direction of family law, in which current members of chambers have acted, include Chai v Peng, Work v Gray, Birch, Thum, Owens, Waggott, Martin, XW v XH, Potanin v Potanina and FRB v DCA [No 2].

We expect that applicants will have a strong academic record. 1 Hare Court has a long-standing tradition of contributing to legal works. Rayden on Divorce, the principal practitioners’ textbook, was renamed Rayden & Jackson as a tribute to the former head of chambers Joseph Jackson QC, who edited the work for many years. Members of chambers continue to edit Rayden & Jackson, as well as many other leading books, and we regularly contribute articles to the specialist press. Candidates who demonstrate the potential to carry on this strong intellectual tradition will impress.

A pupillage at 1 Hare Court offers training in advocacy, advice and drafting in every aspect of family work, particularly matrimonial finance. Our strong reputation and the quality of training available means that those pupils who are not taken on stand a good prospect of finding a professional opportunity elsewhere, frequently in other specialist chambers or firms.

Who should apply: Candidates should be able to show that they have a flair for advocacy, presentational and analytical skills and the ability to develop sound judgment, as well as having a strong academic record. Given the emphasis on financial work, some aptitude and interest in commercial/ financial matters is desirable. However, chambers’ work remains rooted in human problems and a sympathetic but perceptive response to those problems is essential.

When and how to apply: We recruit pupils once a year. Applications for pupillages open and close in accordance with the Pupillage Gateway timetable. Chambers is not a member of Pupillage Gateway but keeps to the timetable for the communication and acceptance of offers.

For full details of the application process, please see the pupillage page on Chambers’ website (https://www.1hc.com/join-us/pupillage/). Please note that a mini-pupillage in Chambers is not a requirement for an application for pupillage.

Mini-pupillages

These are available during term time only. Applicants must be at least at undergraduate level and have some interest in family law.

For mini-pupillages between October and January, applications should be submitted between 1 and 31 July. For mini-pupillages between February and July, applications should be submitted between the 1 and 31 January. Applications should be made by way of a full CV and typed covering letter (limited to one page) and sent to kathryn@1hc.com.

Sponsorship/Funding

Two fully-funded pupillages, with an award of £50,000 + any earnings made during the second six months of pupillage.