Outer Temple Chambers - True Picture

Chambers profile

OTC is a leading, global civil and commercial chambers with a forward-thinking approach to business development and client care. We are involved in some of the most cutting-edge litigation and advisory work undertaken by the Bar. In London, we are located directly opposite the Royal Courts of Justice and we have barristers and staff based in our office in Dubai, as well as representatives around the world including Australia, the Far East, US and the Caribbean.

We are recognised as a leading set in 9 practice areas and 77 of our members are recognised as leading juniors or silks in Chambers & Partners and Legal 500. We offer a structured, well-supported, challenging and broad pupillage experience. 

Main areas of work

We practise, principally, in the following areas:
Banking and financial services, business crime, clinical negligence, commercial, court of protection, disciplinary and regulatory, employment and discrimination, fintech, insolvency and restructuring, pensions and trusts, personal injury, private client, professional negligence, public law, sports law, travel law. 

Pupil profile

We assess applicants for: intellectual ability, potential as an advocate, motivation, commitment, and professional compatibility with Chambers.

Pupillage

We offer a well-structured pupillage programme, usually four seats with four supervisors each ending with quarterly reviews, and a range of oral and written advocacy training exercises across the year. 

Mini-pupillages

We run two mini-pupillages a year which run over a three-day period. In late June/early July (through bridging the bar) and early December. Our mini-pupillages are not assessed. Further details on our website.

Funding/awards

We offer up to two 12-month pupillages with an award of £80,000. At Chambers’ discretion up to 25% of the 12-month pupillage award is available for draw-down during the Bar Professional Training Course year. 

University law careers fairs 2024
This year we hope to attend all or some of the following: University of Law, Legal Cheek, BPP Law Fair, Bar Council Pupillage Fair, and the Target Jobs Pupillage Fair.

Diversity, inclusion and wellbeing:
We are proud to be a Disability Confident, London Living Wage and Mindful employer. We positively encourage applications from groups who are currently under-represented in Chambers such as women, those from ethnic minorities and those with a disability. We have no preference for an undergraduate law degree over the conversion course. We look for the best and the brightest candidates whatever their background.

We welcome applications from transferring solicitors, qualified legal practitioners (including from other relevant jurisdictions) and legal academics wishing to transfer to the Bar. We recognise the skills and experience a previous career can afford a candidate.

Chambers manages its selection process through the Pupillage Gateway (for 12-month pupillages only) and in accordance with the Gateway timetable. Applications undergo an anonymised paper sift in order to identify the candidates that will be invited to a first round interview. Identifying details are removed and candidates are scored on intellectual ability, potential as an advocate, motivation, commitment and compatibility with Chambers. As part of the 2025 selection process, Chambers will be making use of a contextualised recruitment tool in order to assist us in attributing fair and contextualised scores to the applications.

Chambers is a Disability Confident employer. We are recognised as positive about people with disabilities. We offer pupillage applicants with disabilities the option of requesting that their application for pupillage is considered in the spirit of the commitments we make as an employer under this scheme. We give special consideration to such applicants. You do not have to be registered as a disabled person to apply and are automatically eligible if you are affected by cancer, HIV, Multiple Sclerosis, or severe facial disfigurement. New pupils are offered a mentor who can provide confidential support to them throughout their pupillage and who has no involvement in the assessment of their performance during the year.