“Helping the next generation” – volunteer for the Pupillage Foundation Scheme
You are helping the next generation of barristers – and the next generation of the Inn – realise their dreams to join our wonderful profession.
Mark Harries KC, PFS mentor
The Inn’s annual Pupillage Foundation Scheme (PFS) offers members searching for pupillage one-to-one mentoring, and application and interview technique workshops.
As the competition for pupillage intensifies, the PFS is more essential than ever, with the expertise and dedication of its mentors driving its success in creating a pathway to the Bar. We spoke with two of our mentors, Antonia Benfield from Doughty Street Chambers and Mark Harries KC from Serjeants’ Inn Chambers, about their rewarding experiences and the impact of volunteering for this transformative scheme.
Antonia Benfield, Doughty Street Chambers
“I am a barrister practicing at Doughty Street Chambers in public law, immigration and children’s rights. I have been involved with the PFS for coming up to 10 years and have no hesitation in saying that it the most rewarding work that I do within the Inn.
The PFS is a unique and hugely valuable scheme that provides both one-to-one mentoring and tailored sessions to help aspiring barristers to refine their pupillage applications and perfect their interview skills. The value of the scheme is wide-ranging. It allows aspiring barristers to be matched with a dedicated mentor who will work with them throughout the scheme. It gives aspiring barristers access to a broad range of practitioners across different practice areas in addition to their mentor. It allows aspiring barristers to meet and learn from one another in what year on year is a hugely supportive environment.
Every year I have been privileged to mentor incredible future barristers who are all almost there in securing pupillage but needing a bit of tailored guidance, practice and advice. There is nothing more rewarding than working with a mentee to achieve pupillage but even in the years where I have had a mentee who has not achieved an offer of pupillage, each of them has improved, received more interviews or become more confident in their own abilities, and has been ultimately one step closer to their objective of a career at the Bar. “
Mark Harries KC, Serjeants’ Inn Chambers
“I have been a mentor with the PFS for what must be 20 years now. Every year, the genuine pleasure derived from helping an aspiring barrister improve their confidence, embrace their optimism and finely hone their pupillage qualities in their forms and interviews reminds me of why I sign up. It is an experience that is hugely rewarding, irrespective of whether or not the mentee secures pupillage in a given year – many of them are inspired to never give up and success often arrives in a year or two.
Professional friendships often develop – more than once, I have led a former mentee or co-defended with them, with enormous pride. The camaraderie that develops throughout the scheme for both mentees and mentors, despite the competitive element of the process, is a reminder of the value of an Inn whose members pull together to help each other.
I practise across a number of disciplines, including crime, professional discipline and inquests. The scheme works best when mentees and mentors are matched by interests and practice respectively but if a rare quirk of the numbers means that is impossible, there is still a huge amount of knowledge to impart and wisdom to be shared.
I cannot recommend the scheme highly enough; it’s hard work, but then so it should be. But it is hard work with the ancillary benefit of the satisfaction of knowing you are helping the next generation of barristers – and the next generation of the Inn – realise their dreams to join our wonderful profession.”
If you’ve been inspired by these stories and are looking for an opportunity to give back to the profession, please consider supporting the Inn and becoming a PFS mentor. Your experience could prove crucial in unlocking a future barrister’s potential and allowing them to realise their ambitions. Register your availability for PFS mentoring here.