We undertake a full range of commercial chancery work, which is essentially concerned with business, finance and property. Our core areas of practice include commercial litigation, banking, financial services and regulation, civil fraud, company, insolvency and restructuring, media law, pensions, professional negligence, real property, charity law, trusts and tax. Most of what we do is concerned with dispute resolution (advising, drafting court documents and appearing as advocates); but we also do some non-contentious work in the private client field.

Our typical recruit has a first-class mind and a sense of commercial practicality and will enjoy and be stimulated by the challenge of oral and written advocacy. Academically we look for a first or upper second degree. You must have an aptitude for and general enjoyment of complex legal argument. We welcome applications from both law and non-law graduates and recognise that training in other disciplines can be good preparation for a career at the Bar. We encourage applications from people from all sections of society, regardless of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief or age.

We offer up to four 12-month pupillages. You will sit with four different barristers during your time in chambers and so have the opportunity to see a wide range of practices. At regular intervals during your pupillage you will participate in advocacy exercises that take the form of mock hearings, which are prepared in advance from a set of papers, just as in practice. Senior members of chambers act as the tribunal, probing your argument during the ‘hearing’ and then providing detailed feedback afterwards. There is no limit to the number of tenancy offers we can make in each year; if you are of the requisite standard, you will be offered tenancy, so our pupils are not in competition with one another.

Maitland Chambers is a member of the Pupillage Gateway.

Applications are considered three times a year; please see our website for current deadlines and details of how to apply.

A pupillage award (£85,000 for pupillage starting in September 2027) is offered to all pupils in chambers. Up to £30,000 of the award may be drawn down in advance for Bar course fees or during the Bar course year. We operate a cashflow assistance scheme during the early stages of practice.