CHAMBERS
Guernica 37 Recruitment and Training
Tenancy
We welcome applications from established barristers with experience in criminal law, extradition, international criminal law and international human rights law, who demonstrate a clear desire to develop a mixed domestic and international practice, have a proven track record and who share Guernica’s core values. All enquiries will be treated as confidential.
Please telephone on +44 (0)20 3597 7130 or e-mail our Head of Chambers, Toby Cadman. All applications will be considered in the strictest confidence.
Pupillage 2023-2024
Chambers seeks to offer up to two 12 month funded pupillages each year. We also invite applications from prospective pupils transferring to the Bar from outside of the jurisdiction seeking to build an international practice and who qualify for reduced terms of pupillage.
It is Chambers' policy to recruit pupils with a view to tenancy.
Pupils will receive competitive funding as a grant and in addition guaranteed earnings in their second six. Pupillage in Chambers provide a mixture of our domestic and international work.
Applications should be made through the Pupillage Gateway; Here
The Academy
We are pleased to announce that, following the success of the inaugural phase of the Academy Internship Programme, during 2021-2022, we are now launching the intake for 2022-2023 in the Autumn.
Chambers recognises that there are increasing limitations on qualifying as a barrister. The increase in costs, lack of public funding and reduced paid internships makes it extremely difficult for qualified graduates from diverse backgrounds to enter the profession. Guernica 37 prides itself on adopting an innovative approach to the practice of law and as a result decided to launch in 2021 The Guernica Academy, a platform aimed at providing practical experience and guidance to graduates of law seeking to enter a highly competitive field of law.
The motivation behind this development, is to offer an opportunity to a number of prospective young lawyers, and in doing so, structure the initiative to be as flexible as possible and thus encourage those from non-traditional backgrounds to apply, seeking to ensure that geography and finance is not a barrier.
The only limitation we impose, is that you are either currently in the last year of your law degree as a minimum, but ideally studying or have completed the LPC/BVC, and that you are based in the United Kingdom.
As part of the The Guernica Academy we offer a position of research assistant/intern, however, we are conscious of the number of prospective applicants, and therefore the position is for a fixed term so as to ensure that we can offer the position to as many as possible.
Guernica 37 will offer one position, but the successful applicant is free to choose how long that position will last, from a period of 1-3 months. In so doing, we can ensure that we offer the experience to a wider number of prospective candidates.
The position will be on a part-time basis, and will require a commitment from the applicant of 20-hours per week.
As we enter the post-pandemic period, the position will operate as an in-person internship based at our Chambers in London, but we do offer the possibility for the internship to operate remotely, and therefore ‘working from home’, for candidates who are unable to travel to London. However, either in-person or remotely undertaken, there will be daily contact (or more as required) with your supervising Barrister, through e-mail and video call.
The position will be paid on the basis of 20 hours per week, and therefore the successful applicant can continue with any other employment currently ongoing, where such employment allows this.
All applications will be considered solely on merit.
To apply please send your up to date CV which should not exceed two pages, a single page cover letter expressing your interest in the programme and Chambers' work. Finally, in no more than 500 words explain "What does hardship mean to you".
Applications should be sent via e-mail to Nenad Vucijak here.. Please note no telephone enquiries.
The deadline for the 2023 intake is 16th December 2022.
Mini-pupillage
Due to the international nature of our work we are not able to offer mini-pupillages.
Work Experience
Due to the international nature of our work we are not able to offer work experience.
Internships with The Guernica Group 2022-2023
During the period of 2020-2022, due to the current uncertainty as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and restrictions imposed, our internship programme was previously suspended in Spring 2021. Regrettably, many of the restrictions remained in place during 2021, with international travel and in-person meetings severely limited. We therefore introduced a remote programme that allowed interns to spend time with our legal teams in London, San Francisco and Madrid during 2021-2022.
We intend to relaunch our Internship Programme for the period of 2022-2023. Intern positions will be available during the second half of 2022 for undergraduate law students, postgraduate law students, and newly qualified lawyers at our Offices in London, San Francisco and Madrid.
If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us for more details here.
Selected interns will assist The Guernica 37 Group in developing research and case papers on a range of legal topics of both local and international relevance. Interns will have an opportunity to become involved in the work of the following aspects of the Association:
· Supporting the work of the Group;
· Supporting the Group's Legal Policy & Research Unit;
· Supporting the Group's cases before national and international tribunals.
Interns will be able to draft policy papers on substantive legal issues as well as assisting in preparing background research for grant proposals. Interns will also be able to assist in implementing technical assistance programmes in developing countries.
To participate in our internship programmes, candidates are required send a single page cover letter with an accompanying CV (maximum of two pages).
The Guernica Group runs two bi-annual programmes starting in September/ October 2021 and March/ April 2022. Upon receipt of the documentation, we will provide information about the positions available, based on the workload of the projects being undertaken.
For the 2021 internship programme applications should be received no later than 30 June 2021 and for the 2022 internship programme no later than 30 November 2021.
Please note that The Guernica Group internship programme is run independently of the Academy Internship Programme.
Applications should be sent via e-mail to Nenad Vucijak here.