CHAMBERS
CENTRE
Guernica 37 Recruitment and Training
Tenancy
We welcome applications from established barristers with experience in international criminal law and international human rights law, who demonstrate a clear desire to develop an 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.
We intend to advertise for the period of 2023-2024 in line with the pupillage gateway in Autumn 2022.
The Academy
We are pleased to announce that, following the success of the inaugural phase of the Academy Internship Programme, during 2021-2022, we will be launching the intake for 2022-2023 in the Autumn.
Chambers recognises that there are increasing limitations on qualifying as a lawyer. The increase in costs, lack of public funding and reduced paid internships makes it extremely difficult for graduates to enter the profession. Guernica prides itself on adopting an innovative approach to the practice of law and as a result has decided to launch The Guernica Academy, a new 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 Barristers/Solicitors, 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.
Guernica 37 is offering 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.
The position will operate on a remote basis, and therefore ‘working from home’, however, there will be daily contact (or more as required) with your supervising Barrister, through email 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.
The Work
Guernica 37 is currently engaged in a number of countries at the forefront of international human rights and accountability, including Kosovo, Gambia, Colombia, Syria, and across the Middle-East.
Further, members have a number of ongoing domestic instructions with a human rights focus.
The successful applicant will be exposed to domestic human rights law, public law challenges, international human rights, accountability, and transitional justice efforts, and undertake work that is essential to the progression of these matters.
The work will entail research, document review, and the preparation of briefing notes amongst other tasks.
The Recruitment Process
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 clerks@guernica37.com. Please note no telephone enquiries and under the current COVID-19 restrictions, the interviews are likely to be conducted remotely in May 2021.
Work Experience
At Guernica 37 we aim to give students an insight into the work of our busy practitioners both before the Courts of England and Wales and our international practice.
Students can expect to see a variety of work during their work placement including undertaking legal research, drafting reports and memoranda, learning more about Chambers and The Guernica Group, administrative duties and learning about a career at the Bar.
As part of Guernica 37’s mission we seek to provide equal opportunities to all applicants including students from disadvantaged backgrounds and from ethnic minorities.
For general enquiries please e-mail Nenad Vucijak at nenadv@guernica37.com with a one-page cover letter and an up to date curriculum vitae not exceeding two pages.
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.