In the week that pupillage applications opened, one of the country’s leading sets of barristers has announced an increase in its pupillage award.

No5 Chambers will increase its pupillage award by £10,000, from £40k to £50k, offering a choice to the successful applicant to be based at either their Birmingham or its expanding London office.

The increase will ensure that No5 continues to attract the very highest calibre of entrants to the bar and is seen as part of its continued efforts to establish No5 as a centre of excellence.

Award winning No5 provides a nationwide service from its four offices in Birmingham, London, Bristol and Leicester and is considered one of the UK’s premier set of barristers’ chambers with more than 240 barristers. It has established a reputation for breaking new legal ground and is considered to be progressive and forward thinking.

Pupillage takes a year to complete, with the year divided into two six-month periods. Each six-month period is spent in a set of chambers under the guidance and supervision of a senior barrister who acts as a pupil supervisor throughout the period of pupillage.

The closing date for online pupillage applications is Friday 9 February at 4 pm. The system has been brought forward this year so that would-be barristers will know if they have secured pupillage before committing to the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), which costs almost £20,000.

Head of Chambers at No5 is Mark Anderson QC, and the set is committed to providing legal services of the highest quality to all clients.