9SJS Access Award

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A commitment to promoting equality and diversity at the Bar as well as taking pro-active steps to support and encourage social mobility are incredibly important to us. We want to encourage as many people as possible, from a variety of different backgrounds, to consider the Bar as a viable career choice. To that end, we are delighted to be able to offer the 9SJS Access Award and 9SJS Young Person Access Award.

Applications for the 2023 Access Awards are now closed and the winners have been notified.

We hope to launch our 2024 Access Awards in November 2023, the details will be announced on our website and on social media in due course.

 

9SJS Access Award Brochure

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9SJS Young Person Access Award Brochure

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9SJS Access Award Diversity Questionnaire

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The 9SJS Access Award and 9SJS Young Person Access Award gives the successful applicants the following opportunities:

  • A mini-pupillage with Chambers at date to suit the applicants (between 2-5 days) with reasonable travel expenses covered;
  • Shadowing a Judge with reasonable travel expenses covered;
  • A 121 advocacy coaching session with a Barrister;
  • A CV and application clinic with a Barrister (not to include specific tips on our pupillage application process);
  • A conversation with a Senior Clerk
  • A conversation with a King's Counsel (KC); and
  • A dedicated mentor from our Chambers for a year (this will not include assistance with applying to our Chambers for pupillage).

In honour of our colleague and valued member of Chambers, Mr Simon Temple, successful applicants will also receive the Memorial Temple Bursary of £500.00.

Winners of the Award will be able to select which opportunities they would like to participate in.

Wherever possible, the above opportunities will be offered remotely.

For the mini-pupillage and judicial shadowing, reasonable travel expenses will be covered.

This will be announced in November 2023, upon the launch of the Access Awards 2024.

Details for the application process of our Access Award and Young Person Access Award can be found in the brochures on this page.

  • Answers to the question in no more than 350 words total
  • Your word count
  • Your full name
  • Your age
  • Your email address
  • A contact telephone number
  • If you would like to, we would also invite you to complete and return our Equality & Diversity Questionnaire.

We are able to receive applications before the deadline to access@9sjs.com by:

  • Written email
  • Verbal recording
  • Video recording

Your application will be marked against the following criteria:

  • Focus/relevance: has the question been answered (10)
  • Persuasiveness (10)
  • Personal relevance (can the candidate draw from personal experience to explain/justify their answer) (15)
  • Style (5)

After the deadline, applications will be reviewed and scored by members of our Chambers.

If we consider it necessary, shortlisted candidates will be invited to an online interview.

The winners of the 9SJS Access Award and 9SJS Young Person Access Award will be notified by email as soon as possible after the last interview has taken place.

The deadline for applications is 4pm on Friday 16 February 2024.

Regrettably we will not be able to provide any feedback on applications or online interviews.

We are asking applicants to complete an Equality & Diversity Questionnaire. This is optional and will remain anonymous. The data collected will not form any part of scoring the applications. By returning the Questionnaire you are consenting to us using your data in accordance with our Data Protection Policy which you can find here.

If we can offer any reasonable adjustments to the application process, once the details have been announced in November 2023, please just let us know by email to amy.smith@9sjs.com as soon as possible. Please make any requests in good time, ahead of the deadline for submissions which is Friday 16 February 2024.

All candidates who are invited to the online interviews will be asked in advance to confirm any reasonable adjustments which we could make.

Similarly, we will endeavour to accommodate any reasonable adjustments for the winner to fulfil all of the available opportunities.

Wherever possible the opportunities available will be offered remotely.

We understand not everybody will be able to attend in person or travel at this time. We are committed to working collaboratively and pro-actively with our Access Award winners to ensure they get as much out of the Award as is possible.