1 COR Brighton is pleased to announce that this year’s pupillage applications will be assessed using a contextual marking approach. Academic information supplied by applicants will be assessed in the context of the applicant’s educational background more widely. Our new approach aims to remove the effects of unconscious bias in our application process and to ensure that we interview candidates from a more diverse range of backgrounds.
We recognise that every set of chambers has a role to play in increasing social mobility at the Bar, and we hope that our approach will encourage applicants to feel that some of the more traditional socio-economic ‘barriers’ to a career at the Bar are being removed. Whilst we continue to recruit based on those who fulfil our selection criteria, it is important to us to make every effort we can to create an inclusive and diverse Bar.
Our contextual recruitment approach to pupillage is part of 1 COR Brighton’s broader commitment to providing pupillage training which complies with the Bar Council’s recommendations on Equality and Diversity, with relevant members of chambers receiving regular training.
Our thanks to everyone involved in developing our new process.