Pupil barrister numbers rebound to pre-pandemic levels
The number of people training to be barristers has bounced back to pre-lockdown levels, following a lull last year due to the pandemic.
New figures from the Bar Standards Board (BSB) show that there are 511 people currently undertaking pupillages, compared the 354 people last year.
The 44 per cent increase has seen the number of people currently undertaking a pupillage return to normal levels.
On average, there were 472 people pupil barristers each year between 2015 and 2019.
Nonetheless, the number of pupil barristers has dropped significantly since peaking in the 1990s.
For reference, pupil numbers peaked at 882 in 1993, before hitting all time lows of just more than 400 in 2014.
Meanwhile, the number of people undergoing “extended pupillages” has dropped significantly.
For the most part, pupillages last just a single. However, pupillages can be extended in rare cases. Usually, extended pupillages last two years, and are completed on a part-time basis.
As of December 2021, only five people were undertaking extended pupillages, compared to 39 in December 2020.