The Kalisher: Old Bailey Apprenticeship

Kalisher: Old Bailey Apprenticeship 2022

Apprenticeships have been an integral element in the development of the City of London, and the City of London Corporation is proud to partner with the Kalisher Trust on the Apprentice scheme.

The scheme is in its fifth year; and in autumn 2022 we are pleased to launch an Apprentice scheme aimed at those reading Law as undergraduates at any of the Greater London universities.

The apprenticeship

Kalisher trustees and Old Bailey judges combine their educational and legal expertise to judge the entries for this prestigious apprenticeship.

Law undergraduates from universities across London are invited to submit entries to the panel, and shortlisted candidates will be invited for assessment at the Old Bailey. The panel seeks outstanding students from diverse backgrounds with the aptitude for a career in Law; we offer mentoring through the Apprenticeship and beyond.

The winner is apprenticed to the Common Serjeant of London, the second most senior permanent judge in the Old Bailey.  The Old Bailey is the largest criminal court in England and Wales, and the Apprentice has the opportunity to shadow barristers and Judges working on the most complex and interesting criminal cases. Each Apprentice is assigned a young barrister to act as their mentor, assisting them as they navigate toward a career at the criminal Bar.

This is an exciting programme spread over several months between January and September 2023, with timings to suit the undergraduate termly timetable. The Apprentice will enjoy a range of opportunities including:

1. Sitting in court at the Old Bailey with different judges and getting the inside track on cases;

2. Sitting in with the listing officer to get an insight into the considerable work that goes on behind the scenes in relation to organising the listing of cases;

3. Being assigned to a set of barristers’ chambers;

4. Spending time with junior members of the Bar at the Magistrates Court;

5. Sitting in with an Old Bailey Judge at the Court of Appeal;

6. Sitting in with a judge at the Coroners’ court.

Those wishing to apply should submit one side of A4 on the pros and cons and their views as to whether capital punishment should be reintroduced for people convicted of murder. In addition, they will be asked to provide us with a short recording limited to 2 minutes on the topic of whether jury trial should be limited or abolished altogether. The deadline for submission is 5pm on the 31st October 2022, to be sent to [email protected].  Shortlisted candidates will be invited to the Old Bailey for a half day assessment in November 2022.

All the information about the scheme is in this short film: https://vimeo.com/751655351

To meet our remit to help those who have encountered significant barriers as they seek a career at the criminal Bar, those who apply should meet one or more of the following criteria:

a) They come from a background of significant poverty which would typically have included the need for free school meals or social housing or their parent(s) being in receipt of benefits;

b) They had a state school education;

c) They are the first member of their family to have attended university;

d) They come from an under represented group, having regard to ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Impact & past Apprentice schemes

Previous winners have gone on to read Law at Russell Group universities; previous Apprentice schemes have been aimed at pupils in the sixth form (years 12 and 13) who have been able to include their experiences in the Apprentice competition (whether as finalists or as winners) when applying to their chosen university.  We have been proud to work with schools from some of the most deprived areas in London, reflecting our mission to support those from under-represented groups as they work towards a career at the criminal Bar.

Contact

If you would like any information about the Apprenticeship, including a discussion about participation in future years, please contact us at [email protected]