The decision marks a notable departure from the traditional chambers way, as TBG plans to offer all pupils a tenancy based on achieving adequate professional standards and therefore eliminating the ruthless competition for limited spots.
Their announcement coincides with the anniversary of TBG securing private equity investment from LDC, an eight-figure investment which was the first of its kind in the Bar of England and Wales last year.
The private equity's firms investment has allowed TBC to offer a thorough blind recruitment process, where applicants can avail of comprehensive feedback and further support if they are not initially successful, enabling them to reapply in future.
Throughout the recruitment process TBG focused on candidates who have potential to develop sustainable, self-employed practices, with a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusivity rather than traditional background considerations.
The recruitment journey began with a pre-recruitment webinar, outlining TBG’s ethos and the three-stage process.
The first stage was an initial anonymous questionnaire assessing standards and competence, with 509 candidates and a 77% pass rate.
A second anonymous questionnaire was taken, evaluating their sustainability as self-employed practitioners and their fit for TBG. Out of 285 candidates who completed this stage, the top 10% based on combined scores from both questionnaires advanced to third and final interview stage.
During this, 30 candidates presented either a mini-business proposal or a skeleton argument related to their chosen practice area. They were scored by independent panel members to ensure fair assessment.
Any candidates who were not successful received detailed feedback on areas they excelled and fell down in and general comments from each stage they participated in. There are also plans for TBG to hold webinars providing further insight for future candidates.
The 10 successful pupils are expected to receive extensive support from TBG, including pupil buddies and supervisors alongside marketing of their skills and availability.
