We welcome three new pupils for 2022-2023

St John’s Chambers is proud to announce that three new pupils commenced their pupillage in our successful Family & Divorce, Clinical Negligence & Personal Injury and Commercial & Chancery teams.

Georgina Swinglehurst who joins our Family & Divorce team will be under the supervision of Zoë Saunders. Prior to starting pupillage, Georgina worked as a paralegal at Forsters; a leading London law firm, specialising in financial remedies and private children law. Before deciding to pursue a career at the Bar, Georgina was a professional dressage rider, a member of the Junior/Young Rider Great Britain Dressage Squads and was selected for the British Equestrian Federation Talent Squad. Read more here.

I had become familiar with the high standard of work at St John’s as I had assisted as a paralegal on cases where members of Chambers had been instructed as Counsel. I was able to experience first-hand the expertise and commitment to the work that Counsel was instructed in, which seemingly reflected the ethos of Chambers as a whole. Having studied and lived in Bristol for a number of years before moving to work in London, I moved back to the West Country during the pandemic, which cemented for me that I wanted to return here full time. To have the opportunity to practice in Bristol whilst undertaking top-tier work is hugely appealing to me and is exactly why I chose to undertake my pupillage at St John’s.”

Georgina Swinglehurst, pupil

Beatrice Baskett joins our Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence teams. She is under the supervision of Robert Mills for Clinical Negligence and Benjamin Handy for Personal Injury. Prior to starting pupillage, Beatrice worked at RWK Goodman as a Paralegal in the Clinical Negligence team, where she gained insight and experience into a broad range of claims. Beatrice worked closely with the birth injury, and fatal claims teams, which provided her with exposure to inquests and general case management. Alongside her studies, Beatrice volunteered as an Adviser for the Citizens Advice Bureau. She worked closely on their Mesothelioma Project which provided support to individuals diagnosed with the disease. Beatrice has taken on the role as Legal Secretary of the Bristol Medico-Legal Society. Read more here.

Every interaction I had with members of St John’s Chambers, through the pupillage interview process and at seminars and events, confirmed to me the collegiality of the set. Undertaking my pupillage here will allow me to learn from a leading set in Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury, in a friendly working environment. Growing up in the South West, I knew that I wanted to establish my career on the Western Circuit. St John’s Chambers was a great match for me in terms of its specialisms, ethos, career opportunities and location.”

Beatrice Baskett, pupil

Ben Harwood joins our Commercial & Chancery teams and will be under the supervision of James Pearce-Smith. Prior to taking the Bar, Ben was an Advocacy volunteer for the Legal Advocacy and Support Project at Bristol Law Centre for 2 years alongside his studies. He represented many disabled clients from across Bristol before the First-Tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber) to overturn the results of Work Capability assessments and reinstate disability benefits. He has been a keen singer and musician across a range of genres and mediums for many years, from appearing on a BBC singing show in 2017 to once staging a modernised version of Puccini’s Gianni Schicci. Read more here.

I fell in love with Bristol many years ago and relished the opportunity to enjoy a high standard of practice whilst staying in the South West. St John’s also provided the opportunity to cover a wide range of cases and industries within the Commercial and Chancery pupillage, ensuring no two cases are the same! Furthermore, St Johns’ clear and proven dedication to wellbeing and maintaining a healthy work-life balance through both pupillage and practice is a welcome and attractive rarity within the industry.”

Ben Harwood, pupil

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome them and wish them well in their pupillage.