Tom Swain joins our award-winning Family & Divorce team as a pupil under the supervision of Zoe Saunders (with assistance from Julia Belyavin).

Prior to starting pupillage, Tom was an Associate Lecturer in Law at the University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol, where he delivered teaching on subjects such as medical law, tort law and criminal evidence. Prior to this, Tom assisted members of the judiciary as a Crown Court Clerk. In a previous role as a Court Usher, Tom provided pre-trial visits to vulnerable witnesses. After completing his GDL, Tom worked as a Legal Assistant for a local authority’s childcare team. He also volunteered with IPSEA as a Tribunal Support Caseworker. At IPSEA, Tom supported families and young people with their appeals to the Special Education and Disability (SEND) Tribunal.

In his spare time, Tom enjoys weightlifting, cars, racket sports, and walks on the beach with his dogs. Owing to his family’s history in the Royal Navy, Tom also has an interest in military aviation.

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  • Qualifications & awards:

    • University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol, Bar Practice Course & LLM (Outstanding, including 90% in Family Law, and 90% in Civil Advocacy which was the joint highest mark in the year), 2024
    • University of Law, Graduate Diploma in Law (Distinction), 2020
    • University of Plymouth, Bachelor of Arts in English (First Class Honours), 2019

    Awards:

    • Certificate of Honour (2024, Middle Temple)
      Awarded for scoring above 80% overall on the Bar Course
    • Queen Mother Major Scholarship for the Bar Course (2022, Middle Temple)
      Awarded to 18 “outstanding candidates” for the Bar based on intellect, advocacy potential and character
    • Winner, St. John’s Chambers Mooting Competition (2022, UWE Bristol)
    • Winner, University of Plymouth Law Society (UPLS) Mooting Competition (2021, UPLS)
    • Runner-up Best Senior Advocate in the UPLS Mock Trial (2020, UPLS)
    • Exeter Award (2020, University of Exeter)
    • Dean’s Award (2020, University of Law)

  • Professional memberships:

    • The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple

  • Tom Swain is regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and holds a current practising certificate. If you are not satisfied with the service provided, please read here.