January 27, 2026
My Pupillage Experience at Hill Twine, by Riccardo Pagano
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My Pupillage Experience at Hill Twine, by Riccardo Pagano
Riccardo Pagano started his 12-month pupillage with Hill Twine in November 2024, one of our first Pupil Barristers. He completed the bespoke structured training programme, performing at a high standard and evidencing compliance with all of the competences and behaviours established by the Bar Standards Board. At the end of the 12 months, Riccardo's pupillage was signed off as being successfully completed and he qualified as a barrister - a longheld ambition and a dream come true! We wish him all the very best for his future career at the Bar. Here, Riccardo describes in his own words his pupillage experience at Hill Twine...
Completing my pupillage at Hill Twine Solicitors & Barristers has been one of the most formative, rewarding, and inspiring experiences of my professional life. Hill Twine is an Authorised Education and Training Organisation (AETO) approved by the Bar Standards Board to provide pupillage, and it stands apart from traditional chambers and training providers in its structure, ethos, and dedication to nurturing complete criminal defence practitioners.
From the very first day, I knew that Hill Twine was different. Over the course of twelve months, I was given the opportunity to gain a breadth of experience that few training environments could match. I became an accredited police station representative, am in the process of achieving the Magistrates’ Court qualification to become a Crime Duty Solicitor, and developed the litigation skills necessary to apply for a litigation extension to my practising certificate. By the end of my pupillage, I was equipped to represent clients at every stage of the criminal process — from the police station, to the Magistrates’ Court, and through to the Crown Court.
Each day as a pupil at Hill Twine was unique and full of variety. One morning might begin with receiving a call from the police station to represent a client, followed by a first appearance or a trial in the Magistrates’ Court, and later a hearing in the Crown Court. Another day might involve a Crown Court trial, meeting clients in conference, or attending the police station overnight for urgent representation. The work was fast-paced and demanding, but deeply fulfilling, every experience built my confidence, sharpened my advocacy, and reinforced my commitment to criminal justice.
What truly makes Hill Twine exceptional, however, is not only the depth of its training but the people who lead it. I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Kevin Hill and Sarah Hill, whose mentorship, leadership, and kindness have been the cornerstone of my professional development. From the outset, they created an environment where I felt valued, supported, and trusted. Their belief in me never wavered, even during the most challenging moments, and their encouragement inspired me to keep striving for excellence.
Kevin and Sarah are extraordinary pupil supervisors and even more extraordinary people, alongside the rest of the team (or, as I fondly think of them, the Hill Twine family). Their integrity, generosity, and genuine care for those they train embody the very best of what this profession stands for. Their passion for developing future barristers, promoting diversity within the profession, and maintaining the highest standards of advocacy is evident in everything they do. Working under their guidance has been a privilege I will cherish for the rest of my career.
Hill Twine’s pupillage programme goes far beyond preparing pupils for the Bar, it produces well-rounded advocates who understand every aspect of criminal defence work. Pupils leave not just as qualified barristers, but as confident, capable, and compassionate professionals who are ready to make a difference in the Criminal Justice System, a system that now, more than ever, needs pupillage providers like Hill Twine, who offer clients the full spectrum of representation. The culture of warmth, excellence, and genuine care that Kevin and Sarah have built is something truly rare and special.
Leaving Hill Twine has therefore been an incredibly difficult decision. Ultimately, I have chosen to return to London to take up a unique opportunity as Head of Crime at a firm launching a brand-new criminal department. It is an exciting new chapter, but one that comes with a heavy heart, as it means saying goodbye to a place that has come to mean so much to me.
I leave Hill Twine profoundly grateful for the trust placed in me, the lessons learned, the friendships formed, and the unwavering support I received every step of the way. My year here has been truly transformative, both professionally and personally. Hill Twine will always hold a special place in my heart as the firm that not only trained me, but also shaped me into the barrister I am today.
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