A career as a barrister
There are around 14,500 barristers in England and Wales, broken down into the self-employed or independent Bar (80%) and the employed Bar (20%). The employed Bar consists of counsel working in-house within companies, charities or government organisations.
Overview of barristers’ work
Representing clients and handling litigation – advocacy – will form the bulk of your work as a barrister. You can work on either civil or criminal cases. You will generally be instructed by a solicitor and may be involved in a variety of work on behalf of the solicitor's client. This may include opinion writing, drafting documents and taking the case to court.
As a barrister, you may also be asked to give specialist opinions on complex legal matters. This might entail how to proceed in a case, what to do next and the prospects of success, and what the legal position is in any given situation.
Junior and QC (Queen’s Counsel)
A junior is any barrister who is not a QC and could be newly qualified or quite experienced. In most cases the barrister will be a junior, as QCs usually only appear in serious cases such as murder.
QCs are also known as ‘silks’ because when a barrister is invited to be a Queen's Counsel they are allowed to wear coloured robes, traditionally made of silk. When a barrister is appointed as a QC, they are said to ‘take silk’. QCs are the most experienced, senior barristers and judges are usually appointed from their ranks.
Working practices
Barristers are generally self-employed and hired on a case-by-case basis, and the Bar of England and Wales operates a ‘cab rank’ system. This means that if you are approached with a case you must take it on if you have the expertise and time to complete the work – so you could prosecute one week and defend the next.
Most barristers work in sets or groups of chambers to share premises and staff costs, such as employing barristers’ clerks. While sets of chambers provide some sort of support network, individual barristers are responsible for their own paperwork such as tax returns, expenses and rent – and their income depends on the work they do. Developing and maintaining a client base is vital and much of this will depend on your track record.
Inns of Court
Practising barristers must be members of one of the four Inns of Court:
- Gray’s Inn
- Lincoln’s Inn
- Inner Temple
- Middle Temple
To qualify, barristers are ‘called to the Bar’ by one of the Inns.
"The criminal Bar is a fun place to be, with something new happening each day and new people to meet. The work can be challenging and difficult at times, but getting results and carrying a case to its conclusion is a constant thrill."
Danielle Feely – Former College of Law GDL & BVC Student
4 Breams Buildings (Chambers of Valios and Boardman)
