In the past, barristers have been unable to facilitate a working practice compatible to their home life. Thankfully, those days seem to have passed, says Nancy Rice, joint first junior clerk at Temple Garden Chambers
Life in chambers had always been recognised for the gruelling hours spent with the last waking hours left trying to squeeze in some quality family time (for those with families still talking to them). Thankfully those times have evolved – for those wishing to have a better balance. My chambers has worked hard to ensure …
Continue reading “I will have my cake and eat it”
With the pandemic, A-level results, and BPTC exam nightmares impacting aspiring barristers, just how are chambers adapting their pupillage assessment and recruitment policies to obtain the best talent in the years ahead?
To say that aspiring barristers have had a hard time of it in 2020 would be something of an understatement. The Covid-19 virus has led to some financially hit chambers – some struggling even before to the pandemic hit – pausing their pupillage intakes for this year and, potentially, even next year, too. The government’s …
Continue reading “Covid-19 and exam chaos: How chambers can help the next generation”
Were legal sector innovations during lockdown a stop-gap to keep the body of justice breathing or will the use of remote technology now become the default setting, wonders Paul Kirtley of Exchange Chambers
Since the implementation of the UK lockdown in March, the justice system has relied upon the use of remote technology to keep its heart beating. Remote video conferences and hearings have ensured the continued administration of justice and, more generally, communication between professional and lay clients. The UK and the rest of the world are …
Continue reading “Zooming in on a new Nirvana”
3 Hare Court’s Simon Davenport QC and Tom Poole along with Humphries Kerstetter’s Toby Starr and James Russell give their thoughts on working inside one of the largest virtual trials under the new Covid-19 court regime
After 25-days the trial of One Blackfriars Limited (in liquidation) concluded in July 2020. The Applicants were represented by Simon Davenport QC and Tom Poole of 3 Hare Court and instructed by Humphries Kerstetter. The five-week liability and quantum trial (professional negligence claim against administrators worth £250m) was the subject of two PTR orders, providing …
Continue reading “Inside the UK’s longest remote hearing”
Success at the Bar comes from being who you are, not what anyone else thinks you ought to be, says Simon Rowbotham, vice-chair of the Middle Temple LGBTQ+ Forum and member of 7BR
This weekend marks the first London Pride weekend since the inauguration of the Middle Temple’s LGBTQ+ Forum at a launch event held in the Inn on 14 November 2019. This year – as with many aspects of life in lockdown – we have had to find creative ways to celebrate Pride remotely. That said, the …
Continue reading “There’s never been a better time to be LGBTQ+ at the Bar”
Jeremy Callman, a barrister at Ten Old Square, considers the legal challenges facing law firm management amid the coronavirus pandemic and a financially-damaged world
The financial scars of the Covid-19 pandemic run deep. The new harsh financial reality means those who manage law firms face some tough legal questions. In my partnership practice, I have already seen the following questions arising as part of the ‘fallout’ from the coronavirus pandemic: Profit share: can we cut partner share and adjust …
Continue reading “Covid-19 and the tough questions law firms are now asking”
Exchange Chambers’ John Jones QC and Ian Whitehurst, along with CCL Group’s Adam Irwin, consider private prosecutions in a digital age
Corporate crime in the United Kingdom takes many forms and the increasing dominance of the digital economy has only sought to heighten the problem. Sadly, this is happening against a backdrop of increasing neglect by law enforcement, owing to insufficient economic resources; a lack of suitably qualified individuals with the appropriate skills; and an apparent …
Continue reading “Taking care of business”
Barristers are demanding more from their leaders and what they can deliver their chambers, says Nick Rees, managing director of GRL Legal
Once upon a time in an Inn not so far away, a seemingly clever individual created the first ‘chambers director’ position to make the Bar competitive. These roles – ambassadorial in function – spread rapidly. They linked members of the Bar with their increasingly business-like clients and performed the role of a lynch pin between …
Continue reading “A changing approach to leadership at the Bar”
Members of Falcon Chambers provide property practitioners with best practice advice for business continuity during the lockdown
The transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the Covid-19 illness it leaves in its wake, has led to government advice, now reinforced by legislation, that has had a greater impact on our way of life than most of us have ever before experienced. We property professionals have had to adjust our working practices as a …
Continue reading “Top tips on working through the coronavirus pandemic”
Communication is key in reducing the anxiety of pupils, says Genevieve Reed, a criminal barrister and secretary to the pupillage committee at Red Lion Chambers
One key concern for all chambers during these uncertain times should be the welfare of their pupils. The key issues for pupils during this lockdown, much like the rest of the profession, will be their health, finances, and their practice, but the latter two will be felt acutely by pupils. Criminal pupils, under normal circumstances, …
Continue reading “An uncertain time for pupil barristers during quarantine”
