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When Counsel magazine asked me to write this article, I stepped back to reflect on whether becoming an in-house barrister ‘happened to me’ or did ‘I make it happen’? The truth is, I made it happen.
In 1999, having been called to the Bar but still seeking pupillage, I started work as a paralegal at Browne Jacobson LLP. The rules that year changed for employed barristers to be granted full rights of audience in all courts – they were until that point restricted in the higher courts. I saw an opportunity and spoke to my partner about securing sponsorship from the firm to qualify and returning to set up an in-house team of barristers. He suggested I prepare a business plan and take that to the managing partner. So, I did just that! As a 23-year-old paralegal, I prepared a business case, sent it to the managing partner and HR director, invited them to a meeting, prepared an agenda and presented my business case.
Some may say that was a gutsy move but I had nothing to lose. I had absolute belief in what I was proposing and, more importantly, that if given the opportunity I could make it work. What was the worst thing that could happen? The firm turning my proposal down. Fortunately for me, I was working for a forward-thinking law firm with people at its core – that’s one of the reasons why, 25 years on, I still work there – and the managing partner agreed with my proposal.
As barristers, our core training equips us with many transferable skills. We are adept at legal argument; at preparing balanced and persuasive submissions in order to secure the end result for the clients we represent. Having an idea, distilling that into a business case and presenting it to the leaders of a business is no different. However, you are (certainly in private practice) then responsible (as I was) for taking that idea, embedding it operationally and for the growth of it.
Organisations with established in-house barrister teams are often on the lookout for what are known as ‘lateral hires’ – individuals with expertise and a reputation within their field of practice to join their teams and grow areas of work. So you could be approached directly. Alternatively, organisations will advertise available roles, through their websites, LinkedIn, Counsel and/or recruitment agencies. You can, of course, always reach out to an organisation yourself.
If your career is in its embryonic stages, you can start your journey by training with that organisation from the start. The Government Legal Service, Crown Prosecution Service, law firms and other organisations which are Approved Education and Training Organisations (AETOs) offer pupillage and, just like undertaking pupillage in a set of chambers, you may at the end of that training be offered a full-time position (just like securing tenancy in chambers).
If you are planning to move from a self-employed role, the employed Bar structure brings many benefits, but an in-house position can feel a little unusual to begin with. For example, in private practice you are required to record your time on cases. Chambers will no doubt have a nominal hourly rate for you as a barrister and clerks may ask you how many hours it may take to prepare a case, or work out themselves how long they think it will take, and then offer a brief fee to the client. In-house can operate similarly, but you will need to record your time for the work undertaken so that invoices can be generated.
You may have targets which are linked to your PDP (personal development plan) and desired career progression. That may feel overwhelming or off-putting, but the reality is that there is a transparency to what is expected of you and how you can/want to progress. In-house, your development is (if in the right organisation) fundamental because it interlinks your wellbeing, sense of achievement and fulfilment in the areas of work you are undertaking. It fleshes out the opportunities and how those are going to be achieved over a 12-month period and looks at the resources which may be required to meet those objectives (eg training – attending or delivering). It is focused on your development.
While an in-house role is about you as an individual, it is also very much about ‘the team’. Your work, cases, objectives and successes are all celebrated and praised for the work you have undertaken, but they also feed into a much wider strategy and business plan. Your organisation will/should be transparent about that strategy. The work you undertake is part of a wider reputation and legal service being delivered by that organisation.
As for the immediate advantages, those who join from self-employed practice enjoy simple benefits, such as train fares and overnight accommodation being directly booked and located and not being out of pocket; practising certificates being paid for; pension contributions; private health insurance (not just for them but also their family if they choose); the focus on wellbeing; not having to do tax returns; being paid even if a case settles or comes out of court and is relisted, to name a few.
This is key. Understanding the culture of the business/organisation you work for is imperative. Your actions – how you treat your opponents, the judiciary and your clients – is a reflection not only on you personally but ultimately affects the reputation of your organisation.
Knowing its culture at the outset will also enable you to decide whether this is an organisation you want to work with. Do your research. My firm’s values align with my own: ambitious, collaborative, down to earth, fair, inclusive and pragmatic. These core values of an organisation will drive its strategy and shape its culture, people and work ethic.
What is the work-life balance like? There may be a misconception that employed barristers work core hours and there is no ‘burning the midnight oil’. That isn’t true, I am afraid. A career in the legal world is tough and there are cases and occasions where late-night working is required. But being employed allows you to build in preparation days; there is a big enough team around you to take other court work, when you may have 18,500 pages to consider (I kid you not!). It also allows you the flexibility to work from home and to plan ahead (we are clerked but our clerks don’t control our diaries).
Ultimately, ask yourself: am I going to be happy working here? What is the turnover of staff in this organisation and team? If staff retention is good then that is usually an indication that people are happy in the quality of work they receive, the culture and their renumeration package.
For a barrister at the self-employed Bar, being a KC denotes being a leader. As an in-house barrister, while you can be led on a case (many of my team have acted as juniors on cases to KCs – the self-employed and employed Bar working collaboratively together), you can also lead by example, providing vision and strategic direction for your team and the growth of the business. Your leadership qualities will enable you to carve out your path and prove your ambition.
The pursuit of other roles which enhance and diversify mindsets and skillsets are encouraged at the employed Bar. Heidi Stonecliffe KC, the 2024 Chair of the Bar Council’s Employed Barristers’ Committee and recently elected as the 2026 Vice-Chair of the Bar, has called for greater representation of employed barristers in the judiciary. In an article for Counsel, she wrote:
‘Lady Rose summed it up perfectly during her speech at the Employed Bar Awards when she said the forward-thinking and creative mindset we develop because of our practice transfers well to a judicial career.’
Sitting as an Assistant Coroner, I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. Whether it is a judicial role, or a role as a trustee or governor, that is to be encouraged. It will require some conversations and approvals with your employer to ensure you can commit to the required sitting days and manage workloads (flexibility is key) but the skillset you hold in an in-house role – managing people, teams, clients, time – make employed barristers prime candidates for such roles and doing so enriches their own careers.
See also ‘Judicial pathways for the employed Bar’ by Venetia Jackson, ‘Taking silk – an employed barrister’s perspective’ and ‘EBC Chair’s report 2024: a year of progress’ by Heidi Stonecliffe KC, and ‘Employed Bar Awards 2024’ including Fiona Butler, Employed Barrister of the Year in a Law Firm. See www.counselmagazine.co.uk/category/employed-bar
Bar Council support for the employed Bar
Find out more about the Bar Council’s Employed Barristers’ Committee, Employed Bar Awards, Life at the employed Bar report and further resources Here.
BACFI
The Bar Association for Commerce, Finance & Industry (BACFI), celebrating its 60th year, represents the interests of employed and non-practising barristers providing legal services in commerce, finance and industry. It also welcomes student members and members of the Inns of Court who are interested in a career outside chambers. Find out more at: bacfi.org
Called in 1999, Fiona Butler single-handedly pioneered a commercially successful in-house barrister team at Browne Jacobson. Employed Barrister of the Year in a Law Firm in the Bar Council’s Employed Bar Awards 2024, Fiona sits as an Assistant Coroner and is a leading specialist in complex and highiprofile inquests.
When Counsel magazine asked me to write this article, I stepped back to reflect on whether becoming an in-house barrister ‘happened to me’ or did ‘I make it happen’? The truth is, I made it happen.
In 1999, having been called to the Bar but still seeking pupillage, I started work as a paralegal at Browne Jacobson LLP. The rules that year changed for employed barristers to be granted full rights of audience in all courts – they were until that point restricted in the higher courts. I saw an opportunity and spoke to my partner about securing sponsorship from the firm to qualify and returning to set up an in-house team of barristers. He suggested I prepare a business plan and take that to the managing partner. So, I did just that! As a 23-year-old paralegal, I prepared a business case, sent it to the managing partner and HR director, invited them to a meeting, prepared an agenda and presented my business case.
Some may say that was a gutsy move but I had nothing to lose. I had absolute belief in what I was proposing and, more importantly, that if given the opportunity I could make it work. What was the worst thing that could happen? The firm turning my proposal down. Fortunately for me, I was working for a forward-thinking law firm with people at its core – that’s one of the reasons why, 25 years on, I still work there – and the managing partner agreed with my proposal.
As barristers, our core training equips us with many transferable skills. We are adept at legal argument; at preparing balanced and persuasive submissions in order to secure the end result for the clients we represent. Having an idea, distilling that into a business case and presenting it to the leaders of a business is no different. However, you are (certainly in private practice) then responsible (as I was) for taking that idea, embedding it operationally and for the growth of it.
Organisations with established in-house barrister teams are often on the lookout for what are known as ‘lateral hires’ – individuals with expertise and a reputation within their field of practice to join their teams and grow areas of work. So you could be approached directly. Alternatively, organisations will advertise available roles, through their websites, LinkedIn, Counsel and/or recruitment agencies. You can, of course, always reach out to an organisation yourself.
If your career is in its embryonic stages, you can start your journey by training with that organisation from the start. The Government Legal Service, Crown Prosecution Service, law firms and other organisations which are Approved Education and Training Organisations (AETOs) offer pupillage and, just like undertaking pupillage in a set of chambers, you may at the end of that training be offered a full-time position (just like securing tenancy in chambers).
If you are planning to move from a self-employed role, the employed Bar structure brings many benefits, but an in-house position can feel a little unusual to begin with. For example, in private practice you are required to record your time on cases. Chambers will no doubt have a nominal hourly rate for you as a barrister and clerks may ask you how many hours it may take to prepare a case, or work out themselves how long they think it will take, and then offer a brief fee to the client. In-house can operate similarly, but you will need to record your time for the work undertaken so that invoices can be generated.
You may have targets which are linked to your PDP (personal development plan) and desired career progression. That may feel overwhelming or off-putting, but the reality is that there is a transparency to what is expected of you and how you can/want to progress. In-house, your development is (if in the right organisation) fundamental because it interlinks your wellbeing, sense of achievement and fulfilment in the areas of work you are undertaking. It fleshes out the opportunities and how those are going to be achieved over a 12-month period and looks at the resources which may be required to meet those objectives (eg training – attending or delivering). It is focused on your development.
While an in-house role is about you as an individual, it is also very much about ‘the team’. Your work, cases, objectives and successes are all celebrated and praised for the work you have undertaken, but they also feed into a much wider strategy and business plan. Your organisation will/should be transparent about that strategy. The work you undertake is part of a wider reputation and legal service being delivered by that organisation.
As for the immediate advantages, those who join from self-employed practice enjoy simple benefits, such as train fares and overnight accommodation being directly booked and located and not being out of pocket; practising certificates being paid for; pension contributions; private health insurance (not just for them but also their family if they choose); the focus on wellbeing; not having to do tax returns; being paid even if a case settles or comes out of court and is relisted, to name a few.
This is key. Understanding the culture of the business/organisation you work for is imperative. Your actions – how you treat your opponents, the judiciary and your clients – is a reflection not only on you personally but ultimately affects the reputation of your organisation.
Knowing its culture at the outset will also enable you to decide whether this is an organisation you want to work with. Do your research. My firm’s values align with my own: ambitious, collaborative, down to earth, fair, inclusive and pragmatic. These core values of an organisation will drive its strategy and shape its culture, people and work ethic.
What is the work-life balance like? There may be a misconception that employed barristers work core hours and there is no ‘burning the midnight oil’. That isn’t true, I am afraid. A career in the legal world is tough and there are cases and occasions where late-night working is required. But being employed allows you to build in preparation days; there is a big enough team around you to take other court work, when you may have 18,500 pages to consider (I kid you not!). It also allows you the flexibility to work from home and to plan ahead (we are clerked but our clerks don’t control our diaries).
Ultimately, ask yourself: am I going to be happy working here? What is the turnover of staff in this organisation and team? If staff retention is good then that is usually an indication that people are happy in the quality of work they receive, the culture and their renumeration package.
For a barrister at the self-employed Bar, being a KC denotes being a leader. As an in-house barrister, while you can be led on a case (many of my team have acted as juniors on cases to KCs – the self-employed and employed Bar working collaboratively together), you can also lead by example, providing vision and strategic direction for your team and the growth of the business. Your leadership qualities will enable you to carve out your path and prove your ambition.
The pursuit of other roles which enhance and diversify mindsets and skillsets are encouraged at the employed Bar. Heidi Stonecliffe KC, the 2024 Chair of the Bar Council’s Employed Barristers’ Committee and recently elected as the 2026 Vice-Chair of the Bar, has called for greater representation of employed barristers in the judiciary. In an article for Counsel, she wrote:
‘Lady Rose summed it up perfectly during her speech at the Employed Bar Awards when she said the forward-thinking and creative mindset we develop because of our practice transfers well to a judicial career.’
Sitting as an Assistant Coroner, I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. Whether it is a judicial role, or a role as a trustee or governor, that is to be encouraged. It will require some conversations and approvals with your employer to ensure you can commit to the required sitting days and manage workloads (flexibility is key) but the skillset you hold in an in-house role – managing people, teams, clients, time – make employed barristers prime candidates for such roles and doing so enriches their own careers.
See also ‘Judicial pathways for the employed Bar’ by Venetia Jackson, ‘Taking silk – an employed barrister’s perspective’ and ‘EBC Chair’s report 2024: a year of progress’ by Heidi Stonecliffe KC, and ‘Employed Bar Awards 2024’ including Fiona Butler, Employed Barrister of the Year in a Law Firm. See www.counselmagazine.co.uk/category/employed-bar
Bar Council support for the employed Bar
Find out more about the Bar Council’s Employed Barristers’ Committee, Employed Bar Awards, Life at the employed Bar report and further resources Here.
BACFI
The Bar Association for Commerce, Finance & Industry (BACFI), celebrating its 60th year, represents the interests of employed and non-practising barristers providing legal services in commerce, finance and industry. It also welcomes student members and members of the Inns of Court who are interested in a career outside chambers. Find out more at: bacfi.org
Chair of the Bar sets out a busy calendar for the rest of the year
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Philip N Bristow explains how to unlock your aged debt to fund your tax in one easy step
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Timothy James Dutton CBE KC was known across the profession as an outstanding advocate, a dedicated public servant and a man of the utmost integrity. He was also a loyal and loving friend to many of us
Lana Murphy and Francesca Perera started their careers at the Crown Prosecution Service before joining chambers. They discuss why they made the move and the practicalities of setting up self-employed practice as qualified juniors
As threats and attacks against lawyers continue to rise, a new international treaty offers a much-needed safeguard. Sarah Kavanagh reports on the landmark convention defending the independence of lawyers and rule of law
Author: Charlotte Proudman Reviewer: Stephanie Hayward
