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If reputation is the traditional currency of counsel, personal branding is crypto, says Anna Yarde
A barrister’s reputation is the esteem in which they are held by others. A good reputation drives a busy, demanding practice. It encourages solicitors and lay clients to trust their counsel and build a collaborative, professional relationship. It leads to recognition in the directories. And it enables the barrister to charge a premium for their work.
A personal brand is the public identity and narrative of the barrister, designed (not fabricated) by the individual and consciously promoted. It empowers the barrister to identify what unique skills, experience or traits they offer clients and to use various methods of self-promotion to deliberately demonstrate them. It increases autonomy to specialise or forge a particular career path (rather than waiting for briefs to land).
It is important to acknowledge that the old Code of Conduct contained specific restrictions on advertising and marketing. Although marketing remains within the scope of regulation (due to the overarching need to adhere to core duties and transparency rules), the current Bar Council guidance on ‘advertising and website profiles’ (last reviewed in July 2024) gives express permission for barristers to promote themselves through websites and other methods such as social media and advertisements.
But that is new. And it is different. It may take some time for barristers to banish the Ghost of Bar School Past, recalling memories of lecturers projecting cinematic screen-shots of students’ social media profiles (and using them to explain how their online presence may hinder career development).
Tradition and fear of a career-ending misstep are not the only reasons for barristers to be cautious about investing time in developing a personal brand. Barristers work long, hard hours. Clients’ cases must be prioritised. Big trials are all-consuming. And diaries are overstretched. Continuing practice development? Writing articles? Speaking at conferences? Resting, building relationships, exercising and meeting caring responsibilities? It is perhaps unsurprising that new marketing pursuits are not always prioritised.
Even those who feel inspired to develop a personal brand may worry about their competence. Do I need to use video content as well as written and visual material? Am I as well-placed as Gen Z to build a personal brand using social media? Or, at the other end of the spectrum, am I experienced enough to position myself as an expert and market leader?
Those hesitations reveal the (perhaps unexpected) gulf between self-promotion and advocacy. Barristers are trained to advocate for others; in the courtroom, they are the voice of the client. While being articulate and capable may help to build a personal brand, it is important to recognise that not all barristers feel comfortable talking about their own talent and skill or positioning themselves for more complex work that reflects their increasing experience in their field. And many more under-sell their contributions.
I confess that I have sat in workshops and squirmed at the mention of ‘marketing’ and ‘social media’. I’m also the first to confess that I was wrong about it. What brought me out of my personal-branding inertia (or to be candid, opposition) was not a sudden epiphany or a leap in confidence. It was necessity and ambition.
I decided that a combination of COVID-19, remote working and parental leave had impacted on my real-life connections with colleagues and professional clients. Although I had no regrets, I wanted something different for the next stage of my career. As a family law practitioner, I craved social interaction, human connection and friendship. Connecting on social media seemed a good starting point, even though my personal profiles were firmly in hibernation.
I also realised that the best opportunities are not always given to the most talented individuals. While I don’t advocate for ‘shouting the loudest’, or the most often, there is merit in being visible, consistent and demonstrating your worth. I had done a series of more complex trials (where the stakes for real humans were unthinkably high) and some more specialist work in forced marriage and parental alienation. I was hooked. And I wanted more.
Rather than simply doing a good job at court and letting the clerks fill my diary with a variety of interesting (and, inevitably, less interesting) briefs, I decided to take responsibility for directing my career path. Or, to quote Albus Dumbledore: ‘It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities’ (J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets).
So, I sat down and reflected. Hard. Who, truly, was I? And what choices can I make to demonstrate what I bring to the table?
I knew what was important to me: humanity, fairness and lifting others. And I forced myself to reflect on my talents: empathy, energy and conscientiousness. (Isn’t it telling how much easier it is to list the skills of others? Ask me about any of my colleagues in Chambers, and I could perform this task in seconds. But introspection is important too.)
How was I going to celebrate those values and skills? First, I acknowledged and embraced them. Then I considered how to evidence them.
I chose to start commenting and posting on LinkedIn. Why? It is free to use (if no one reads it, I’ve lost nothing). It’s easy (I can do it on my phone on the train between a rushed breakfast club drop-off and arrival at court). And it’s informative. To this day, I spend far more time reading the work of other talented individuals than writing my own posts.
Once I started posting on LinkedIn, I re-connected with solicitors, built new relationships and found networking groups hosting in-person events. It was easy to spot networking opportunities relevant to my practice (family law, women in the law, children work), as well as expand my professional community to include crossover specialisms (such as Deprivation of Liberty/Court of Protection work) because they were, quite literally, in front of me. At the time, I didn’t realise that I was building a personal brand. With hindsight, it is obvious that I was.
In 2024, I was recognised by TBD Marketing as a Legal LinkedInfluencer. That year, my highest performing post on LinkedIn received over 1,000 engagements, created over 110,000 impressions and was seen by over 75,000 unique members. (For reference, the O2 Arena has a capacity of 20,000 people.) I’ve been approached by LexisNexis, Counsel magazine and The Barrister to create content and have taken part in two podcasts. Clients have researched me on social media and I’ve received work as a direct result. Students message me to ask about a career at the Bar.
And during the time it has taken to write this article, one email has pinged into my inbox from an instructing solicitor, telling me how much she is interested in my posts (which, as a frequent self-doubter, I am always grateful for).
Why is that important? When I look back on my career, I want to know that I chose the narrative. That I took responsibility for crafting a fulfilling career. And that I prioritised finding my community and celebrating the achievements of others.
I’m no expert. I can only speak from my own experience. And it is this: Find the ‘person’, before worrying about the ‘brand’.
Once you have an appreciation of what drives you to immerse yourself in your cases, and the value you give your client, the rest comes easily.
Become the barrister you choose to be.
Be that barrister in person and online, in lectures, by email and on social media. Be that barrister with the usher, as well as in front of judge. Embrace who you already are, as well as who you can become.
And, in the words of Oscar Wilde, ‘Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.’
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Anna Yarde is a family law barrister at Harcourt. She specialises in the law relating to children, Deprivation of Liberty and Forced Marriage. Anna is a Legal 500 leading junior (2025)
A barrister’s reputation is the esteem in which they are held by others. A good reputation drives a busy, demanding practice. It encourages solicitors and lay clients to trust their counsel and build a collaborative, professional relationship. It leads to recognition in the directories. And it enables the barrister to charge a premium for their work.
A personal brand is the public identity and narrative of the barrister, designed (not fabricated) by the individual and consciously promoted. It empowers the barrister to identify what unique skills, experience or traits they offer clients and to use various methods of self-promotion to deliberately demonstrate them. It increases autonomy to specialise or forge a particular career path (rather than waiting for briefs to land).
It is important to acknowledge that the old Code of Conduct contained specific restrictions on advertising and marketing. Although marketing remains within the scope of regulation (due to the overarching need to adhere to core duties and transparency rules), the current Bar Council guidance on ‘advertising and website profiles’ (last reviewed in July 2024) gives express permission for barristers to promote themselves through websites and other methods such as social media and advertisements.
But that is new. And it is different. It may take some time for barristers to banish the Ghost of Bar School Past, recalling memories of lecturers projecting cinematic screen-shots of students’ social media profiles (and using them to explain how their online presence may hinder career development).
Tradition and fear of a career-ending misstep are not the only reasons for barristers to be cautious about investing time in developing a personal brand. Barristers work long, hard hours. Clients’ cases must be prioritised. Big trials are all-consuming. And diaries are overstretched. Continuing practice development? Writing articles? Speaking at conferences? Resting, building relationships, exercising and meeting caring responsibilities? It is perhaps unsurprising that new marketing pursuits are not always prioritised.
Even those who feel inspired to develop a personal brand may worry about their competence. Do I need to use video content as well as written and visual material? Am I as well-placed as Gen Z to build a personal brand using social media? Or, at the other end of the spectrum, am I experienced enough to position myself as an expert and market leader?
Those hesitations reveal the (perhaps unexpected) gulf between self-promotion and advocacy. Barristers are trained to advocate for others; in the courtroom, they are the voice of the client. While being articulate and capable may help to build a personal brand, it is important to recognise that not all barristers feel comfortable talking about their own talent and skill or positioning themselves for more complex work that reflects their increasing experience in their field. And many more under-sell their contributions.
I confess that I have sat in workshops and squirmed at the mention of ‘marketing’ and ‘social media’. I’m also the first to confess that I was wrong about it. What brought me out of my personal-branding inertia (or to be candid, opposition) was not a sudden epiphany or a leap in confidence. It was necessity and ambition.
I decided that a combination of COVID-19, remote working and parental leave had impacted on my real-life connections with colleagues and professional clients. Although I had no regrets, I wanted something different for the next stage of my career. As a family law practitioner, I craved social interaction, human connection and friendship. Connecting on social media seemed a good starting point, even though my personal profiles were firmly in hibernation.
I also realised that the best opportunities are not always given to the most talented individuals. While I don’t advocate for ‘shouting the loudest’, or the most often, there is merit in being visible, consistent and demonstrating your worth. I had done a series of more complex trials (where the stakes for real humans were unthinkably high) and some more specialist work in forced marriage and parental alienation. I was hooked. And I wanted more.
Rather than simply doing a good job at court and letting the clerks fill my diary with a variety of interesting (and, inevitably, less interesting) briefs, I decided to take responsibility for directing my career path. Or, to quote Albus Dumbledore: ‘It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities’ (J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets).
So, I sat down and reflected. Hard. Who, truly, was I? And what choices can I make to demonstrate what I bring to the table?
I knew what was important to me: humanity, fairness and lifting others. And I forced myself to reflect on my talents: empathy, energy and conscientiousness. (Isn’t it telling how much easier it is to list the skills of others? Ask me about any of my colleagues in Chambers, and I could perform this task in seconds. But introspection is important too.)
How was I going to celebrate those values and skills? First, I acknowledged and embraced them. Then I considered how to evidence them.
I chose to start commenting and posting on LinkedIn. Why? It is free to use (if no one reads it, I’ve lost nothing). It’s easy (I can do it on my phone on the train between a rushed breakfast club drop-off and arrival at court). And it’s informative. To this day, I spend far more time reading the work of other talented individuals than writing my own posts.
Once I started posting on LinkedIn, I re-connected with solicitors, built new relationships and found networking groups hosting in-person events. It was easy to spot networking opportunities relevant to my practice (family law, women in the law, children work), as well as expand my professional community to include crossover specialisms (such as Deprivation of Liberty/Court of Protection work) because they were, quite literally, in front of me. At the time, I didn’t realise that I was building a personal brand. With hindsight, it is obvious that I was.
In 2024, I was recognised by TBD Marketing as a Legal LinkedInfluencer. That year, my highest performing post on LinkedIn received over 1,000 engagements, created over 110,000 impressions and was seen by over 75,000 unique members. (For reference, the O2 Arena has a capacity of 20,000 people.) I’ve been approached by LexisNexis, Counsel magazine and The Barrister to create content and have taken part in two podcasts. Clients have researched me on social media and I’ve received work as a direct result. Students message me to ask about a career at the Bar.
And during the time it has taken to write this article, one email has pinged into my inbox from an instructing solicitor, telling me how much she is interested in my posts (which, as a frequent self-doubter, I am always grateful for).
Why is that important? When I look back on my career, I want to know that I chose the narrative. That I took responsibility for crafting a fulfilling career. And that I prioritised finding my community and celebrating the achievements of others.
I’m no expert. I can only speak from my own experience. And it is this: Find the ‘person’, before worrying about the ‘brand’.
Once you have an appreciation of what drives you to immerse yourself in your cases, and the value you give your client, the rest comes easily.
Become the barrister you choose to be.
Be that barrister in person and online, in lectures, by email and on social media. Be that barrister with the usher, as well as in front of judge. Embrace who you already are, as well as who you can become.
And, in the words of Oscar Wilde, ‘Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.’
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