Blogs/Articles

Peter Purvis talks to five successful candidates from the 2021/22 competition to find out why they applied, their experience of the selection process and what advice they would share with others  

Just being brilliant at the law is not enough, though it is a requirement: an insider guide to the interview part of the KC application process. By Sara Nathan OBE

With the 2023 competition now open, Paul Secher provides some ‘do’s and don’ts’ when tackling the tricky written part of the application process

With huge gulfs in male/female earnings at the Bar now notorious, what is being done apart from restating the problem? Cue the Charter for Fairness, presented by Nicola Rushton KC and Yasmin Yasseri

Regulatory roles can significantly enhance your working life, as Tim Grey and Catherine Moxon explain. So how to find the coveted roles and what might help your application succeed in this competitive arena?

Developing the careers of female barristers through fairer work distribution and reducing the gender income gap – Amanda Pinto KC and Selena Jones distill the six key building blocks emerging from an ICAW event

With an explosion of interest in governance in recent years, now is the time for you to add this qualification to your portfolio, writes the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland

Kim Tasso looks at the evidence on soft skills and how you can improve yours 

Want to join the judicial pyramid? Here's Paul Secher's guide for future DDJ/DJ applicants on ‘matching up’ to the competency framework and the important changes in application procedure

Key benefits of the platform for the Bar, how to build engagement, and the secrets of the almighty algorithm – all generously unravelled by barrister and LinkedIn influencer Sahar Farooqi

The decision to leave Chambers isn’t taken lightly. But it doesn’t need to be tortuous. Here are some ideas from Heidi Smith to help you process the decision

A masterclass (with worked examples) on how to implement and manage fair work allocation. By Scott Baldwin 

How to get the most out of the Bar Council’s Pupillage Fair

Keith Hardie on why chambers adopting a robust approach to client listening are likely to steal a march on those who do not

During a career break, you don’t lose skills, you build on them! Juliette Levy outlines the TRWG’s campaign to attract returners and movers, boost confidence and promote the cognitive diversity they bring 

‘Parallel practitioner’ Kemi Ojutiku explains how she balances work as a civil and commercial arbitrator alongside her specialist family law practice

Nikki Alderson's confidence strategies for career success, including how to develop a positive mindset and overcome rejection 

Jo Martin QC and Berenice Mulvanny explain how to get the grading you deserve in your upcoming CPS Advocate Panel application 

It’s rare for junior barristers to formulate much of a career strategy beyond ‘getting tenancy’. In part one of a new series on career progression, Nikki Alderson shares some advice on setting goals – and purposefully reaching them

Will you be tied to a desk and swept into a foreign world of time recording? Or is it all the best bits of being a barrister but with a regular salary and better hours? Abigail Bennett's day in the life of a family law barrister turned partner

Rekha Kodikara explores the positive steps being taken to enable the future Treasury Counsel team to be diverse and inclusive

Practical advice for anyone considering a career in international criminal law, distilled by David Josse QC

Paul Secher's tips and advice on the next crucial stage of your pupillage quest – the interview

Rebecca Wilkie explains how pro bono can become an intrinsic part of your silk application

When thoughts arise that ‘there must be more to life than this’, is a career change necessarily the answer? Tim Bergin on the benefits of leaving the Bar – and coming back again

Having a plan for how to build your silk practice will help you hold your nerve as you transition, advises practice coach Heidi Smith

Sir Alex Allan and Monisha Shah, the outgoing and incoming Chairs of the QC Selection Panel, offer an insight into the appointment process and, in particular, its approach to diversity issues

Some tips for working with your clerking team to build a practice worthy of applying for silk. After all, clerks could be your critical success factor, writes Lucy Barbet

Do it differently this time: silk coach Paul Secher shares his application wisdom

During the tumultuous search for pupillage, Victoria Alicea describes how the journey can make all the difference to the destination: thinking broader, picking up new skills and finding a home in-house

In this fierce competition, your written application will determine whether you are invited to interview. Paul Secher considers what you can do to enhance your prospects of success

It ain’t what you say, it’s the way that you say it... David Anderson sets out a new, inclusive approach to barrister recruitment that openly talks about the key factors (including cost) when choosing a chambers

Highly sought after and ideally suited to the skills and experience of members of the Bar... how to maximise your chances when applying for a ‘regulatory role’? By Paul Secher

Michael Harwood's guide for aspiring members of the employed Bar to the huge array of possibilities – including a new ‘disruptor’ trend

Your guide to making it as a NY attorney and practical issues for English barristers. By Teresa Rosen Peacocke and Alex Haines

Employed barristers are disproportionately underrepresented as Benchers yet bring distinct skills to the governance of their Inns: BACFI's application guide

Helen Conway on the joy of reflective practice as a form of CPD and how to do it

A toolkit to help you build profile, expertise and a bright future in arbitration. By James Bridgeman

Tim Prudhoe's lessons learnt: as the scope increases for working overseas, here's some advice on how to build the foundations for an international practice (and not upset the local Bar)

Kim Tasso explains how to build rapport and fix ruptured relationships in the digital space

As the Bar builds back, Douglas McPherson explains how barristers can benefit from investing their time to produce unique and valuable content

Practical guidance for barristers and clerks looking to leverage social media to optimise brand awareness and increase instructions. By Catherine Bailey

Five steps to get your practice back on track after a COVID-related downturn. 

By Heidi Smith 

Advice on how to navigate a departure, avoid the pitfalls, and remain on good terms with your friends and former colleagues. By James Hines QC 

Award entries are an important part of the legal PR mix. Kerry Jack explains what makes a winning entry, and why it’s good for business 

A chambers... in a law firm? The in-house advocacy model re-imagined: Sahar Farooqi and Jonathan Robinshaw explain how it works and where it sits under ‘the Bar’ umbrella 

Why 2021 could be a boom time for secondments… and a boon for the Bar. By Jamie Clack and Elliott Rogers 

More than ever, members of the Bar are thinking about in-house roles. How to choose the right job, maximise your chances of securing it, and shine at interview. By Richard Tapp 

Daniel Kidd lifts the lid on the often-misunderstood legal directory submissions process and explores ways in which chambers and barristers can optimise their ranking strategies 

Peter Purvis profiles five silks successful in the 2019/20 competition