Practice Toolset

No mega-set devotee, Andrew Mitchell QC argues that compact is probably the best chambers’ format in the world.  

Bespoke. Tailored. Fitted. Snug. A proper fit is much admired. Big and baggy? Large and flabby? Not so much. As with life in general, so I think, with life at the Bar. Whilst ever larger sets of chambers appear to some observers to be in vogue, for my part I think the case for the compact is stronger and more conducive to the real referral profession that we should remain. 

Were Judge Judge and Counsell of Counsel always destined to become lawyers, asks Christina Michalos?  

Some parents believe that choosing a child’s name is a matter of life and death. But it may be even more important than that. It could cause your child to become a lawyer—or at least that is what proponents of nominative determinism would have you believe. 

Have lawyers got what it takes to do policy jobs? Yes, says Emma Hopkins 

A shopping basket of proposals, gathered without any particularly logical reason—John Cooper introduces the Coroners and Justice Bill 

Philip Mott QC answers your questions on the new advocate assesment scheme.  

One of Lord Carter’s legal aid review recommendations was that a system of quality monitoring should be set up for advocates. He hoped that the scheme for publicly funded criminal advocates would be in place by the time the new graduated fee scheme was implemented. Some saw this as a “trade off” for the increased level of graduated fees, which came into effect at the end of April 2007. 

By the time a barrister first addresses the bench, he or she could have debts of £60,000. Alexander Learmonth considers the young Bar’s debt problem.  

Lord Neuberger’s Entry to the Bar working group assumed that students could leave university as much as £30,000 in debt. The average, according to the PUSH student debt survey (see www.push.co.uk), is £14,452 for students in England, increasing by about 10% per year. The cost of the Bar Vocational Course (BVC) year was estimated at a further £25,000. That’s a fair estimate: some providers are now charging as much as £14,495 for the year, which includes the Bar Standards Board’s validation fee of £395. 

Andrew Mitchell QC explains the work of the Bar Council’s Representation and Policy Secretariat—and what you get for your Members’ Services Fee.  

Few professions have such a direct effect on society as ours, yet for many of us the last few years have felt like an assault course. Those who work at the publicly funded Bar feel squeezed on fees as Government seeks to cut the cost of providing access to justice (inevitably hitting the most vulnerable members of society); while barristers are criticised in the press for the reward they receive for their skill and industry. 

When it comes to encouraging future talent, regardless of background, the Bar is ahead of the times, writes Duncan Matthews QC, in his update on Neuberger implementation.  

The Government White Paper New Opportunities—Fair Chances for the Future is welcome. Even more welcome is the establishment at the same time of the Panel on Fair Access to the Professions. The panel includes Lord Neuberger and former Bar Chairman Geoffrey Vos QC, in his capacity as Chairman of the Social Mobility Foundation—two of the key architects of the Bar’s own work in this area.
The Bar has long recognised that entry to the profession must be characterised by fairness. We were the first profession to introduce an equality and diversity code, in 1995, and we have seen huge improvements. Women now form 50% or more of entrants, and black and minority ethnic (BME) barristers constitute about 20%, against a national figure of 7%. The need for more work in the area of socio-economic background resulted in the Neuberger Working Party, which reported in November 2007 with 57 recommendations which would enhance the recruitment of the most talented, regardless of background. 

It’s a time of uncertainty in the legal services sector, but Simon Garrod explains how the BSB is helping the new regime develop.  

What does the Legal Services Act 2007 mean for the future of the Bar? This question has been the subject of extensive consideration, consultation and activity at the Bar Standards Board (BSB) for some time. In many ways, the consequences of this significant statute represent the great unknown: it facilitates a potential fundamental shift in the way in which legal services are provided to consumers in. 

Chambers’ culture can make a huge difference to successful maternity leave, says Sarah Grainger.  

In addition to offering generous maternity policies, the best thing a chambers can do to make retention work is to lead by example. Demonstrating that women members have taken maternity leave and returned to successful practices, and creating a culture where flexible  working is not seen as a problem, goes a long way to form an environment in which taking a maternity break can.