Profession

Paul Mosson explains the background to BARCO, its modus operandi and its role within the growing area of public access  

First launched to the Bar in April 2013, BARCO was established to provide a unique solution for handling client money that allowed the Bar Standards Board (BSB) to uphold its prohibition on barristers and BSB regulated entities holding client money themselves.  

Escrow has quickly become an essential part of chambers’ public access offering. Senior clerk and practice manager, Mike Ryan, explains  

In the past few years, chambers has witnessed a significant growth in public access work.  

Yuri Rapoport considers how barristers can assure revenue in low to middle quantum cases, despite the “big squeeze” on legal funding  

Two years since the latest round of legal aid cuts, the soaring number of unrepresented cases being heard in the courts have all but crushed the Government’s hopes of people pursuing less expensive and less confrontational means of settling disputes.  

Debate Mate mentors Danielle Manson and Monica Savic-Jabrow explain how the tool of debate is being used to transform the lives of children  

The power of the public speaker is one with which we’re all too familiar.  

Alice Carse and Kannon Shanmugam consider what can be done to address the growing skills gap between junior and senior lawyers in commercial litigation, on both sides of the Atlantic  

One of the most pressing issues facing the commercial Bar today is the lack of opportunities for junior practitioners to develop the skills needed to lead the types of large, complex cases that dominate modern commercial litigation.  

Henry King and Simon Paul explore how shared cross-examination could expand opportunities for junior trial advocates, with reference to practice in other jurisdictions  

In the course of the discussion at the recent COMBAR North America meeting in Washington DC concerning the expansion of advocacy opportunities for junior counsel – as noted in this issue (see "Mind the gap") – support was expressed for giving junior lawyers discrete issues on which to conduct cross-examination.  

Adrian Jack crunches the numbers on High Court judiciary pay and warns of a looming recruitment catastrophe  

Recruitment to the High Court bench is facing a crisis due to collapsing pay and pension. 

Rachel Spearing reviews the results from the Bar Council’s first survey of the wellbeing of the profession  

The Bar, by its very nature, is a stressful place to work, regardless of Call, practice area or status and we are all aware of the levels of stigma associated with displaying any sign of weakness.  

Anthony Inglese CB with his second and final look at the lawyers to be found in the corridors of Whitehall  

A young Government Legal Service barrister is giving his first piece of advice to a Famous Top Political Figure. 

As the Bar Standards Board reviews pupillages and prepares to consult on the present Bar training system, Guy Fetherstonhaugh QC looks back at their evolution  

In February 2015, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) published Future Bar Training : a programme of review and reform aimed at updating its regulation of training for and at the Bar.