Category: barristers

Litigating with Litigants in Person: Useful Pointers on Balancing Duties – Parklane Plowden Chambers

Posted November 3rd, 2021 in barristers, chambers articles, codes of practice, litigants in person, news by sally

‘The growth in the number of litigants in person (LiPs) in the Employment Tribunal has been keenly apparent over the last 18 months, when dealing with cases remotely as a consequence of Covid19. Whilst as lawyers we have had to familiarise ourselves with navigating electronic bundles and technology for remote hearings we have navigated through otherwise familiar territory.’

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Parklane Plowden Chambers, 28th October 2021

Source: www.parklaneplowden.co.uk

Defensive Advising Strategies 3: Risk Bargaining Between Adviser and Client – Wilberforce Chambers

Posted November 2nd, 2021 in barristers, fees, legal advice, news by sally

‘The concept of “risk bargaining” is not a term of art. However, I am sure that risk bargaining, as I describe it below, is something well-known to experienced professional advisers in their dealings with their clients.’

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Wilberforce Chambers, 7th October 2021

Source: www.wilberforce.co.uk

Blue plaque for first practising female barrister Helena Normanton unveiled – The Guardian

Posted October 21st, 2021 in barristers, monuments, news, women by sally

‘Helena Normanton, the first woman to practise as a barrister and lead murder trials in the English courts, has been honoured with a blue plaque at her former London home.’

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The Guardian, 21st October 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

BSB signals tougher approach to transparency rules compliance – Legal Futures

Posted October 20th, 2021 in barristers, consumer protection, fees, internet, news, statistics by sally

‘Approaching one in 10 chambers admit failing to comply with the Bar Standards Board’s (BSB) service and price transparency rules, with the regulator now set to toughen up its approach to enforcement.’

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Legal Futures, 29th October 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Legal regulators slammed for “lacking expertise” on comparison data – Legal Futures

Posted October 18th, 2021 in barristers, computer programs, law firms, legal profession, news, solicitors, Solicitors Regulation Authority by tracey

‘Lawyer data already in the public domain cannot easily be adapted to help consumers choose a lawyer, mainly due to failings by legal regulators, according to research.’

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Legal Futures, 18th October 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

BSB promises to tackle ‘ageing’ bar – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 18th, 2021 in barristers, diversity, news, pupillage, statistics by tracey

‘The Bar Standards Board has warned that there could be “real challenges” ahead if the average age of barristers continues to rise, following a study which found that 40% of barristers are now over 50 years old.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 15th October 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Bar students need more pupillage data to avoid “buyer’s remorse” – Legal Futures

Posted October 15th, 2021 in barristers, computer programs, legal education, news, pupillage by tracey

‘Bar students should be given detailed information from chambers about their pupillage criteria to avoid suffering from “buyer’s remorse” when they realise how difficult it is to succeed, a barrister and former Bar course teacher has argued.’

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Legal Futures, 15th October 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Less is more: my practical advice after almost forty years of practising – Family Law Week

Posted October 15th, 2021 in barristers, families, family courts, news by tracey

‘Gabrielle Jan Posner, Barrister and Recorder, Trinity Chambers, Chelmsford, passes on some hard-earned tips.’

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Family Law Week, 12th October 2021

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Seeing wellbeing as a weakness must change for all our sakes – Family Law

Posted October 13th, 2021 in barristers, family courts, mental health, news by tracey

‘Earlier this year we did a chambers wide audit of mental health and wellbeing and provided a wellbeing workshop for barristers and staff. I have been in practice for nearly thirty years and the mantra “work comes first” dominates my work ethic. I know this has been to my detriment. For example, going to court on the morning my father died because I couldn’t let the court down.’

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Family Law, 8th October 2021

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Students used by law firm for agency advocacy are ‘workers’ – Legal Futures

Posted October 8th, 2021 in barristers, contract of employment, employment, employment tribunals, equality, holiday pay, law firms, news, self-employment by tracey

‘A Bar student who handled agency advocacy work through a law firm was a worker with certain rights and not self-employed, an employment tribunal has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 8th October 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Non-practising barrister fined for calling herself “barrister-at-law” – Legal Futures

Posted October 6th, 2021 in barristers, disciplinary procedures, fines, immigration, news, professional conduct by sally

‘A non-practising barrister has been reprimanded and for describing herself as a “barrister-at-law” on emails, telling a client she could represent her and taking money to submit an immigration application.’

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Legal Futures, 6th October 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

To cap or not to cap, that is the question – Counsel

Posted October 5th, 2021 in barristers, legal education, news, pupillage, statistics by sally

‘There is a debate that perennially surfaces on social media and leads to animated discussion – “far too many students start the Bar course with little or no prospects of success; spending money they can ill afford; and that any given scholarship money could be used differently”. The debate can be stifled, or misdirected, by inaccurate statistics or recollections of a Bar course from a halcyon age. Fortunately, and in the best Twitter form, this debate also provides a whole host of suggested solutions.’

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Counsel, October 2021

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

Gender pay gap at Bar has widened over past 20 years – Legal Futures

Posted October 4th, 2021 in barristers, coronavirus, criminal justice, diversity, equality, fees, gender, news, remuneration, statistics, women by tracey

‘The income gap between male and female barristers has increased over the last 20 years, new Bar Council figures have shown.’

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Legal Futures, 4th October 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Quarter of pupillage hopefuls £50k in debt – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 4th, 2021 in barristers, coronavirus, debts, news, pupillage, statistics by tracey

‘Over a third of aspiring barristers expect to have racked up over £40,000 of debt by the time they complete pupillage, as the number of applicants competing for jobs continues to rise.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 1st October 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Human rights lawyers call on UK government to ban ‘conversion therapy’ – The Guardian

Posted October 1st, 2021 in barristers, gender, homosexuality, human rights, legal profession, news, sexual orientation discrimination, transgender persons by tracey

‘Leading human rights lawyers and experts have called for swift action to outlaw so-called conversion therapy, which they say is degrading and harmful, and should not be tolerated in a civilised society.’

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The Guardian, 1st October 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

30% of barristers have faced bullying, harassment and discrimination – Legal Futures

Posted September 29th, 2021 in barristers, bullying, harassment, judiciary, news, professional conduct, race discrimination, sex discrimination, statistics by sally

‘Nearly one in three barristers have personal experience of bullying, harassment and/or discrimination (BHD) in the past two years, Bar Council research has revealed.’

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Legal Futures, 28th September 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Barrister disbarred after council tax fraud conviction – Legal Futures

Posted September 29th, 2021 in barristers, council tax, disciplinary procedures, disclosure, fraud, law firms, news, sentencing by sally

‘A barrister convicted of council tax fraud who was then found to have lied at a re-hearing has been disbarred.’

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Legal Futures, 29th September 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

“Positive action scheme” bids to improve diversity of Treasury Counsel – Legal Futures

Posted September 27th, 2021 in barristers, diversity, equality, government departments, news by sally

‘A “positive action scheme” for advocates who have the potential to become Treasury Counsel in the future – aimed to address a lack of diversity in their ranks – is to be launched next month.’

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Legal Futures, 27th September 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Ep 149: Closed Material Procedures with Angus McCullough QC – Law Pod UK

Posted September 27th, 2021 in barristers, closed material, news, podcasts by sally

‘Closed Material Proceedings take place where evidence is so secret that advocates cannot communicate directly with their clients. Angus McCullough QC talks to Rosalind English about the difficulties and obstacles he faces when acting as a Special Advocate in these proceedings.’

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Law Pod UK, 24th September 2021

Source: audioboom.com

Clerks “must play bigger role in fair work allocation” – Legal Futures

Posted September 24th, 2021 in barristers, barristers' clerks, diversity, employment, equality, news by sally

‘Barristers’ clerks must step up and ensure that both work coming in and marketing efforts by chambers are done with an eye to equality in the way they are distributed, a seminar heard this week.’

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Legal Futures, 24th September 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk