Barrister

Barrister job description: Typical employers | Qualifications and training | Key skills | Useful links | Find jobs and courses

Barristers are legal professionals who provide advocacy and legal advice to solicitors and other clients. Solicitors are the first port of call for members of the public requiring legal advice. If a court appearence is required the individual will then be referred to a barrister who will provide court representation and specialist counsel depending on the nature of the case.

The path to becoming a qualified barrister is long and expensive but the payoff is a challenging, professional career, characterised by its variety and financial security.

Typical work duties include:

• Providing expert legal advice to solicitors and lay clients.
• Researching and preparing cases and writing legal documents.
• Liaising with other legal professionals such as solicitors.
• Representing clients and putting forward a case in their defence in court.
• cross examining witnesses, studying evidence and drawing conclusions.
• Negotiating settlements between the client and other parties.

Long hours, heavy workloads and tight deadlines are very common. Barristers and would-be barristers are expected to put a lot of hard work into their cases, which can mean sacrificing their spare time to complete documents and research.

Overall salaries vary widely and depend on the cases barristers take on and the fields they work in.

During pupillage, pupils are paid a minimum of £10,000 for twelve months; however, pupillage awards vary massively depending on the type of chambers in question with some in the region of £35,000 or £40,000.

With training, experience and reputation qualified barristers can earn anything between £25,000 and £500,000. The onus to shape one's career and earn those high salaries is very much on the individual barrister. Those who 'take silk' and become Queen's Counsels can expect considerably higher wages thanks to the high profile and important cases they can take on. 

Typical employers of barristers

• Chambers:
  While barristers are technically self-employed, they work within sets of other barristers known as chambers. There are several chambers within the Bar Council, many of which specialise in particular areas of law.
• A range of employers and organisations:
  An increasing number of barristers are finding work with in-house law teams in a variety of organisations, including governmental organisations, industry, the armed forces and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). 

Qualifications and training required

Qualifiying as a barrister consists of three stages: academic, vocational and apprenticeship (or pupillage).

At the academic stage graduates need at least a 2:2 in law or in any other subject supplemented by the common professional examination (CPE) or a graduate diploma of law (GDL). In fact most chambers expect graduates to have achieved at 2:1. While a 2:2 is acceptable it will require extra effort to prove your case; be aware that it will almost certainly leave you at a disadvantage.

Some graduates take a masters which can help to boost your CV, but it is in no way essential. Gaining relevant experience is of far greater importance at this stage. It's recommended that students gain a mini-pupillage and as much understanding of the law as possible during their time at university. They should also be applying for their professional training, and their pupillage via the Pupillage Portal website, during their final year.

The Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) is the vocational stage, and consists of a year of full-time study at one of eleven institutions across the country. The BPTC is an academcially intense, skills-based course that prepares graduates for pupillage and lays the foundations for future practice. You will have to join one of the four Inns of Court to do your BPTC. On completion of the course, having passed twelve qualifying sessions, you will be 'called to the Bar' – the legal equivilent of graduation. 

The final stage in becoming a fully-fledged barrister is the completion of pupillage. This consists of two six-month periods spent in chambers under the supervision of one or more 'pupil supervisors'. During the first six months pupils shadow and assist their supervisors; during the second six they may have the chance to take on small cases by themselves. It is possible either to spend all twelve months at the same chambers or to complete the two six-month periods in different chambers.

Once you have completed pupillage you need to find a permanent base from which to practise, known as a tenancy. You may be offered tenancy in the chambers in which you did the pupillage - however, not all pupils are this lucky so be prepared to look and apply elsewhere.

Key skills for barristers

Barristers need to demonstrate:

• Excellent academic ability and an aptitude for applying legal theory to practice in court.
• Strong presentation and advocacy skills - the ability to present a point of view convincingly.
• Ability to absorb, understand and analyse large amounts of information.
• Quick-wittedness, self-awareness and excellent abilities of persuasion.
• Strong interest in how the law works and a willlingness to stay abreast of current affairs in the profession.
• Dedication to the legal process, and huge amounts of self-motivation.
• Ability to handle pressure, long hours, demanding deadlines and great responsibility.