If you thrive on intellectual challenge and have good advocacy skills, you could be the right sort of person for a graduate career at the Bar.

A barrister’s role

Taking a brief
A barrister takes on a case, usually on instruction from a solicitor, which is essentially a legal problem made up of complex facts for which an appropriate solution is sought.

Assessing the brief
At this stage the barrister is asked to give a professional opinion on the facts. The client and his/her solicitor seek the barrister’s expert advice on the legal aspects of their case, and whether it is viable, as taking a case to court is an expensive and lengthy process.

Preparing for court
Pre-trial work involves meetings or ’conferences’ with the client and their solicitor, further legal research and negotiations with other parties involved (eg the other party’s counsel / solicitor, investigating bodies or the Crown Prosecution Service). Even at this stage, a negotiated solution may be found, avoiding the need to take the matter to court.

Going to court
In some cases, despite all this work, going to court may be the only feasible option to resolve the problem. The barrister (whether prosecuting or defending) has to present the facts and legal arguments effectively and convincingly in order to win their case.

Barrister education and training

You need to do a lot of work to become a barrister:

• get relevant work experience
• undertake mini-pupillages
• join one of the Inns of Court
• complete the Bar Vocational Course (BVC)
• complete a 12-month pupillage.

Read more about what you should be doing, and when, on the Barrister timetable.

Where do barristers work?

The majority of barristers work in central London, with the remaining practising on circuit in major cities and some small towns outside the capital.

Most operate from chambers that contain the separate offices of individual barristers, each self-employed and working separately.

However, about a quarter of barristers are not in independent practice but are employed by other organisations such as the Government Legal Service (GLS), the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), local government and the armed forces.

Government Legal Service
GLS barristers work in roughly 40 Government organisations, from departments of state like the Home Office to public bodies such as the Office of Fair Trading. They don’t undertake as much court work as they would in private practice, but opportunities still exist for both court work and advocacy.

Crown Prosecution Service
In the CPS, barristers work as prosecutors, responsible for reviewing and, where appropriate, prosecuting criminal cases following investigation by the police. They also advise the police on matters relating to criminal cases. In each case reviewed, the prosecutor will consider whether there is sufficient evidence and, if so, whether the public interest requires a prosecution.

Local government
Local authorities, such as county councils, are heavily dependent on legal advice and guidance, and work covers many aspects of the law. Some cases are general, such as contract, tort, employment legislation and industrial tribunals, and others are specialist, such as children and young persons, social services, education and consumer protection.

How much do barristers earn?

The area of law in which you practise, your client base and your personal success and reputation will all play a part in determining your earnings.

Qualified barristers/advocates who are self-employed may earn anything between £19,000 and £1m a year. Employed barristers/advocates receive a salary which, again, is highly variable. In the CPS, for example, earnings range from £22,000 to over £55,000.