Counsel Magazine

From a traumatic formative education to exceptional criminal silk – Laurie-Anne Power KC talks about her path to the Bar, pursuit of equality and speaking out against discrimination (not just during Black History Month)

Expectations, experiences and survival tips – some of the things I wished I had known (or applied) when I was starting pupillage. By Chelsea Brooke-Ward 

Paula Rhone-Adrien shares her lessons learnt 

The former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice reflects on his time in politics and the invaluable grounding provided by his career as a barrister. Interview by Anthony Inglese CB

Maryam Syed KC shares her lessons learnt as a Muslim woman barrister and a part-time Crown Court judge authorised to hear serious sexual offences and rape cases

Don’t get lost in the flurry of first six. Nia Marshall shares a few tips to help you get the most out of this time 

Unconventional and invaluable pupillage advice from Abiodun Olatokun 

David Fardy outlines what to expect, what you will learn, and what you can gain from a pupillage at the employed Bar 

If you are in/about to start pupillage, you will soon be facing the pupillage stage assessment in professional ethics. Jane Hutton and Patrick Ryan outline exam format and tactics 

The Bar Council reports back on its third pupil survey and signposts support and guidance for this key group of the profession 

The Young Barristers’ Committee (YBC) is celebrating its 70-year anniversary this year. To mark this milestone, Stuart McMillan speaks to the current and former Chairs to understand how life at the Bar has changed for junior barristers and what lies ahead 

In a two-part opinion series, James Onalaja considers the International Criminal Court Prosecutor’s requests for arrest warrants in the controversial Israel-Palestine situation 

Are juries best placed to determine the question of intent in a criminal trial involving a defendant with a history of mental illness? Stephen Akinsanya gets to the heart of the issues 

To mark the fifth anniversary of the Bar Standards Board’s Race Equality Taskforce, Dee Sekar reflects on key milestones, the role of regulation in race equality, and calls for views on the upcoming equality rules consultation

The Harman Review is a seminal moment for the Bar and provides an opportunity to promote tolerance and inclusivity as core values, says Dr Arun Midha

And a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square. By William Byfield 

The compelling courtroom drama is reviewed by David Langwallner 

John Uff CBE KC reviews the Gray’s Inn-City Junior School joint venture

Laura Shepherd shares her cultural life and times

Daniel Barnett serves up a host of summer shows

From a traumatic formative education to exceptional criminal silk – Laurie-Anne Power KC talks about her path to the Bar, pursuit of equality and speaking out against discrimination (not just during Black History Month)

Following the Lincoln’s Inn EDI Forum in Leeds, Glenn Parsons considers the tools required to increase diversity at the Bar – now and in the future

Championing underrepresented talent, 10K Black Interns 2024 is open for applications. Mentee Tendai Chiguvare and mentor Anna Walsh share their experience of the summer internship scheme at the Bar 

Bibi Badejo reports from a packed Inns of Court Women’s Alliance event examining the experiences of Black women barristers and imparting crucial advice for Black women navigating the legal profession 

Ensuring recruitment processes are fair, and free from bias, is essential to drive diversity at the Bar. Bindi Dholakia and Rachel Krys examine the theory and practice 

As use of AI becomes more widespread at the Bar, reshaping workflows, Andrew Hogan predicts a shift away from time-spent to value-based fees  

How to navigate open source evidence in an era of deepfakes. By Professor Yvonne McDermott Rees and Professor Alexa Koenig 

Alex Goodman KC on why our electoral laws need an urgent upgrade – they were not designed to address the corruption of popular opinion by AI and deepfakes 

The reluctance of governments to set agreed universal standards will inevitably mean that regulators have to fill the gap, says Sara Ibrahim. How are UK regulators preparing and what are the issues facing practitioners? 

Jeremy Barnett and David Ormerod CBE KC (Hon) explore the emerging technologies and principles at stake 

The mentoring scheme for underrepresented applicants to the Commercial Bar is still open for applications – apply by the extended deadline of Friday 18 October 2024 for the 2024-25 cycle 

The Bar Council crunches the data to tell the real story of who gets pupillage... and when 

Newly minted Bar graduates compete at a ratio of 300:1 for a golden ticket to Wonka’s Criminal Justice Factory. The Secret Barrister explains why…

The Bar Standards Board on what you need to know about training to become a barrister in England and Wales

Laurence Cooper explores the high-stakes world of choosing a Bar training course provider