Founded in 1985, COUNSEL is the official monthly Magazine of the Bar of England and Wales, published by LexisNexis on behalf of the Bar Council. COUNSEL is largely written by and for barristers.
Highly influential and thought-provoking, it is read by legal professionals of all ages, from law students to senior judges, policy makers, key influencers, and members of the government. It also has a wider general readership.
Editorial coverage ranges from high profile interviews to its vital Practice Toolset section, helping barristers achieve their ambitions and work smarter using the latest techniques and market innovations.
It is also the platform for intelligent opinion on key issues affecting the Bar and justice, as well as covering wellbeing and lifestyle matters, giving it a broad cross-over appeal for anyone associated with the legal industry and interested in the law.
Our authors are thought leaders and experts in their fields. Our audience is highly engaged with the COUNSEL brand in print, online and social media.
The magazine has a distinguished Policy and Editorial Board, mainly drawn from the ranks of practising barristers and representing a wide cross-section of the Bar.
Print issues go direct to subscribers each month, with high numbers of non-subscribers reading it on the ‘free to view’ destination website: www.counselmagazine.co.uk.
Customer services
Tel: 03301611234
Email: customerservices@lexisnexis.co.uk
Counsel advertising queries
Email: advertisingsales@lexisnexis.co.uk
Editorial queries
Editor: Sarah Grainger
Email: sarah.grainger@lexisnexis.co.uk
Commissioning Editor: Elsa Booth
Email: elsa.booth.1@lexisnexis.co.uk
Postal address
LexisNexis® Butterworths
Lexis House
30 Farringdon Street
London
EC4A 4HH
Chair of the Bar reports back
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
A £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs has been made to the leading UK charity tackling international parental child abduction and the movement of children across international borders
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, outlines the drug and alcohol testing options available for family law professionals, and how a new, free guide can help identify the most appropriate testing method for each specific case
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the latest ONS data on drug misuse and its implications for toxicology testing in family law cases
Responding to criticism on the narrow profile of government-instructed counsel, Mel Nebhrajani CB describes the system-wide change at GLD to drive fairer distribution of work and broader development of talent
The odds of success are as unforgiving as ever, but ambition clearly isn’t in short supply. David Wurtzel’s annual deep‑dive into the competition cohort shows who’s entering, who’s thriving and the trends that will define the next wave
Where to start and where to find help? Monisha Shah, Chair of the King’s Counsel Selection Panel, provides an overview of the silk selection process, debunking some myths along the way
Do chatbot providers owe a duty of care for negligent misstatements? Jasper Wong suggests that the principles applicable to humans should apply equally to machines
There is no typical day in the life as a Supreme Court judicial assistant, says Josephine Gillingwater, and that’s what makes the role so enjoyably diverse
