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How to make the transition to tenancy easier. By Don Turner
For many pupils, securing tenancy feels like the finish line. It’s right to feel proud of this achievement, but don’t forget that this is the start of your next and completely different challenge – to build your practice. The structure, support and supervision of pupillage quickly give way to the realities of being self-employed. You are now running a business within a collaborative business environment with other self-employed members of chambers.
The good news is that many of the challenges faced by new junior tenants are predictable and therefore manageable.
‘Induction crisis’ (not exclusive to the Bar) is a recognised phenomenon often seen in professional environments where a new employee, pupil or tenant, experiences a sharp drop in confidence, comfort or motivation shortly after joining an organisation. Initial excitement and optimism are replaced by uncertainty as the reality of expectations, workload, personalities and unspoken rules begin to emerge. This is about your inner voice putting pressure on yourself to perform (‘I should know this by now’), mixed with frustration that you are new to an organisation and still finding your way. There is no ‘normal’ – yet!
Induction crisis can last anything from three to 12 months, depending on the person and the organisation. It will pass, but it can be a bumpy road. A new tenant, for example, may feel settled one week and then suddenly experience self-doubt after a difficult hearing, poor feedback or a challenging interaction with colleagues or clerks. Some days will be better than others. Remember that one day this will all be behind you, and you will have a feeling of inclusion and belonging.
It is important to be patient and compassionate with yourself. You are not the only person to feel this way. Take a longer view of your career and see the first few months, or even years, as putting in the foundations for a sustainable and successful practice.
It is not in any chambers’ interests to turn work away. Not even low-value, unattractive work, as this supports the ongoing client relationship which, in turn, leads to larger cases. Newly qualified barristers are the ones who must deal with the day-to-day work that keeps chambers functioning and clients on side for high-profile work. Your role in these early years is to take on as much of this work as you can, using it as an opportunity to develop your advocacy skills, build rapport with clients, and learn the business development side of the profession. Over time, this will help you establish your reputation.
It is not uncommon for new tenants to feel dissatisfied and frustrated with the quality and profile of the work they receive. However, as with most professional environments, the reality is that junior members of any team are expected to take on much of the routine or less glamorous work. It is part of the natural progression of building experience and a career.
It is widely accepted that the first five years of practice should be focused on personal growth and client service, rather than the pursuit of high fees. This can be a difficult reality to accept, particularly when ambition and financial pressures are in play.
Many experienced clerks will tell you that the barristers who approach this early work with professionalism and a positive attitude often go on to enjoy the most successful careers. Put simply, the effort invested in the early days, pays dividends later.
Do a good job. Delight clients. Get your name on future instructions!
Every chambers needs a strong practice management team to keep things running smoothly. They are the hub, the engine room of chambers, helping barristers to build and manage their practices while making sure the day-to-day business works as it should.
The strongest junior tenants quickly realise that chambers is a team environment, and your clerks, practice managers and support teams can make your working life dramatically easier, depending on the relationship you build with them.
Clerks are not simply diary managers. They are often your biggest advocates internally and externally. They are also usually the people who spot opportunities, client trends and reputational risks before anyone else.
It is worth taking time to understand your own relationship with the clerks and practice staff. Are you working with them as partners in your success, or treating them as just another employee?
To get the most from your practice team:
A strong, collaborative relationship can have a significant impact on your career.
Self-employed practice can become chaotic very quickly so it is good practice to get your business systems and procedures organised early on. Good organisation reduces stress, improves client confidence, makes you more efficient and helps protect your reputation.
Use the early days to focus on putting in good practices around:
Don’t forget you are running your own business. You are instructed and get paid for your knowledge and advocacy skills. But what sits behind this is business administration. Your efficiency in this regard can pay huge dividends in building your practice.
Do not wait until you are overwhelmed before creating structure.
With ever-evolving digital technology, remote working is now quite normal. Because of this, it has become even more important to make sure that you ‘connect’ and build rapport with internal and external clients.
Good work alone will not build your practice; people need to know you exist. This does not mean becoming overly self-promoting or investing lots of time and effort into your business development activities. It means engaging professionally with chambers life by:
The Bar remains a heavily relationship-driven sector; it is a ‘people’ business, and after all you are selling yourself – a person! People are more likely to support, mentor, instruct and recommend individuals they know and trust.
The transition to tenancy is not simply about becoming a better advocate. It is about learning how to operate as a professional within a competitive and relationship-driven environment.
Technical ability matters enormously, but so do communication skills, reliability, emotional intelligence, organisation and commercial awareness.
Most importantly, remember that nearly every barrister you admire once felt exactly the same uncertainty you may be feeling now.
Don Turner founded PME Training in 2013, delivering pragmatic management, coaching and consultancy exclusively to barristers’ chambers, working with professionals at all levels across England and Wales since its foundation. He is the author of Barrister Business (BlueGreenBD: 2026), the essential guide to the business of being a barrister and how to maximise your potential.
For many pupils, securing tenancy feels like the finish line. It’s right to feel proud of this achievement, but don’t forget that this is the start of your next and completely different challenge – to build your practice. The structure, support and supervision of pupillage quickly give way to the realities of being self-employed. You are now running a business within a collaborative business environment with other self-employed members of chambers.
The good news is that many of the challenges faced by new junior tenants are predictable and therefore manageable.
‘Induction crisis’ (not exclusive to the Bar) is a recognised phenomenon often seen in professional environments where a new employee, pupil or tenant, experiences a sharp drop in confidence, comfort or motivation shortly after joining an organisation. Initial excitement and optimism are replaced by uncertainty as the reality of expectations, workload, personalities and unspoken rules begin to emerge. This is about your inner voice putting pressure on yourself to perform (‘I should know this by now’), mixed with frustration that you are new to an organisation and still finding your way. There is no ‘normal’ – yet!
Induction crisis can last anything from three to 12 months, depending on the person and the organisation. It will pass, but it can be a bumpy road. A new tenant, for example, may feel settled one week and then suddenly experience self-doubt after a difficult hearing, poor feedback or a challenging interaction with colleagues or clerks. Some days will be better than others. Remember that one day this will all be behind you, and you will have a feeling of inclusion and belonging.
It is important to be patient and compassionate with yourself. You are not the only person to feel this way. Take a longer view of your career and see the first few months, or even years, as putting in the foundations for a sustainable and successful practice.
It is not in any chambers’ interests to turn work away. Not even low-value, unattractive work, as this supports the ongoing client relationship which, in turn, leads to larger cases. Newly qualified barristers are the ones who must deal with the day-to-day work that keeps chambers functioning and clients on side for high-profile work. Your role in these early years is to take on as much of this work as you can, using it as an opportunity to develop your advocacy skills, build rapport with clients, and learn the business development side of the profession. Over time, this will help you establish your reputation.
It is not uncommon for new tenants to feel dissatisfied and frustrated with the quality and profile of the work they receive. However, as with most professional environments, the reality is that junior members of any team are expected to take on much of the routine or less glamorous work. It is part of the natural progression of building experience and a career.
It is widely accepted that the first five years of practice should be focused on personal growth and client service, rather than the pursuit of high fees. This can be a difficult reality to accept, particularly when ambition and financial pressures are in play.
Many experienced clerks will tell you that the barristers who approach this early work with professionalism and a positive attitude often go on to enjoy the most successful careers. Put simply, the effort invested in the early days, pays dividends later.
Do a good job. Delight clients. Get your name on future instructions!
Every chambers needs a strong practice management team to keep things running smoothly. They are the hub, the engine room of chambers, helping barristers to build and manage their practices while making sure the day-to-day business works as it should.
The strongest junior tenants quickly realise that chambers is a team environment, and your clerks, practice managers and support teams can make your working life dramatically easier, depending on the relationship you build with them.
Clerks are not simply diary managers. They are often your biggest advocates internally and externally. They are also usually the people who spot opportunities, client trends and reputational risks before anyone else.
It is worth taking time to understand your own relationship with the clerks and practice staff. Are you working with them as partners in your success, or treating them as just another employee?
To get the most from your practice team:
A strong, collaborative relationship can have a significant impact on your career.
Self-employed practice can become chaotic very quickly so it is good practice to get your business systems and procedures organised early on. Good organisation reduces stress, improves client confidence, makes you more efficient and helps protect your reputation.
Use the early days to focus on putting in good practices around:
Don’t forget you are running your own business. You are instructed and get paid for your knowledge and advocacy skills. But what sits behind this is business administration. Your efficiency in this regard can pay huge dividends in building your practice.
Do not wait until you are overwhelmed before creating structure.
With ever-evolving digital technology, remote working is now quite normal. Because of this, it has become even more important to make sure that you ‘connect’ and build rapport with internal and external clients.
Good work alone will not build your practice; people need to know you exist. This does not mean becoming overly self-promoting or investing lots of time and effort into your business development activities. It means engaging professionally with chambers life by:
The Bar remains a heavily relationship-driven sector; it is a ‘people’ business, and after all you are selling yourself – a person! People are more likely to support, mentor, instruct and recommend individuals they know and trust.
The transition to tenancy is not simply about becoming a better advocate. It is about learning how to operate as a professional within a competitive and relationship-driven environment.
Technical ability matters enormously, but so do communication skills, reliability, emotional intelligence, organisation and commercial awareness.
Most importantly, remember that nearly every barrister you admire once felt exactly the same uncertainty you may be feeling now.
How to make the transition to tenancy easier. By Don Turner
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