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‘I quickly realised that clerking was the heart of the business and that I would only be effective in a senior leadership role if I was involved in that.’
Lizzy started out in financial services before moving into the legal sector, and soon found her feet in clerking. She emphasises the importance of hard work and a commitment to excellence in the face of challenges inherent in this demanding environment. Citing her father as her biggest inspiration, Lizzy advises aspiring clerks, especially women, to ‘work hard, listen carefully, be yourself, and try not to make assumptions’.
Throughout her career, she has enjoyed working with inspiring individuals such as Dame Sue Carr, Lady Chief Justice. One of her proudest moments is the feedback received in her appraisal last year, acknowledging the lasting impact of her contributions to her colleagues and the broader legal community. As Lizzy looks to the future, she remains committed to driving positive change in the profession and advancing the interests of clients.
‘I thought that I would do this until I worked out what I was going to do when I grow up and I’m still doing it over 20 years later!’ says Katie. Despite the challenges of being a working parent, she has thrived in the world of legal clerking.
Katie underscores the importance of building networks, advocating for oneself and fostering positive relationships. Her advice to aspiring clerks, particularly female clerks, is to ‘build your network’ and ‘highlight your own achievements’. Katie’s own career highlights include seeing colleagues progress in their careers.
Commenting on the evolution of the profession, Katie notes the important and increasing focus on diversity and work-life balance, and the role of clerks in expanding the pool of barristers and promoting a supportive workplace culture.
‘Building trust with the people you work with is always a challenge when you are new,’ Emily acknowledges, but through open dialogue and advocacy on behalf of her colleagues, she has navigated her path to senior leadership.
Her advice to aspiring clerks is to embrace the challenges and leverage their strengths, while developing ‘a degree of thick-skinned-ness’ – ‘it helps with the resilience you’ll inevitably need’. On the evolving landscape for women clerks, she underscores the need for advancement opportunities as well as networks from which you can draw support.
Emily wants to see greater diversity in senior clerk and chambers management roles. She actively encourages young women to pursue careers in clerking and legal practice management, recognising the value of mentorship and representation.
‘Remember, clerking is also a career which demands a high level of emotional intelligence, empathy, compassion and nurturing. You’ll rarely hear a senior clerk being described in this way but I truly feel women are already naturally suited to becoming the most successful senior clerks.’
‘When I first began my career, I was always mistaken as a secretary or receptionist and met with surprise when I said I was, in fact, a clerk.’
Lucy began her career in clerking in September 2008 at the age of 18 after having left college only a month before. Despite lacking prior knowledge of the legal profession and encountering these stereotypical views along the way, determination drove her up the ranks.
Inspired by strong female role models in her family, Lucy’s advice is to: ‘Know your worth and never forget it.’ Her commitment to empowering other women in the legal profession is evident in her aspirations for the future: increased diversity and representation, particularly for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. Lucy remains dedicated to supporting and mentoring the next generation of clerks.
Christianah Babajide is a legal marketing expert at the Bar. She has a degree in law and nearly a decade of legal writing experience, having written for The Bar Council, Legal Cheek, Law360 and LawCareers.Net. She is also an editor at The Student Lawyer.
‘I quickly realised that clerking was the heart of the business and that I would only be effective in a senior leadership role if I was involved in that.’
Lizzy started out in financial services before moving into the legal sector, and soon found her feet in clerking. She emphasises the importance of hard work and a commitment to excellence in the face of challenges inherent in this demanding environment. Citing her father as her biggest inspiration, Lizzy advises aspiring clerks, especially women, to ‘work hard, listen carefully, be yourself, and try not to make assumptions’.
Throughout her career, she has enjoyed working with inspiring individuals such as Dame Sue Carr, Lady Chief Justice. One of her proudest moments is the feedback received in her appraisal last year, acknowledging the lasting impact of her contributions to her colleagues and the broader legal community. As Lizzy looks to the future, she remains committed to driving positive change in the profession and advancing the interests of clients.
‘I thought that I would do this until I worked out what I was going to do when I grow up and I’m still doing it over 20 years later!’ says Katie. Despite the challenges of being a working parent, she has thrived in the world of legal clerking.
Katie underscores the importance of building networks, advocating for oneself and fostering positive relationships. Her advice to aspiring clerks, particularly female clerks, is to ‘build your network’ and ‘highlight your own achievements’. Katie’s own career highlights include seeing colleagues progress in their careers.
Commenting on the evolution of the profession, Katie notes the important and increasing focus on diversity and work-life balance, and the role of clerks in expanding the pool of barristers and promoting a supportive workplace culture.
‘Building trust with the people you work with is always a challenge when you are new,’ Emily acknowledges, but through open dialogue and advocacy on behalf of her colleagues, she has navigated her path to senior leadership.
Her advice to aspiring clerks is to embrace the challenges and leverage their strengths, while developing ‘a degree of thick-skinned-ness’ – ‘it helps with the resilience you’ll inevitably need’. On the evolving landscape for women clerks, she underscores the need for advancement opportunities as well as networks from which you can draw support.
Emily wants to see greater diversity in senior clerk and chambers management roles. She actively encourages young women to pursue careers in clerking and legal practice management, recognising the value of mentorship and representation.
‘Remember, clerking is also a career which demands a high level of emotional intelligence, empathy, compassion and nurturing. You’ll rarely hear a senior clerk being described in this way but I truly feel women are already naturally suited to becoming the most successful senior clerks.’
‘When I first began my career, I was always mistaken as a secretary or receptionist and met with surprise when I said I was, in fact, a clerk.’
Lucy began her career in clerking in September 2008 at the age of 18 after having left college only a month before. Despite lacking prior knowledge of the legal profession and encountering these stereotypical views along the way, determination drove her up the ranks.
Inspired by strong female role models in her family, Lucy’s advice is to: ‘Know your worth and never forget it.’ Her commitment to empowering other women in the legal profession is evident in her aspirations for the future: increased diversity and representation, particularly for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. Lucy remains dedicated to supporting and mentoring the next generation of clerks.
The Chair of the Bar reports back
By Kem Kemal, CEO, Henry Dannell
By BSK Financial Planning
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs
Susie Griffin on the admin that keeps barristers from billable work
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, explains how global events can influence the performance of pensions and ISAs, and why taking a long-term approach to investing is often the most effective strategy
Kick off your career at the Bar Council’s Pupillage Fair this October – it’s one of the most valuable opportunities for aspiring barristers, says Amelia Clegg
Join us on Saturday 21 November 2026 at Leeds Beckett University and see for yourself why the North continues to be an exceptional place to build a career at the Bar
The golden age of advocacy? David Langwallner pays homage to the filmic if contentious barrister Sir Edward Carson and some of his contemporaries
Henry Fingerhut outlines what the Bar Standards Board AI guidance means for early career barristers
Not yet, says Jacob Turner. Regulation, unlike the technology itself, is a domain the legal profession can still control
