*/
Lawyers need to ‘re-double’ their efforts to encourage professional standards and conduct in the digital age that values economic success, the Chairman of the Bar told the International Bar Association.
Speaking at its annual conference in Washington in September, Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC said: ‘An increasing focus in society on economic success and on taking a commercial approach, I believe, threatens professionalism.’ She insisted: ‘The Bar is a profession. It is not simply a job.’
But she said the 21st century brings many challenges to that sense of professionalism, including political pressures, societal changes, regulators, financial pressures, press coverage, perception and technology.
Doerries said: ‘The more we act, or are encouraged by society to act, as purely businesses or are treated simply as part of a market of legal services…the more we attenuate the idea of being a professional lawyer, and ultimately undermine the special and fundamental role.’
Lawyers she said, need to ‘re-double’ their efforts to encourage professional standards and conduct in an age where technology is changing working practices.
Public legal education, she added, was the way to teach society the real value of professional lawyers.
Positively, she said young barristers understand this; they come to the Bar to be professionals and for the challenge of demonstrating what it means to be a professional worthy of the name.
Lawyers need to ‘re-double’ their efforts to encourage professional standards and conduct in the digital age that values economic success, the Chairman of the Bar told the International Bar Association.
Speaking at its annual conference in Washington in September, Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC said: ‘An increasing focus in society on economic success and on taking a commercial approach, I believe, threatens professionalism.’ She insisted: ‘The Bar is a profession. It is not simply a job.’
But she said the 21st century brings many challenges to that sense of professionalism, including political pressures, societal changes, regulators, financial pressures, press coverage, perception and technology.
Doerries said: ‘The more we act, or are encouraged by society to act, as purely businesses or are treated simply as part of a market of legal services…the more we attenuate the idea of being a professional lawyer, and ultimately undermine the special and fundamental role.’
Lawyers she said, need to ‘re-double’ their efforts to encourage professional standards and conduct in an age where technology is changing working practices.
Public legal education, she added, was the way to teach society the real value of professional lawyers.
Positively, she said young barristers understand this; they come to the Bar to be professionals and for the challenge of demonstrating what it means to be a professional worthy of the name.
It’s been a particularly hectic period in both the political sphere and our working lives
Casey Randall explores the benefits of prenatal paternity testing and explains how the test is performed
Philip N Bristow explains how to unlock your aged debt to fund your tax in one easy step
Kate West discusses how best to interpret a drug test report, and the common misconceptions about what can be learnt from a drug test
Ashley Hodgkinson looks at drug testing methods and some of the most common ways people try to cheat a drug test
Clerksroom Chambers has recruited Matthew Wildish from 3 Paper Buildings (3PB) to a newly created position of Director of Clerking. Matthew joined the team at Clerksroom on 1 June
How did the international DJ and BBC Radio 1Xtra presenter find his transition to the Criminal Bar? Mark Robinsons secrets of a successful career change and his perception-breaking projects
Barrister, historian, legal biographer it was pure serendipity that the whirlwind silk went into the law and found his niche as a bestselling author, finds David Rhodes
Surely diversity of thought at the Bar is a good thing? Why are chambers shoehorning all applicants for pupillage into the same mould? Roxy Lackschewitz-Martin looks at the diagnostic gap and neurodiversity in pupillage applications
On the hunt for the perfect beach book/listen? Circuit Leaders, Michelle Heeley QC, Richard Wright QC, Kate Brunner QC, Lisa Roberts QC and Christine Agnew QC share their recommendations
From a chance airfield encounter to war crimes counsel, Karadzic trial judge, International Criminal Court judge and Independent Adviser to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General Sir Howard talks to Anthony Inglese CB about the pivotal points that shaped his career
