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There are very few opportunities to bring together barristers from every practice area, every Circuit and every stage of practice to talk about the challenges and opportunities facing our profession. Most of us spend our working lives immersed in our own specialisms, seeing the same colleagues, the same courts and the same professional circles. The Bar Conference is different. It offers the chance to step outside your day-to-day practice, reconnect with old friends and make new connections across the profession.
This year’s conference takes place on Saturday 14 November at the beautiful One Great George Street in Westminster, returning to London after an excellent event in Birmingham last year. Whether you’re based in London or travelling from another Circuit, it’s a day well worth making time for – not only for the high-quality CPD, but for the conversations, ideas and relationships that continue long after the closing session.
One of the privileges of serving as Chair of the Young Barristers’ Committee has been attending conferences both in the UK and overseas. Seeing what works well elsewhere has given me plenty of ideas, and I was delighted to bring those experiences to this year’s Bar Conference programming group.
Chaired by the ever modest yet brilliant William Dean and established by Bar Chair Kirsty Brimelow KC, the group brought together members from across the employed and self-employed Bar, different practice areas and every stage of practice. The group has worked hard to create a programme that is relevant, practical and genuinely useful, and I think we have met the brief.
The result is a Bar Conference that reflects the breadth of modern practice. The programme explores subjects including open justice, expert witnesses, artificial intelligence, climate change, disability and inclusion, advocacy and performance, wellbeing and judicial careers. Whether you’re at the beginning of your career or many years into practice, the conference sessions will challenge your thinking, develop your skills and give you ideas you can take straight back into your working life.
I am looking forward to chairing a session on artificial intelligence and to hearing Saara Idelbi’s advice on how we can use generative AI effectively while meeting our ethical obligations. AI is the topic du jour, and practical guidance on using it effectively – and responsibly – is something I think every barrister can benefit from.
I’m also keen to hear Lord Carnwath and Estelle Dehon KC discuss the role of law and lawyers in responding to the climate crisis, in a session with WWF-UK Chief Executive Tanya Steele CBE. After another summer of extreme weather, it’s hard to think of a topic that feels more timely.
Alongside an outstanding line-up of barristers and judges, we’ve deliberately included speakers from outside the profession, including the fabulous Jennifer Johnston, former barrister and professional operatic mezzo-soprano. Some of the best ideas come from looking beyond our own experiences, and I’m delighted that Rob Rinder will be joining us to share his perspective as both a barrister and broadcaster before we move into the evening reception.
The Bar Conference is about more than any individual speaker or session. It’s about bringing the profession together. It’s about learning from one another, sharing experiences and remembering that we all have a stake in the future of the Bar. Join us in November to learn something new, meet colleagues from across the profession and be part of the conversations that will help shape the Bar’s future. Sometimes, simply being there really does matter.
There are very few opportunities to bring together barristers from every practice area, every Circuit and every stage of practice to talk about the challenges and opportunities facing our profession. Most of us spend our working lives immersed in our own specialisms, seeing the same colleagues, the same courts and the same professional circles. The Bar Conference is different. It offers the chance to step outside your day-to-day practice, reconnect with old friends and make new connections across the profession.
This year’s conference takes place on Saturday 14 November at the beautiful One Great George Street in Westminster, returning to London after an excellent event in Birmingham last year. Whether you’re based in London or travelling from another Circuit, it’s a day well worth making time for – not only for the high-quality CPD, but for the conversations, ideas and relationships that continue long after the closing session.
One of the privileges of serving as Chair of the Young Barristers’ Committee has been attending conferences both in the UK and overseas. Seeing what works well elsewhere has given me plenty of ideas, and I was delighted to bring those experiences to this year’s Bar Conference programming group.
Chaired by the ever modest yet brilliant William Dean and established by Bar Chair Kirsty Brimelow KC, the group brought together members from across the employed and self-employed Bar, different practice areas and every stage of practice. The group has worked hard to create a programme that is relevant, practical and genuinely useful, and I think we have met the brief.
The result is a Bar Conference that reflects the breadth of modern practice. The programme explores subjects including open justice, expert witnesses, artificial intelligence, climate change, disability and inclusion, advocacy and performance, wellbeing and judicial careers. Whether you’re at the beginning of your career or many years into practice, the conference sessions will challenge your thinking, develop your skills and give you ideas you can take straight back into your working life.
I am looking forward to chairing a session on artificial intelligence and to hearing Saara Idelbi’s advice on how we can use generative AI effectively while meeting our ethical obligations. AI is the topic du jour, and practical guidance on using it effectively – and responsibly – is something I think every barrister can benefit from.
I’m also keen to hear Lord Carnwath and Estelle Dehon KC discuss the role of law and lawyers in responding to the climate crisis, in a session with WWF-UK Chief Executive Tanya Steele CBE. After another summer of extreme weather, it’s hard to think of a topic that feels more timely.
Alongside an outstanding line-up of barristers and judges, we’ve deliberately included speakers from outside the profession, including the fabulous Jennifer Johnston, former barrister and professional operatic mezzo-soprano. Some of the best ideas come from looking beyond our own experiences, and I’m delighted that Rob Rinder will be joining us to share his perspective as both a barrister and broadcaster before we move into the evening reception.
The Bar Conference is about more than any individual speaker or session. It’s about bringing the profession together. It’s about learning from one another, sharing experiences and remembering that we all have a stake in the future of the Bar. Join us in November to learn something new, meet colleagues from across the profession and be part of the conversations that will help shape the Bar’s future. Sometimes, simply being there really does matter.
The Chair of the Bar reports back
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
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, discusses what family law professionals need to know about hallucinogens, from the main hallucinogenic drugs encountered in family proceedings, to their effects and the testing options available
Harmony Christian Ministries is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
By David Green
At the start of her term, Chair of the Bar 2026 Kirsty Brimelow KC set out a series of priorities for the year ahead. One of those priorities was children in the justice system
As the world becomes more digital, Barbara Vinagre Mota examines international research into the mental health consequences of judges’ exposure to graphic and immersive evidence, highlighting the importance of support systems
In an era of patient-centred care and growing concern over misconduct in medical settings, why do women still lack the right to choose women consultants for examination and treatment? Charles Davey investigates
Reviewed by Daniel Barnett
James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain until 27 September Rothko in Florence at Palazzo Strozzi until 23 August Reviewed by Stephen Cragg KC
