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Belle Turner reports on the recent YBS seminar “All Change? Or not? For the Young Bar”.
At this time of great change at the Bar there is some concern as to whether young barristers at a grassroots level are engaged with the potentially career-changing decisions that senior members of chambers may be taking on behalf of their members. There is no small irony that, as a young barrister in a set wishing to become a Legal Disciplinary Practice (“LDP”), for example, the senior members of chambers may profit considerably from the work of the juniors for many years before the juniors themselves benefit. There is a sense in many of the emails which I receive that this wasn’t what people signed up for.
At the same time, however, there is a widespread acknowledgment that the Bar, and in particular the publicly-funded Bar, must change/adapt to survive in the immediate future. And that the future right now is all about survival. Consequently, the Bar Council’s Young Barristers’ Committee (“YBC”) has been working to do what it can to ensure that the young Bar involves itself fully with the decisions that are being made and, if there are any areas in which it feels disenfranchised/concerned, these are raised not only within the set/firm in question but also at the Bar Council. It is vital that young barristers engage with discussions about future models for delivery of legal services and find out what it might mean for them if they are to feel they have chosen the way forward for their futures.
An informed debate
Accordingly the YBC hosted a seminar on 11 March 2010 entitled “All Change? Or not? For the Young Bar” to give barristers under ten years’ Call an opportunity to learn about and debate the new business structures and changes to ways of working that will become possible following the changes proposed by the Bar Standards Board (“BSB”) in the way in which barristers conduct their business. Presentations from Chairman of the Bar Nick Green QC and from Patricia Robertson QC, on behalf of the BSB, highlighted those changes and the options now open to chambers and to individuals about future ways of working. The YBC recognised the need for every effort to be made to ensure that the young Bar understands the changes that are presently under discussion and arranged for the seminar to be available via video links to Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool and Swansea.
Nick Green QC and Patricia Robertson QC shared the view in response that the new structures themselves are neutral in respect of the young Bar but there could be risks in their implementation, particularly regarding payment of proper fees and the nature of work to be undertaken by young practitioners. If they are right then the biggest challenges are within the detail of how any set operates under the new structures. What must not happen, therefore, is that within the decision-making that will be taking place over the coming months, members of the young Bar feel that there is only so much that they can say, or so far that they can put their heads above the parapet within chambers, if they have any fears or divergent views from the majority. Each set of chambers needs individually to ensure its more junior members are protected.
The critical issues
The main points arising from the seminar were:
Belle Turner is a barrister at 4 Paper Buildings and Chairman of the Young Barristers’ Committee.
At the same time, however, there is a widespread acknowledgment that the Bar, and in particular the publicly-funded Bar, must change/adapt to survive in the immediate future. And that the future right now is all about survival. Consequently, the Bar Council’s Young Barristers’ Committee (“YBC”) has been working to do what it can to ensure that the young Bar involves itself fully with the decisions that are being made and, if there are any areas in which it feels disenfranchised/concerned, these are raised not only within the set/firm in question but also at the Bar Council. It is vital that young barristers engage with discussions about future models for delivery of legal services and find out what it might mean for them if they are to feel they have chosen the way forward for their futures.
An informed debate
Accordingly the YBC hosted a seminar on 11 March 2010 entitled “All Change? Or not? For the Young Bar” to give barristers under ten years’ Call an opportunity to learn about and debate the new business structures and changes to ways of working that will become possible following the changes proposed by the Bar Standards Board (“BSB”) in the way in which barristers conduct their business. Presentations from Chairman of the Bar Nick Green QC and from Patricia Robertson QC, on behalf of the BSB, highlighted those changes and the options now open to chambers and to individuals about future ways of working. The YBC recognised the need for every effort to be made to ensure that the young Bar understands the changes that are presently under discussion and arranged for the seminar to be available via video links to Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool and Swansea.
Nick Green QC and Patricia Robertson QC shared the view in response that the new structures themselves are neutral in respect of the young Bar but there could be risks in their implementation, particularly regarding payment of proper fees and the nature of work to be undertaken by young practitioners. If they are right then the biggest challenges are within the detail of how any set operates under the new structures. What must not happen, therefore, is that within the decision-making that will be taking place over the coming months, members of the young Bar feel that there is only so much that they can say, or so far that they can put their heads above the parapet within chambers, if they have any fears or divergent views from the majority. Each set of chambers needs individually to ensure its more junior members are protected.
The critical issues
The main points arising from the seminar were:
Belle Turner is a barrister at 4 Paper Buildings and Chairman of the Young Barristers’ Committee.
Belle Turner reports on the recent YBS seminar “All Change? Or not? For the Young Bar”.
At this time of great change at the Bar there is some concern as to whether young barristers at a grassroots level are engaged with the potentially career-changing decisions that senior members of chambers may be taking on behalf of their members. There is no small irony that, as a young barrister in a set wishing to become a Legal Disciplinary Practice (“LDP”), for example, the senior members of chambers may profit considerably from the work of the juniors for many years before the juniors themselves benefit. There is a sense in many of the emails which I receive that this wasn’t what people signed up for.
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