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With out-of-offices popping up across the inbox, we know that many in the profession are starting to take their well-earned breaks over the summer.
The science shows that taking time away from our working lives, to spend time with loved ones and enjoy hobbies, is good for our wellbeing as well as improving how we perform at work. Want to know more? Well, if you aren’t enticed to read The (now infamous) Salt Path, then here are eight recommendations for reading or listening to this summer on the topics of health, wellbeing and success.
Stressed? Relentless schedule? Barrister Bev Cripps has been through it all. She still practises crime, but has also trained in clinical hypnotherapy and coaching after several difficult life events led her to get her own coach. At 35 years’ call she published The Lazy Guide to Happy. In a recent article for this magazine, Bev wrote: ‘We don’t lack resilience at the Bar – we just misunderstand it. Real resilience isn’t about endurance. It’s about recovery, realignment and growth.’
Physical activity supports good wellbeing but want to know more about the science? Read Exercised: The Science of Physical Activity, Rest and Health by leading expert Daniel Lieberman.
Need practical tools and strategies to help you prioritise wellbeing and mental health? Listen to Kerry Lawlor from The Workplace Collective in Episode 173 of The Hearing: A Legal Podcast. Or tune in to Episode 167 to hear Kent Halkett, of the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services, discuss increasing mental health awareness through continuous professional development.
Statistics show that people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds experience poor mental health treatment in comparison to their White counterparts. Dr Samara Linton and Rianna Walcott have pulled together more than 75 voices to share their experiences in The Colour of Madness.
Why do we feel stress? And how does it impact us long term? Dr Richard Mackenzie and journalist Peter Walker investigate the answers to these questions and more in Stress Tested.
Myrna McCallum, an Indigenous (Métis-Cree) lawyer practising in British Columbia, is passionate about trauma-informed practice. Listen to ‘Retreat, Regulate and Repair’, Season 3: Episode 1 of The Trauma-Informed Lawyer in which Myrna and coach Dr Amar Dhall discuss urgency culture, education and reflective practice.
What can we learn from the police who are facing traumatic events earlier in the legal pipeline? In The Policing Mind: Developing Trauma Resilience for a New Era, Dr Jess Miller, former Director of Research of Police Care UK, explores techniques to build trauma resilience.
From the battlefield to the boardroom: in ‘Simon Jeffries: The Natural Edge’ the former Special Forces soldier shares his journey from the Royal Marines to starting a coaching company and what this taught him about the importance of mindset, reflection and resilience. Hear his story on Episode 53 of Peter Bell’s Purpose Made Podcast.
Got a recommendation? Email your review to msalkeld@barcouncil.org.uk
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With out-of-offices popping up across the inbox, we know that many in the profession are starting to take their well-earned breaks over the summer.
The science shows that taking time away from our working lives, to spend time with loved ones and enjoy hobbies, is good for our wellbeing as well as improving how we perform at work. Want to know more? Well, if you aren’t enticed to read The (now infamous) Salt Path, then here are eight recommendations for reading or listening to this summer on the topics of health, wellbeing and success.
Stressed? Relentless schedule? Barrister Bev Cripps has been through it all. She still practises crime, but has also trained in clinical hypnotherapy and coaching after several difficult life events led her to get her own coach. At 35 years’ call she published The Lazy Guide to Happy. In a recent article for this magazine, Bev wrote: ‘We don’t lack resilience at the Bar – we just misunderstand it. Real resilience isn’t about endurance. It’s about recovery, realignment and growth.’
Physical activity supports good wellbeing but want to know more about the science? Read Exercised: The Science of Physical Activity, Rest and Health by leading expert Daniel Lieberman.
Need practical tools and strategies to help you prioritise wellbeing and mental health? Listen to Kerry Lawlor from The Workplace Collective in Episode 173 of The Hearing: A Legal Podcast. Or tune in to Episode 167 to hear Kent Halkett, of the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services, discuss increasing mental health awareness through continuous professional development.
Statistics show that people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds experience poor mental health treatment in comparison to their White counterparts. Dr Samara Linton and Rianna Walcott have pulled together more than 75 voices to share their experiences in The Colour of Madness.
Why do we feel stress? And how does it impact us long term? Dr Richard Mackenzie and journalist Peter Walker investigate the answers to these questions and more in Stress Tested.
Myrna McCallum, an Indigenous (Métis-Cree) lawyer practising in British Columbia, is passionate about trauma-informed practice. Listen to ‘Retreat, Regulate and Repair’, Season 3: Episode 1 of The Trauma-Informed Lawyer in which Myrna and coach Dr Amar Dhall discuss urgency culture, education and reflective practice.
What can we learn from the police who are facing traumatic events earlier in the legal pipeline? In The Policing Mind: Developing Trauma Resilience for a New Era, Dr Jess Miller, former Director of Research of Police Care UK, explores techniques to build trauma resilience.
From the battlefield to the boardroom: in ‘Simon Jeffries: The Natural Edge’ the former Special Forces soldier shares his journey from the Royal Marines to starting a coaching company and what this taught him about the importance of mindset, reflection and resilience. Hear his story on Episode 53 of Peter Bell’s Purpose Made Podcast.
Got a recommendation? Email your review to msalkeld@barcouncil.org.uk
The Bar Council is ready to support a turn to the efficiencies that will make a difference
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the latest ONS data on drug misuse and its implications for toxicology testing in family law cases
An interview with Rob Wagg, CEO of New Park Court Chambers
What meaningful steps can you take in 2026 to advance your legal career? asks Thomas Cowan of St Pauls Chambers
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, explains why drugs may appear in test results, despite the donor denying use of them
The appointments of 96 new King’s Counsel (also known as silk) are announced today
Ready for the new way to do tax returns? David Southern KC continues his series explaining the impact on barristers. In part 2, a worked example shows the specific practicalities of adapting to the new system
Resolution of the criminal justice crisis does not lie in reheating old ideas that have been roundly rejected before, say Ed Vickers KC, Faras Baloch and Katie Bacon
With pupillage application season under way, Laura Wright reflects on her route to ‘tech barrister’ and offers advice for those aiming at a career at the Bar
Jury-less trial proposals threaten fairness, legitimacy and democracy without ending the backlog, writes Professor Cheryl Thomas KC (Hon), the UK’s leading expert on juries, judges and courts
