Don’t let solicitors steal a march on the Bar. The time is ripe to monetise your knowledge, consolidate your reputation and start up your inner tech entrepreneur
Enthusiastically embraced by the young Bar for some years, now those more established in their careers are responding to opportunities the employed Bar can offer. Where to start? Here’s a practical guide to help you navigate the process by Sara George
What is it that brilliant influencers do to get people on their side? Try adopting techniques from the world of sales to read client personalities, influence decisions and get more – and better – briefs. By Gavin Presman
What to do if a grateful client offers you a holiday on their superyacht? A guide to your professional obligations
Should MPs be able to legislate contrary to the wishes of the government of the day? The Cooper Bill has raised fundamental questions over the relationship between law and politics in the United Kingdom
Citizenship-stripping: principled, random or opportunistic? The fall of ISIS and potential return to the UK of British citizens who left to fight under its banner confronts ministers with difficult and divisive issues
The draft Domestic Abuse Bill is dividing opinion. Initially hailed as a step-change, why is it now generating significant backlash? asks Christina Warner
Reports come thick and fast of crumbling courts and inhumane conditions whilst 50% of the magistrates’ court estate is sold off for luxe developments. If the Ministry of Justice won’t fix things, might localisation be the answer?
Law Rocks has become a force of nature and Keating Chambers has managed to field a group of fully fledged musicians spearheaded by an extraordinarily talented (and modest) frontman
UK
Details of the qualification requirements can be found in the information pack. It is expected that the successful applicant will take up their post in the spring of 2027.
The Chair of the Bar reports back
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
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, examines the forensic science underpinning hair drug testing, its evidential scope and limitations, and why it remains the gold standard for evidencing patterns of drug use in family proceedings
Developing a tech start-up demands a different definition of excellence to the Bar, says Saara Idelbi. The co-creator of Advocatr on entrepreneurship, AI advocacy training, and matching the thrill of a killer cross-examination
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
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