It’s been a busy few months for the Bar Pro Bono Unit. This month’s Pro Bono Watch celebrates the launch of Pro Bono Champions and announces the expansion of the Bar Pro Bono Awards
As funding, wellbeing and retention crises hit the publicly funded Bar where it hurts, Frances Judd QC and Stephen Knight are candid on pain points and turn arounds
Grania Langdon-Down meets Baroness Blackstone who brings a reputation for blunt speaking from her formidable 50 year-plus career in education, politics and public service to her new role as chair of the Bar Standards Board
David Wurtzel talks to former Chair of the Parole Board Nick Hardwick about his career, the Worboys case and events leading up to his resignation
BME barristers are disproportionately represented throughout the complaints process and more likely to have complaints upheld. Desiree Artesi investigates
Is the chambers model fit for the 21st century? Robin Jackson reviews The Independent Bar, a book offering a best practice blueprint for how a set of chambers works – or should work – in today’s competitive legal world
Dites donc, allez Paris! write Jim Duffy and Pauline Tubiana as applications open for this year’s junior Bar exchange
Kerim Fuad QC briefs readers on the background to action at what many see as the tipping point in discussions about a broken criminal justice system
A clinic providing specialist pro bono legal advice on immigration law opened its doors in January 2018. Samantha Knights QC, one of the working group behind the University of Exeter’s latest community law clinic, explains how it came about
Jess Campbell explains how pro bono can help pupils find their feet; introduces the first set of Pro Bono Patrons; and celebrates the chambers already signed up to raise vital funds in this year’s London Legal Walk
Isle of Man
Applications are invited for the appointment of His Majesty’s Attorney General in the Isle of Man.
Chair of the Bar reports back
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
A £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs has been made to the leading UK charity tackling international parental child abduction and the movement of children across international borders
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, outlines the drug and alcohol testing options available for family law professionals, and how a new, free guide can help identify the most appropriate testing method for each specific case
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
A career shaped by advocacy beyond her practice, and the realities of living with an invisible disability Dr Natasha Shotunde, Black Barristers’ Network Co-Founder and its Chair for seven years, reflects on a decade at the Bar
The odds of success are as unforgiving as ever, but ambition clearly isn’t in short supply. David Wurtzel’s annual deep‑dive into the competition cohort shows who’s entering, who’s thriving and the trends that will define the next wave
Where to start and where to find help? Monisha Shah, Chair of the King’s Counsel Selection Panel, provides an overview of the silk selection process, debunking some myths along the way
Do chatbot providers owe a duty of care for negligent misstatements? Jasper Wong suggests that the principles applicable to humans should apply equally to machines
There is no typical day in the life as a Supreme Court judicial assistant, says Josephine Gillingwater, and that’s what makes the role so enjoyably diverse