Unit 1. Worksheet 4.

Barrister.

A. ORGANISATION.
Sylvia Garrison, a practising barrister, is describing the training and organisation of the profession. “There are
currently around 9.000 barrister in practice in England and Wales. Unlike solicitors, barristers can’t form
partnerships but must act as sole traders with unlimited liability. Some barristers are in employed practice and
may only represent their employer, for example as in-house counsel or in government departments like the Crown
Prosecution Service. Many work independently in self-employed practice in groups called chambers or sets and
practise at the Bar as a barrister. Chambers are traditionally located in the four Inns of Court in London -Gray’s
Inn, Lincoln’s Inn, Middle Temple, and Inner Temple – and are also located in the UK regions, known as circuits.
The Inns are principally non-academic societies which provide collegiate and educational resources for barristers
and trainees. Member of chambers, known as tenants, share common expenses and support services, which are
administered by an administrative manager known as the clerk, along with ancillary staff such as secretaries.
A barrister’s main work is to provide representation in the courts, where they are referred to as counsel, to draft
documents associated with court procedure, and to give opinions, that is, specialist legal advice. They are normally
instructed by solicitors or other recognised professionals, such as patent agents or Legal Advice Centres, on behalf
of lay clients. As the law has become more complex, barrister increasingly specialise in particular areas, such as
personal injury, crime, family or commercial law. A number of Specialist Bar associations, also known as SBAs,
support and represent members, Barristers are governed by the General Council of Bar, known as the Bar Council,
and the Inns of Court.

BrE: chamber/set; ScotE; stable

BrE: barrister; scotE: advocate: AmE: trial lawyer / appellate attorney

B. TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS OF PRACTISING BARRISTERS.

“Intending barristers need a qualifying law degree, for example a Bachelor of laws, also known as LLB. However,
many students graduate in a non-law subject and undertake a one-year conversion course known as Postgraduate
Diploma in Law, or DGI., The student barrister then applies to join one of the Inns of Court to study for the Bar
Vocational Course, or BVC. It´s also mandatory for students to keep terms, which means dining at their Inn a fixed
number of times, before they can be called to the Bar, that is, qualify as a Barrister. Then, the new barrister faces
intense competition to obtain a funded pupillage in chambers for twelve months in order to get practical training.
All applicants are advised first to do a mini-pupillage of one or two weeks to get some insight into what being a
pupil is like. Pupillage, known as devilling in Scotland, is divided into two parts – a non-practicing six months
when pupils shadow their pupil master, an experienced barrister, by observing professional activities, and the
second, practicing six month when pupils, with their supervisors’ permission, can undertake to supply legal
services and exercises right of audience, in other words, speak in court. To gain a full qualification certificate pupils
must learn the rules of conduct and etiquette at the Bar, learn to prepare and present a case competently, learn
to draft pleadings and opinions, have advocacy training, and pass forensic accountancy course which covers the
use of financial information in litigation. If successful at the end of the twelve months, the qualified barrister
applies for a tenancy in chambers. When a junior barrister has practised at the Bar for 10 to 15 years, it’s possible
to apply to become a senior barrister, or Queen’s Counsel (QC), whose work concentrates on court appearances,
advocacy, and opinion”.
 I. MATCH THE TWO PARTS OF THE DEFINITIONS. LOOK AT A OPPOSITE TO HELP YOU.

1. Someone who works for his or herself is a) ___ provide representation.

2. If you speak on behalf of clients in court, you b) ___ lay clients.
3. Non-professional clients are known as c) ___ self-employed/ a sole trader.
4. Barrister working solely for company are called d) ___ instructed.
5. The governing authorities of barrister are e) ___ in-house.
6. When a solicitor gives a barrister the details f) ___ practice at the Bar
the details of case, the barrister is…
7. When you work as a barrister you g) ___ the Bar council and the Inns of Court.

II. Complete the extracts from a trainee barrister describing her professional life. Look at A and B
opposite to help you. There is more than one possibility for two of the answers.
Conversion course – chambers – senior Barrister – pupillages – tenancy – exercise (or practice) – documents (or
pleading or opinion) – advocacy – shadow – right of audience – pupil master – Bar Vocational Course

I took a first degree in Modern History. Then, I did the (1) ______________ ________________ in law at city
university, which was much harder, Then, I did the (2) ______ ___________________ __________ at the Inns of
Court School of Law.

Most days I’d expect to be present in (3) _______________ from about 8:45 am to 7:00 pm working almost
throughout in my (4) __________ ________________‘s room. During that time my (5) ________his professional
life completely.

I generally look at papers when they first come in. I’m expected to be able to suggest how the case must be
approached. In a week a might draft a (6) ________________________, prepare notes for a conference with
clients, comments on drafts witness statements, and research legal points.

Although all (7) _________________ are for 12 months, if they think you have no prospect of finding a (8)
___________________ in the chambers, after 6 months you would be told discreet.

Chambers runs (9) ____________ training evenings to reduce the loss of opportunity to (10) ______________
_________________ _____ __________________ in court.

When I’ve practised for more than 10 years, I’d be interested in being appointed as a (11) ______________
________________, with a specialist area as employment law.