by
Ryan Clement, barrister
I am often asked, what is life like at the Bar and I am always more than happy to take time to answer and, if I am asked with the obvious aim or intention of the inquirer’s considering a career in this part of the legal profession, I encourage. It is much better than what I had available 30 years ago. I had and knew no one to approach. Or, better still, no one whom I knew who was approachable or perceived to be as such.
Many years ago I wrote an article titled, ‘How many make it to the Bar?’ – August 2014 Barrister Focus,‘YOUNG LAWYER’ from Solicitors Journal, p13. Although some of the data (and language – I refrain from using the term, ‘BEM,’ or, ‘BAME,’ in my writings today) has since been superseded, the message remains:
“According to the Bar Council’s statistics, of all practising barristers in 2010 (15,387) 10.2 per cent were BME.
Compared with the 2011 census, which recorded that 14 per cent of the population were BME, the Council’s 2010 10.2 per cent figure purports an under-representation. However, one can interpret statistics to support the case it chooses to advance. For example, the above comparison does not take into account regional variations.
Nevertheless, notwithstanding the above comparison, the real question that needs answering is, of those who completed the academic stage of their studies (law degree or graduate diploma in law (GDL)), how many made the transition to practise at the Bar and, if not, why not? If the answer is ‘I have chosen not to because I am not a typical barrister,’ I say think again.
I entered the Bar in 1996 after working in construction management and have as diverse an entry to the profession as most. I completed the GDL on the back of my BSc in Surveying. Having worked in a previous profession and embarking on diverse mini-pupillages undoubtedly helped this transition. This diversity enabled me to attract and be attracted to a wider representation of potential and actual clients.
Many professions, accountancy, surveying, medical, teaching etc., appear to be diversely represented and avoid being perceived as otherwise. It would be a failure of the Bar if some had reason to perceive that barristers were not as diverse in many aspects, be it on gender, race, or university attended, as the public to whom they offer their services.”
Depending on your practice, a barrister could be in court almost exclusively such as my Learned Friends at the Criminal Bar or less so at the Civil Bar. As for me, as a Civil law barrister, I have a mixture of being both in court all over the country and advise and draft pleadings extensively that form part of my written work. In my case, that would involve plenty of travelling for court appearances, although hearings being heard over video links have been a blessing by easing the extent of travelling. I remember the days of having to travel 200-300 miles for a 1-2 hours preliminary hearing. Post-2020, such are rare, few and far between. Above all this, it goes without saying that one must be a quick reader, digest and analyse facts quickly, be prepared to read volumes, prepare thoroughly and to be willing to work hard and fight your client’s case ferociously irrespective of your personal views.
A career at the Bar is and can be very rewarding in knowing that you have and can make a real and significant difference to someone’s life. So, if you feel it is a profession for you, NEVER let anyone dissuade you from pursuing your career where you, too, could one day also sign up to making a real and or significant difference to someone’s life.
Ryan Clement, LLM, BA, BSc, FRSA barrister
Copyright © Ryan Clement 2023
Ryan Clement 