London or beyond?

Nearly one-third of practising barristers are employed outside London, although some of these work in annexes of large London chambers. In making a decision about where to practise, the main thing is to do mini-pupillages in chambers with contrasting locations, so that you can see some of the differences for yourself. You should take into account factors such as the higher cost of living in London. You will probably have to travel far and wide at the beginning of your career, wherever you settle down to live and work.

The court system of England and Wales is organised into six “circuits”: midland and Oxford, North Eastern, Northern, south Eastern (which includes London), Wales & Chester, and Western. There are associations of barristers attached to each circuit, which you may wish to join in due course. Circuits are also the focus for continuing education, social events and sporting occasions, as well as matters more legal.

Continuing Professional Training

In common with other professions, training for the Bar no longer finishes with pupillage. By the time anyone reading this brochure becomes a barrister, a compulsory system of continuing professional development for the three years following pupillage will be in place. This will cover: advocacy; case preparation and procedure; professional conduct and ethics; and accounting. Barristers will be required to plan their own training programmes, while the Bar Council will be responsible for monitoring their progress.