Name: Matthew Hill Chambers: 1 Crown Office Row Location: London University: University of Oxford Undergraduate degree: History
cases and decisions that are equally important to the individuals concerned going on up and down the country every week. These issues are not just for lawyers to consider; they go beyond technical law and into the ethics of how we organise our society.” Human element Medical cases are sensitive and demanding, but Matthew says that they are also professionally and personally rewarding. “The highlight of my time at the Bar so far was a major clinical negligence claim that I worked on in a junior capacity,” he recalls. “The case sadly involved a young man who had cerebral palsy as a result of a catastrophic injury at birth. The mother had done a phenomenal job of looking after her son for 17 years, with very little state support. We were able to agree a settlement with the relevant NHS authority after it admitted negligence in the case. That settlement ensured that the client would be provided with care and all necessary facilities for the rest of his life. Walking away from the court after saying goodbye to the mother, it was extraordinary to think how the outcome of the case had utterly changed her and her son’s lives for the better.. As a common law barrister, you encounter legal and ethical issues that are of profound significance to the lives of the individuals concerned. It can be deeply frustrating, but also immeasurably rewarding. One of the reasons that I like common law is that it is about people.” It is also about the best interests of the clients, rather than the kudos of courtroom victory. “It’s not just about winning or losing,” Matthew explains. “Litigation is often very distressing for both parties. Sometimes the best way is to come to a sensible and fair solution through an out-of-court settlement – helping to facilitate this as your client’s counsel is an important part of the job.”
life: “Barristers are essentially self-employed, so we are theoretically able to set our own hours and control our destinies, but the reality is that you have to work bloody hard – particularly at the start while you’re building up a practice. But barristers aren’t alone in having to sacrifice time with their families and we shouldn’t complain too much. Throughout London, cleaners arrive at offices as the lawyers leave and I’m sure that they would like to spend more time with their loved ones, too.” Money worries One issue that really does concern Matthew is the levels of debt with which students are now leaving university, something he fears may prevent a lot of people from accessing the Bar. “When I was student in the late 1990s, I was very fortunate that my debt was relatively low – I was able to graduate, get a job and come to the Bar later without excessive financial difficulty. I’m concerned that people leaving university with £40,000 of debt will be put off the Bar, especially when they consider the extra £18,000 it costs to go through Bar school. Various chambers, including ours, and the Inns have put in huge amounts of effort making substantial progress towards an open Bar, but our efforts risk being completely overshadowed. It’s also easy to suspect that the BPTC providers are happy to ‘oversupply’ the market, charging young people a lot of money when many of them will not go on to get a job.” For those still undeterred, Matthew has some advice: “Be realistic – that doesn’t mean give up, but you have to consider seriously your job prospects at the end of all that expensive training. You should also consider whether you will be good at advocacy and whether you will enjoy it – it’s important to identify weaknesses and work hard on improving them. Contrary to the stereotype, the best barristers are the humble ones, who pick up lessons from every court appearance and every conference.”
One downside of the Bar is that work commitments can impact on your personal
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