Types of chambers
There are many different kinds of chambers, and where you train has a significant influence on your career, as the style, size and clientele of each will vary. Consider the following broad categories to establish which type of set might best match your career goals and working style.
commercial sets pay pupils handsomely (a few of them up to £60,000) and usually allow some funds to be accessed during law school. Your academic and other credentials must be impeccable to pass muster here: look at the biographies of junior members of a set for guidance on what its recruiters are looking for. For a profile of a barrister who is part of a commercial set, see Robert Ward of Quadrant Chambers in the ‘ Commercial ’ chapter. Public law sets Public law can take many forms, from conflicts over EU legislation to planning appeals, from individuals’ entitlement to community care to international extradition. While the same is also true of the commercial Bar, it sometimes surprises pupils how little time they spend in court compared to their peers in common law or crime sets. Check each set’s website to see what its pupillage programme entails and the size of the pupillage award; the best will match the awards of the top commercial sets. For a profile of a barrister who is part of a public law set, see Hugh Southey QC of Matrix Chambers in the ‘ Public ’ chapter. Common law sets If you are seeking a wide-ranging pupillage with ample court time and a chance to earn your own fees during the second six, then the common lawBar will suit you well. You can cut your advocacy teeth on simple ‘infant settlements’ (approving a compensation award to a minor); ‘winders’ (securing a winding- up order in an insolvency case); charging orders and fast-track personal injury claims. Personal injury is a staple at common law sets, but beyond this you will be exposed to a multitude of legal problems, including some small commercial disputes and possibly even criminal cases. Confidence, flexibility and an all-zone Oyster card are essential. Your schedule will become unpredictable, and you must always be ready to charm and impress the
Central London Commercial sets
Just as the solicitors’ profession has a ‘magic circle’ of law firms, so too does London’s commercial Bar. While the precise composition of this elite group may be up for debate, Brick Court Chambers, Essex Court Chambers, One Essex Court, Fountain Court and Blackstone Chambers would all qualify for inclusion. What is beyond doubt is that there are many highly successful barristers’ chambers in Central London – a large proportion of them concentrated in and around the four Inns of Court. Barristers tend to be very familiar with their peers and rivals, as they regularly compete with them for work or square off across the courtroom. Even within a specialist area, sets will have a particular reputation, or their size and style will mark them out from others. A good example is construction law, which has two acknowledged frontrunners: Keating Chambers and Atkin Chambers. Keating is bigger and probably acts for construction companies more often in disputes. Atkin is smaller; its reputation is more closely associated with representing parties in dispute with construction companies, and some suggest that it has more of an academic bent than Keating. As you get closer to making a decision about your pupillage applications, insight like this becomes important. There are multiple areas of specialisation, even within the commercial Bar itself: commercial contract disputes, banking and finance, shipping and international trade, tax, intellectual property, professional negligence… the list goes on. Some of the top
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