Name: Gavin Bennison Chambers: Falcon Chambers Location: London University: University of Cambridge Degree: Geography and law
laptop, I would just have pen, paper andmy file”. As well as ensuring that the Bar remains up to date, Gavin talks about howcovid-19 affected his practice area and explains that “property lawhad to adapt fundamentally during the course of the pandemic, and the government is intervening all the time. It was crucial to stay abreast of the changes as they came in and to keep clients properly advised.” Foundations of becoming a successful lawyer Keeping on top of changes to the law is crucial for lawyers and aspiring lawyers, but Gavin has some additional advice for those entering the profession. As well as having strong analytical ability and legal research skills, in order to succeed in becoming a barrister practising in property lawhe encourages applicants to “maintain a general interest in property issues that aren’t necessarily legal – for example, understanding the housing situation andwhy property is expensive”. Despite the independent working that comes with being a barrister, it’s also important to have “very good client management skills to develop a practice – youmust be able to get onwith solicitors and understand their business and their clients’ business.” Finally, for budding barristers contemplating a career in property lawGavin suggests “trying to obtain amini-pupillage in a chambers whose members practise in real property, landlord and tenant or housing law so you can see what it’s like in practice; take any opportunities to volunteer with a housing-related charity or similar pro bono initiative; and think about what potentially relevant experiencemight be available to you – it may not be immediately apparent.”
to deal with. We settled at the start of the fourth hearing for a large sumof money. It felt good towin for people towhom it reallymatters because a lot of the time you’reworkingwith big companies. It was a high-stakes case because if we had lost, the landlordwould have probably made the tenants bankrupt to pay the costs of the claim. It was really oneway or the other – it was going to be life-changing in either a good or badway for my clients.” Investing in theBar It is no secret that the route to becoming a barrister is expensive and, whileGavin loves being self-employed, he understands that a career at the Bar is not financially viable for all aspiring lawyers, withmany being put off by the costs and the low legal aid rates. Considering the issues that the Bar is facing, Gavin says: “The professionmust push for it to be sustainably funded at the bottomend – particularly for criminal barristers and barristers who accept publicly funded instructions.” Gavin also observes that “the Bar is ageing.” He adds: “I read that the number of barristers under five years call, whichwould includeme, has fallen quite significantly over the past five to 10 years. The professionmust work out how to encouragemore talented people to consider becoming barristers.” As part of this, there is a real need to improve diversity: “Until chambers consider how they can appeal to all segments of society, including peoplewhomay come fromvery different backgrounds to their current members, they will not recruit the best talent. Coronavirus is also going tomake people’s exam results difficult to explain andwemust understand this.” Meanwhile, in light of covid-19, Gavin emphasises that the property Bar has had to do some catching up and “adapt to changes in court practices – for example, remoteworking and virtual hearings”. Before the pandemic forced the UK into lockdown, he says: “When I went to court I oftenwouldn’t even take a
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