4 Who can become a barrister?
Look at the pictures of some well-known barristers below. How many can you identify?
Click on each picture to reveal who they are.
In the past, as with many professions, the barristers’ profession was largely dominated by white, privately educated males. However, in recent years a lot of effort has been made to encourage more diversity and social mobility. This means that now anyone can become a barrister – with the right qualifications and training.
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It is very important that barristers are made up of a diverse group of women and men from all parts of British society because they also go on to become most of the Queen’s Counsel and judges. The Bar Council has social mobility advocates [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] , who are working to promote greater diversity.
The Inner Temple offers regular Discovery Days and Insight Events for school students interested in becoming a barrister. It also (together with partner chambers) runs the Pegasus Access and Support Scheme (PASS) to help university students from under-represented backgrounds to obtain relevant work experience and other support. More details on all of these events can be found on the Inner Temple’s webpages.
Some of the important characteristics a barrister is likely to need include:
Good oral communication skills
You will need to be able to talk to clients, solicitors, judges and many others. You are also likely to be standing up in court and speaking, so enjoying public speaking is important.
Good written communication skills
It is not just about oral communication, though. You will also need to be able to write clearly and accurately. This could involve putting complicated legal ideas into simple and straightforward language for clients and writing persuasive arguments in cases.
Research skills
From finding out what the law says on an issue, to investigating the best public transport to a court building, research is a big part of a barrister’s life. Much of it is done online, using legal databases and other useful sites. Being able to conduct research appropriately will enable you to find evidence to support the arguments you are making. It will also help you keep up-to-date with developments in the law.
Skills in reading and absorbing information
Barristers often have to read a lot of documents quickly. This could be for use in their arguments in court, to help give advice to a client, or to spot weaknesses in the other side’s case. This means it is important to be able to deal with large amounts of information, identifying the most relevant parts and understanding their value.
Analytical skills
Being able to analyse something means being able to break it into smaller parts and examine each part in detail. For example, with the statement ‘No vehicles on the grass’, you might ask what constitutes a vehicle (A car? A bicycle? A pushchair?). You might also ask whether the term ‘grass’ includes things like the neighbouring flower beds. As a barrister, when examining a client’s case, it is crucial to take this kind of detailed and questioning approach.
Determination and motivation
Becoming a barrister is not always easy. When you get there, you will also find new challenges ahead, including having to make connections to help you get work and sometimes working long hours, often into the evening and at weekends. This means it is essential to have the determination to succeed and the motivation to keep going.
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Watch this video, What are the key skills you need to be a good lawyer?, which highlights just how important some of these skills are.
If you are interested in reading more about the type of skills barristers need, you may find The Bar Standards Board’s Professional Statement for Barristers useful. This sets out the skills that barristers must be able to demonstrate before they can begin to work.
Skills audit
Choose two of the skills discussed above and think about an example of when you have demonstrated each of those skills. For example, for ‘good communication skills’ you might have spoken in a school assembly or written a letter to your local Member of Parliament.
Write a short summary of each example in the free text boxes below.
3 Life as a barrister