Join us for our annual conference

There will be something for everyone at the Annual Bar and Young Bar Conference, which will take place from Wednesday 23 November to Saturday 26 November, both online and in person in London.

The programme is full of fantastic speakers on issues from threats to the rule of law and secret courts to retention at the Bar and culture change.

Please join us for our flagship event.

Find out more about conference themes and speakers

View the full programme and book tickets

Pro Bono week

Looking ahead to Pro Bono Week next month from Friday 4 to Friday 11 November, there are lots of events and activities planned.   

To help raise the profile of pro bono work, we want to hear from barristers and chambers who have examples of legal wins and successful pro bono cases that have achieved positive ramifications for society. We are also keen to hear from barristers and chambers about their plans and activities for the week of action.

Advocate are also asking chambers to consider running in-house seminars as part of the week and have produced a how-to guide.

Email the Bar Council about your pro bono successes and planned events: ?subject=Pro%20Bono%20success%20story

Browse the Pro Bono Week website and events calendar

Download the Advocate guide

10,000 Black Interns

Could your chambers commit to hosting an intern for at least one week next summer as part of the 10,000 Black Interns programme? We're asking chambers to sign up to provide excellent legal work experience, paid at the Living Wage, to one or more candidates.

One participating chambers from last year said: "It has been a pleasure, and positive experience for us. Both of our interns are exceptional people."

The deadline is Monday 31 October.

Find out more and sign up via the Bar Council website 

Congratulations to our newly elected Bar Council members

This year we had a record number of people standing for election to the Bar Council and a high number of votes. Thank you to everyone who stood for election and voted, and congratulations to all those who were elected across the five categories.

All of our newly elected members will take up their posts in January 2023 to serve a three-year term (unless otherwise specified). You can see the full list of successful candidates on our website.

See the full list of newly elected Bar Council members

Cybersecurity awareness month: download the questionnaire

October is cybersecurity awareness month. We know that chambers often receive many different cybersecurity questionnaires from solicitors’ firms so the Bar Council has worked with the Law Society to produce a single common, standardised questionnaire for chambers and firms to use.

This tool should be used to ensure your chambers has taken all possible care in protecting its data.

Having an agreed standardised solution eases the administrative burden on both chambers and law firms. The answers remain confidential between the parties, and we recommend answers are checked every six months to ensure the questionnaire is up to date.

Download the Bar Council and Law Society cybersecurity questionnaire

Blogs

Tackling bullying at the Bar: The Bar Council's approach

Sam Mercer, Head of Equality and Diversity at the Bar Council, explains the guidance, support and resources aimed at tackling bullying and inappropriate behaviour at the Bar.

Read Sam's blog

Building a partnership with the Bar Association of Sri Lanka

The Bar Council hosted a delegation from Sri Lanka in September. The Bar Council’s International Project Officer Haylie Page writes about the Bar Association of Sri Lanka delegation's visit to the UK.

Read Haylie's blog

From Kyiv to the high court: an interview with Valeriia Lada

When Valeriia Lada first arrived in London for her internship at Church Court Chambers, it was the first time she’d set foot in the UK.

Read Valeriia's blog

Pro Bono Connect: new dimensions to pro bono collaboration

Barrister Eleanor Campbell explains how Pro Bono Connect enables litigants to be represented in the same way as fee-paying clients.

Read Eleanor's blog

Key Black figures in Britain's history

British history belongs to us all. We all need to understand the whole of our history and the part that each section of society has played, says First Tier Tribunal Judge Munonyedi in a Black History Month guest blog for the Bar Council.

Read Judge Munonyedi's blog

Resources

Events

Vacancies