Barristers are the specialist advocates and legal advisers of England and Wales — the people who argue cases in court, draft pleadings, and give expert opinions on difficult points of law. As a solicitor you will instruct them, work alongside them, and need to know precisely what they can and cannot do, how they qualify, and how a client reaches them. Understanding the Bar is part of understanding how legal work is actually delivered.
This lesson builds that picture step by step:
- The Profession and its Regulation — what barristers do, what a 'split' profession means, and how the Bar Standards Board and Bar Council differ.
- Becoming a Barrister — the academic, vocational and practical stages, what 'call to the Bar' confers, and the two periods of pupillage.
- Practising Certificate and Rights — the certificate that unlocks reserved activities, full rights of audience, and the separate right to conduct litigation.
- The Cab-Rank Rule and Direct Access — when a barrister must accept instructions, and how the public can instruct one directly.
- Employed Barristers, Fees and King's Counsel — the scope of employed practice, whether a barrister can sue for unpaid fees, and what sets a KC apart from a junior.