Pupil Survey 2024

This year’s survey incorporated pupils’ experience in 2023, exploring any changes in the last two years to the experiences of this key group of the profession

  • 12 March 2024
  • Report

Pupillage Gateway Report 2024

The report uses data from the Pupillage Gateway, a recruitment portal owned by the Bar Council and used to advertise vacancies and recruit aspiring barristers for pupillage at the Bar

  • 22 February 2024
  • Report

Bullying, harassment and discrimination at the Bar 2023

The report draws on data from Barristers' Working Lives 2023 and Talk to Spot

  • 7 December 2023
  • Report

Gross earnings by sex and practice area at the self-employed Bar 2023

Analysis of gross earnings declared by the self-employed Bar during the authorisation to practise process in 2023 by sex and practice area

  • 31 October 2023
  • Report

Starting at the Bar: your essential guide (2023)

Written by the The Bar Council’s Young Barristers' Committee (YBC) , this guide offers answers to your questions and signposts to a vast array of resources.

  • 14 September 2023
  • Brochure

Bar Council Annual Report 2022 2023

  • 29 August 2023
  • Report

List of defaulting solicitors

The Bar Council list of defaulting solicitors and other authorised persons.

  • 12 May 2023
  • Guidance

Life at the Employed Bar report February 2023

The Life at the Employed Bar February 2023 report analyses data on the demographics and working lives of employed barristers in England and Wales, as well as describing their experiences of working in employed settings through a series of focus group discussions.

  • 8 February 2023
  • Report

Race at the Bar progress report November 2022

This short report includes an update on pupillage and silk appointments by ethnicity for 2022 and a summary of race-based activity across the Bar in the past year. 

  • 30 November 2022
  • Report

Access Denied: The state of the justice system in England and Wales in 2022

This November 2022 report blends key statistics and powerful testimony to show the scale of the challenges faced and describes the trends and issues that are most acute in our justice system today.

  • 16 November 2022
  • Report

Barrister earnings by sex and practice area - 2022 update

This 2022 report update shares what’s happened to earnings at the self-employed Bar over the last year and show where differences between men’s and women’s earnings have reduced, and where the differences have grown.

  • 24 October 2022
  • Report

Pupillage Gateway Report 2022

Analysis of pupillage data: guidance for candidates and AETOs

  • 17 October 2022
  • Report

Becoming a barrister brochure

This brochure introduces you to life as a barrister - one of the most dynamic and challenging careers available.

  • 5 October 2022
  • Guidance

Government legal panels: an analysis of membership by ethnicity and sex

The Bar Council is committed to improving diversity across the profession. Over 3,000 barristers (24 per cent of the self-employed Bar) sit on one of the government panels featured in this report. Panel membership provides for a source of high-quality work for the Bar, so it is important we monitor who gets onto different panels, and who gets the best work on those panels.

  • 26 September 2022
  • Report

Barristers in international arbitration brochure 2022

Key features of international arbitration – the challenges and opportunities it presents to disputing parties and their legal advisers; The advantages which barristers bring to international arbitration; Services provided by barristers in international arbitration; and How to involve a barrister to assist in an international arbitration.

  • 23 June 2022
  • Brochure

Mentoring at the Bar guide

Download our guide - for establishing good mentor relationships at the Bar.

  • 30 May 2022
  • Guidance

Bar Council data analysis criminal Bar April 2022

Research from 2020-21 relating to barristers who earned some fee income from publicly funded criminal work during this time.

  • 8 April 2022
  • Research

Pupils survey report March 2022

Report summary of our second annual survey of pupils that took place in February 2022.

  • 30 March 2022
  • Report

Cybersecurity questionnaire by the Law Society and Bar Council

The cybersecurity questionnaire is a tool for chambers to review information security measures. 

  • 23 March 2022
  • Guidance

Life at the Young Bar report

The Young Bar is the future of the profession. In this report, we present a snapshot of life at the Young Bar in 2021.

  • 26 January 2022
  • Report

Starting at the Bar: your essential guide

Written by the The Bar Council’s Young Barristers' Committee (YBC) , this guide offers answers to your questions and signposts to a vast array of resources.

  • 20 January 2022
  • Guidance

Wellbeing at the Bar Working Group Response Wellbeing Research 2021

Wellbeing at the Bar working group response to 2021 wellbeing survey findings

  • 15 November 2021
  • Report

Working Lives 2021 wellbeing analysis

A report on the condition of barristers' wellbeing in 2021

  • 15 November 2021
  • Report

Race at the Bar Report 2021

The Bar Council’s Race Working Group's 2021 report addressing inequality at the Bar and proposing a series of recommendations for action.

  • 8 November 2021
  • Report

Bar Council Spending Review submission 2021

Recommendations for the Chancellor's 2021 Spending Review

  • 4 October 2021
  • Guidance

Barristers Working Lives report 2021

The 2021 survey of barristers' working lives was designed to explore the lived experience of working as a barrister in 2021.

  • 29 September 2021
  • Report

Pupillage Gateway report 2021

Analysis of pupillage data: guidance for candidates and AETOs

  • 29 September 2021
  • Report

Barrister earnings data by sex and practice area report 2021

Key findings in the differences in average earnings by practice, area and the trends for earnings over the last 20 years.

  • 29 September 2021
  • Report

Barristers in the International Legal Market 2021

The Barristers in the International Legal Market publication highlights the strong reputation held by the Bar of England and Wales across the globe, and the breadth of services which the Bar can offer international clients across all areas of practice. The brochure explains how prospective clients can instruct a barrister and features a list of chambers currently offering international legal services.

  • 25 July 2021
  • Brochure

Roadmap for Returning to Chambers

Guidance and a template risk assessment for returning to work in chambers

  • 2 June 2021
  • Guidance

Running on Empty - Civil Legal Aid Report

The Bar Council looks at civil legal aid practice, documenting the policy challenges and working circumstances of this type of publicly funded work.

  • 14 January 2021
  • Research

Transition FAQs - Part II Case Management

  • 17 November 2020
  • Guidance

The Bar Council Pupillage Fair 2020 programme

Download the Pupillage Fair 2020 event programme

  • 14 October 2020
  • Brochure

Small Change for Justice report 2020

  • 16 July 2020
  • Guidance

Sitting days - HMCTS correspondence with Chair of the Bar Council

HMCTS CEO assures Chair of the Bar Council that Recorders are not at risk over sitting days

  • 13 February 2020
  • Report

Annual Report 2019

  • 30 April 2019
  • Report

Financial Statement 31 March 2019

  • 1 April 2019
  • Report

Becoming a Barrister 2019

  • 1 January 2019
  • Guidance

Mutual Recognition Brexit paper

  • 1 January 2019
  • Report

Environmental Law Brexit paper

  • 1 January 2019
  • Report

Financial Services Brexit Paper

  • 1 January 2019
  • Report

Building and managing your practice A-Z

This toolkit covers some of the most common queries asked about developing your practice at the young Bar and is divided into two sections.

  • 1 January 2019
  • Guidance

Pro bono opportunities

View our list of Pro bono schemes and opportunities available to barristers.

  • 1 January 2019
  • Guidance

Financial affairs accounting and tax A-Z

This toolkit is designed for barristers, including pupils, in the early years of practice.

  • 1 January 2019
  • Guidance

UK Bilateral Law Associations

View a list of UK bilateral Law Associations which can provide good networking and speaking opportunities

  • 1 January 2019
  • Guidance

Chambers Social Responsibility (CSR) infographic

See the basic information on CSR

  • 1 January 2019
  • Guidance

Employed Bar A-Z toolkit

A useful A-Z toolkit for employed barristers

  • 1 January 2019
  • Guidance

Guide to Pro Bono

Read the Guide to Pro Bono: Free Legal Advice in England and Wales, published by the Bar Council in partnership with the Law Society and CILEx.

  • 1 January 2019
  • Guidance

Employment Law Brexit paper

  • 1 January 2019
  • Report

Chambers Social Responsibility Guide

See the purpose of social responsibility and how it applies to chambers.

  • 2 July 2018
  • Guidance

Licensed Access Guidance

Guidance on instructing a barrister through Licensed Access

  • 2 April 2018
  • Guidance

Financial Statement 31 March 2018

  • 1 April 2018
  • Report

Working Lives 2017: harassment and bullying

This report focuses specifically on survey findings related to perceptions of harassment or bullying and discrimination.

  • 22 January 2018
  • Research

Financial Statement 2017

  • 1 January 2018
  • Report

Executive Summary 2016

  • 31 January 2017
  • Report

Annual Report 2016

  • 2 January 2017
  • Report

Financial Statement 2016

  • 2 January 2017
  • Report

Snapshot Report: The Experience of Employed Barristers at the Bar

This 2016 Snapshot survey and report of the experience of employed barristers at the Bar forms an important part of the work we do to ensure that we understand the needs of the different strands that make up the One Bar.

  • 1 January 2016
  • Report

25 September 2015 AGM minutes

  • 25 September 2015
  • Report

Momentum Measures

Momentum Measures looks at data sets to establish when we might see gender and race parity

  • 1 June 2015
  • Guidance

Financial Statement 2014 -15

  • 30 April 2015
  • Report

Financial Statement 2014-15

  • 30 April 2015
  • Report

Financial Statement 31 March 2015

  • 31 March 2015
  • Report

8 December 2014 Bar Council minutes

  • 8 December 2014
  • Report

20 September 2014 AGM minutes

  • 22 September 2014
  • Report

Annual Report 2013

  • 1 January 2014
  • Report

26 October 2013 minutes

  • 26 October 2013
  • Report

Financial Statement 2012-13

  • 30 April 2013
  • Report

Annual Report 2011-2012

  • 2 January 2012
  • Report

Annual Report and Accounts 2011-2012

  • 2 January 2012
  • Report

12 June 2010 AGM agenda

  • 14 June 2010
  • Report