Nominations have now opened for the first Bar Council Employed
Bar Awards, which will recognise the vital contribution of
barristers working in-house in the public, private and third
sectors.
The brainchild of the Bar Council and its Employed Barristers
Committee, the awards are to be held at the Tower of London at a
gala dinner on 30 June 2017.
Andrew Langdon QC, Chairman of the Bar, said:
"There are many awards open to those of us at the self-employed Bar
but few specifically for the employed Bar. I take the view that
employed barristers are an asset to the Bar. They are prized, among
other things, for the independent advice they give to their
employers and for meeting the challenge of maintaining their
professional independence. The employed Bar is a vibrant and
influential voice, not just within the profession, but also within
law firms, in businesses across a range of sectors, and right
across the NGO and third sector. These are the barristers who could
be the next chief executives, are leading government department
legal teams or are even the 'go to' person for the armed forces in
the intensity of military conflict. The awards are to acknowledge
the success of employed barristers."
Lucinda Orr, Chair of the Bar Council Employed Barristers'
Committee, said: "The inaugural Employed Bar Awards have
been inspired by the employed Bar's responses in the Employed Bar Survey conducted last autumn.
They are intended to celebrate the successes and to recognise the
diverse achievements of employed barristers. It is also a fantastic
opportunity for the employed Bar's talents to be showcased not only
to other employed barristers, but also to the wider Bar and legal
profession.
"The awards are a clear indication that the Bar Council, as the
representative body for all barristers in England & Wales, is
interested in the achievements of the employed Bar."
There are currently approximately 3000 employed barristers in
England & Wales.
Nominations are now open for the awards covering the following
categories:
Employed barrister of the year
Young employed barrister of the year
Outstanding achievement by a public service barrister
Outstanding achievement by a barrister in a corporate organisation or solicitors' firm (sponsored by BACFI)
Employed advocate of the year, and
Outstanding performance by a HM forces barrister (three separate award categories)
Further details of the awards, including entry criteria for each category, can be found here. Nomination forms can be completed here. The deadline for entries is 28 April 2017.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Further information is available from the Bar Council Press Office on 020 7222 2525 and [email protected].
The Bar Council represents barristers in England and Wales. It promotes:
The Bar's high quality specialist advocacy and advisory services
Fair access to justice for all
The highest standards of ethics, equality and diversity across the profession, and
The development of business opportunities for barristers at home and abroad.
The General Council of the Bar is the Approved Regulator of the Bar of England and Wales. It discharges its regulatory functions through the independent Bar Standards Board