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 

  1. Further information is available from the Bar Council Press Office on 020 7222 2525 and [email protected].

  2. 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