*/
One of my core memories from attending career seminars at the Bar is a quote from Baroness Kennedy who, when asked for the secret to longevity as a barrister, told the assembled audience: ‘Never be afraid to reinvent yourself.’ Of course, what that means can look very different for each individual. Sometimes, it can mean pivoting mid-career, or even later, into a practice area which has not been in your stable but may for a variety of reasons have become attractive to you.
A practice area which suited a barrister when they were starting out can become more challenging as their own family circumstances change and mature. Changes can also be driven by geography, the market or financial considerations. Too often, continuing in the same area of work can feel impossible and as if it no longer ‘fits’ with the life that we want for ourselves and our families. For too many, the answer appears to lie in leaving the profession completely. Figures published in 2022 by the Bar Council show that for those who started their careers between 2002 and 2007, around 20% of men left practice before 15 years, with the attrition rate even greater for women at around 27% .*
This is one of the issues that the Middle Temple Talent Retention Scheme aims to address. It provides support to those either returning from time out of practice, or switching practice areas, which is the focus of this article.
How then, can an established practitioner go about changing areas of specialism after 10 plus years of building a reputation, knowledge and skills in one area? It is absolutely normal to approach such a shift with trepidation. Practitioners may feel fearful that they won’t be taken seriously, or that they will flounder when having to go back to basics in a new area. However, the advice and experiences described by those who have made the leap show that it is entirely achievable and can provide an invaluable ‘second act’ in a career which might otherwise have seemed to be unsustainable.
To assist those who may feel at a crossroads, this article draws together advice from practitioners, a senior clerk and a professional career coach with experience of working with counsel in this situation. The following top tips emerged from their collective experience.
Core Duty 7 of the Code of Conduct requires us to provide a competent standard of work and service to each client. This includes not taking work on which is outside our competency, or ceasing to act if it becomes clear that a case has moved beyond a level in which we are competent. It is vital, therefore, that the basics are covered and expertise is acquired before anyone simply decides to accept instructions.
This can include shadowing colleagues, attending training and observing hearings, for example, in those fields where transparency permits us to do so.
While no pupillage style training is required, spending time with practitioners who work in your new area and requesting to shadow them is invaluable, even if they are much more junior than yourself. It can be humbling to go back to basics and admit that you don’t know everything, but learning new skills requires an acceptance that you are in some ways starting over.
Laying the groundwork and getting to understand any new market is key. This can involve attending training events, networking with the team you are looking to join and following new accounts on social media.
‘Success leaves clues,’ advises Leigh Royall, a senior clerk, ‘so look at the online profiles of the leading practitioners in the area of practice you are looking at developing; rankings in the legal directories are a great place to start. What associations do those individuals play a part in, or are members of? Newsletters in the new area and networking events are also valuable… get signed-up!’
Leigh emphasises the support that can be achieved through clear communication with your clerks: ‘If chambers already does this area of work, the market knowledge of your clerks room, in supporting your transition to/development of a new area, is a gold mine. Your clerks will help signpost your journey to discovering who’s who in the market and will save a lot of effort and energy on developing that knowledge.’
Jeremy Lindsay, who successfully moved from a specialist criminal practice to family law after over 20 years at the Bar, echoes the importance of clerking support: ‘Ensure that you are on good terms with your clerks and that they ask you, initially, to represent clients in less obviously complicated cases, doing more straightforward things. Having your confidence knocked early on can be difficult to overcome so accept that you’re a beginner and are earning your stripes.’
As Leigh says: ‘Make a start, do the homework! Get to know the basics of the relevant area law and practice directions and procedures.’ Speak to those who have made the change themselves. As one practitioner who moved from crime to family work after 15 years explained: ‘I think the challenge was understanding the areas of practice which were outside my experience. I found it easy to relate to finding of facts (for example) in dealing with factual events, but I found it more of a challenge to learn about social work assessments and the welfare stage of care proceedings.’
Others have observed that stepping away from an established area to a new venture may impact on fees in the short term while a new reputation and competency is established. It is important to be realistic: ‘At the start, you have to accept that your earnings will change and you may need to be willing to sustain a drop in your bank balance in the short term.’
The help and advice of our colleagues in a new practice area is invaluable. Leigh’s advice is to ‘seek out the support available to you in your chambers from colleagues who already practice in that area. This is often the most effective and efficient support and can help you navigate any pitfalls.’
Jeremy also relied on advice and guidance from those around him: ‘The most important element in making the change was the strength of the family team and the willingness of its members to assist those, like me, who were learning the ropes. Without them I don’t think I would have had the confidence to move from a sector I knew so well to one that I had only a vague understanding of. Don’t hesitate to approach the resources immediately to hand – your colleagues – after you’ve tried to work out how to do deal with a specific problem. They will respect the effort you’ve made and be more willing to help.’
Once you’ve developed your competency to conduct a hearing or provide advice, tell your clerks. Remember that while it may seem daunting to find work from new sources, developing your website and social media persona to reflect your change in focus is always valuable. As Leigh puts it: ‘Get yourself in the shop window! Make connections, follow the movers and shakers on social media and keep up to date with what’s going on. Before you know it, you’ll have the confidence and knowledge to contribute and start building your profile within that area of specialism.’
Leigh also highlights working with Advocate, the Bar’s pro bono charity, as a useful and worthwhile way to gain opportunities while you establish yourself. Advocate produced a Guide to Pro Bono for Movers and Returners for Middle Temple’s Talent Retention Scheme.
Career coaching at times of change can be a huge help in developing a new area of expertise, providing strategic focus and building confidence. Nikki Alderson is a talent retention expert and regularly provides coaching assistance to those considering next steps. She identifies the key ways in which a coach can support decision-making:
Encourage everyone in Chambers to adopt a growth mindset when it comes to supporting a change in practice area. It helps to consider the art of the possible as opposed to viewing things as too challenging, or impossible.
Coaching provides independent, objective, support when making final decisions around when and how to make the transition.
Making significant changes to your practice, like undertaking a new practice area, is a significant decision, and shouldn’t be taken lightly. It will also require additional legal research/ learning, alongside maintaining your current practice area and financial independence. It pays to see it as a process as opposed to a fast fix to any presenting problem.
Look at short- and long-term goals to reach your desired alternate practice outcomes. A one-year to 18-month plan can be useful here, to ensure that goals and actions stay realistic and achievable.
Alongside a growth mindset, develop resilience and confidence, both of which are integral to a successful practice move. Using coaching strategies, work on developing the mental toughness required for the challenges ahead. A huge part of ‘mover coaching’ concerns ways to improve self-confidence to ‘back yourself’ in any move.
A final piece of advice from Jeremy: ‘Don’t panic… too often. Imposter syndrome will strike not just you but all levels of seniority. Try to concentrate on the task in hand and, if it’s still baffling, go ahead and ask, ask, ask. Everyone else in Chambers has been there before you – you are just going through a rite of passage and there is always progress to be made.’
Instead of stepping away entirely from the Bar, a successful move into a new area can reinvigorate passion for our career and prove that it really is possible to reinvent ourselves.
This article has been contributed to by practitioners including Jeremy Lindsay, a specialist family barrister at Spire Barristers, Leigh Royall, a senior clerk at Spire Barristers and Nikki Alderson, a specialist international coach, talent retention expert and former criminal barrister.
Inner Temple is hosting a one-day Movers and Returners Conference on Thursday 22 May 2025 for those interested in returning to the Bar or moving practice areas. It is open to members of all four Inns. See also 'Supporting the Bar’s movers and returners' by Rachel Spearing KC to find out more.
One in three criminal barristers are actively seeking to leave the Bar, according to Criminal Bar Association (CBA) research. The CBA National Survey 2025, which received 1,717 responses, also found that one in three criminal barristers are actively considering moving their practice into another discipline other than crime. A small overlap of 12% are actively considering both options.
The Middle Temple Talent Retention Scheme is open to men and women, and all barristers, employed and self-employed. Advocate, the Bar’s pro bono charity, has produced a Guide to Pro Bono for Movers and Returners for the scheme.
Bar Council resources for movers and returners including top tips, sources of support, guidance for taking the next step, and articles and blogs from barristers with experience of moving or returning to the Bar can be found here.
See also Counsel magazine’s career clinic – a compilation of articles supporting barristers’ practice development, career moves and related aspirations.
One of my core memories from attending career seminars at the Bar is a quote from Baroness Kennedy who, when asked for the secret to longevity as a barrister, told the assembled audience: ‘Never be afraid to reinvent yourself.’ Of course, what that means can look very different for each individual. Sometimes, it can mean pivoting mid-career, or even later, into a practice area which has not been in your stable but may for a variety of reasons have become attractive to you.
A practice area which suited a barrister when they were starting out can become more challenging as their own family circumstances change and mature. Changes can also be driven by geography, the market or financial considerations. Too often, continuing in the same area of work can feel impossible and as if it no longer ‘fits’ with the life that we want for ourselves and our families. For too many, the answer appears to lie in leaving the profession completely. Figures published in 2022 by the Bar Council show that for those who started their careers between 2002 and 2007, around 20% of men left practice before 15 years, with the attrition rate even greater for women at around 27% .*
This is one of the issues that the Middle Temple Talent Retention Scheme aims to address. It provides support to those either returning from time out of practice, or switching practice areas, which is the focus of this article.
How then, can an established practitioner go about changing areas of specialism after 10 plus years of building a reputation, knowledge and skills in one area? It is absolutely normal to approach such a shift with trepidation. Practitioners may feel fearful that they won’t be taken seriously, or that they will flounder when having to go back to basics in a new area. However, the advice and experiences described by those who have made the leap show that it is entirely achievable and can provide an invaluable ‘second act’ in a career which might otherwise have seemed to be unsustainable.
To assist those who may feel at a crossroads, this article draws together advice from practitioners, a senior clerk and a professional career coach with experience of working with counsel in this situation. The following top tips emerged from their collective experience.
Core Duty 7 of the Code of Conduct requires us to provide a competent standard of work and service to each client. This includes not taking work on which is outside our competency, or ceasing to act if it becomes clear that a case has moved beyond a level in which we are competent. It is vital, therefore, that the basics are covered and expertise is acquired before anyone simply decides to accept instructions.
This can include shadowing colleagues, attending training and observing hearings, for example, in those fields where transparency permits us to do so.
While no pupillage style training is required, spending time with practitioners who work in your new area and requesting to shadow them is invaluable, even if they are much more junior than yourself. It can be humbling to go back to basics and admit that you don’t know everything, but learning new skills requires an acceptance that you are in some ways starting over.
Laying the groundwork and getting to understand any new market is key. This can involve attending training events, networking with the team you are looking to join and following new accounts on social media.
‘Success leaves clues,’ advises Leigh Royall, a senior clerk, ‘so look at the online profiles of the leading practitioners in the area of practice you are looking at developing; rankings in the legal directories are a great place to start. What associations do those individuals play a part in, or are members of? Newsletters in the new area and networking events are also valuable… get signed-up!’
Leigh emphasises the support that can be achieved through clear communication with your clerks: ‘If chambers already does this area of work, the market knowledge of your clerks room, in supporting your transition to/development of a new area, is a gold mine. Your clerks will help signpost your journey to discovering who’s who in the market and will save a lot of effort and energy on developing that knowledge.’
Jeremy Lindsay, who successfully moved from a specialist criminal practice to family law after over 20 years at the Bar, echoes the importance of clerking support: ‘Ensure that you are on good terms with your clerks and that they ask you, initially, to represent clients in less obviously complicated cases, doing more straightforward things. Having your confidence knocked early on can be difficult to overcome so accept that you’re a beginner and are earning your stripes.’
As Leigh says: ‘Make a start, do the homework! Get to know the basics of the relevant area law and practice directions and procedures.’ Speak to those who have made the change themselves. As one practitioner who moved from crime to family work after 15 years explained: ‘I think the challenge was understanding the areas of practice which were outside my experience. I found it easy to relate to finding of facts (for example) in dealing with factual events, but I found it more of a challenge to learn about social work assessments and the welfare stage of care proceedings.’
Others have observed that stepping away from an established area to a new venture may impact on fees in the short term while a new reputation and competency is established. It is important to be realistic: ‘At the start, you have to accept that your earnings will change and you may need to be willing to sustain a drop in your bank balance in the short term.’
The help and advice of our colleagues in a new practice area is invaluable. Leigh’s advice is to ‘seek out the support available to you in your chambers from colleagues who already practice in that area. This is often the most effective and efficient support and can help you navigate any pitfalls.’
Jeremy also relied on advice and guidance from those around him: ‘The most important element in making the change was the strength of the family team and the willingness of its members to assist those, like me, who were learning the ropes. Without them I don’t think I would have had the confidence to move from a sector I knew so well to one that I had only a vague understanding of. Don’t hesitate to approach the resources immediately to hand – your colleagues – after you’ve tried to work out how to do deal with a specific problem. They will respect the effort you’ve made and be more willing to help.’
Once you’ve developed your competency to conduct a hearing or provide advice, tell your clerks. Remember that while it may seem daunting to find work from new sources, developing your website and social media persona to reflect your change in focus is always valuable. As Leigh puts it: ‘Get yourself in the shop window! Make connections, follow the movers and shakers on social media and keep up to date with what’s going on. Before you know it, you’ll have the confidence and knowledge to contribute and start building your profile within that area of specialism.’
Leigh also highlights working with Advocate, the Bar’s pro bono charity, as a useful and worthwhile way to gain opportunities while you establish yourself. Advocate produced a Guide to Pro Bono for Movers and Returners for Middle Temple’s Talent Retention Scheme.
Career coaching at times of change can be a huge help in developing a new area of expertise, providing strategic focus and building confidence. Nikki Alderson is a talent retention expert and regularly provides coaching assistance to those considering next steps. She identifies the key ways in which a coach can support decision-making:
Encourage everyone in Chambers to adopt a growth mindset when it comes to supporting a change in practice area. It helps to consider the art of the possible as opposed to viewing things as too challenging, or impossible.
Coaching provides independent, objective, support when making final decisions around when and how to make the transition.
Making significant changes to your practice, like undertaking a new practice area, is a significant decision, and shouldn’t be taken lightly. It will also require additional legal research/ learning, alongside maintaining your current practice area and financial independence. It pays to see it as a process as opposed to a fast fix to any presenting problem.
Look at short- and long-term goals to reach your desired alternate practice outcomes. A one-year to 18-month plan can be useful here, to ensure that goals and actions stay realistic and achievable.
Alongside a growth mindset, develop resilience and confidence, both of which are integral to a successful practice move. Using coaching strategies, work on developing the mental toughness required for the challenges ahead. A huge part of ‘mover coaching’ concerns ways to improve self-confidence to ‘back yourself’ in any move.
A final piece of advice from Jeremy: ‘Don’t panic… too often. Imposter syndrome will strike not just you but all levels of seniority. Try to concentrate on the task in hand and, if it’s still baffling, go ahead and ask, ask, ask. Everyone else in Chambers has been there before you – you are just going through a rite of passage and there is always progress to be made.’
Instead of stepping away entirely from the Bar, a successful move into a new area can reinvigorate passion for our career and prove that it really is possible to reinvent ourselves.
This article has been contributed to by practitioners including Jeremy Lindsay, a specialist family barrister at Spire Barristers, Leigh Royall, a senior clerk at Spire Barristers and Nikki Alderson, a specialist international coach, talent retention expert and former criminal barrister.
Inner Temple is hosting a one-day Movers and Returners Conference on Thursday 22 May 2025 for those interested in returning to the Bar or moving practice areas. It is open to members of all four Inns. See also 'Supporting the Bar’s movers and returners' by Rachel Spearing KC to find out more.
One in three criminal barristers are actively seeking to leave the Bar, according to Criminal Bar Association (CBA) research. The CBA National Survey 2025, which received 1,717 responses, also found that one in three criminal barristers are actively considering moving their practice into another discipline other than crime. A small overlap of 12% are actively considering both options.
The Middle Temple Talent Retention Scheme is open to men and women, and all barristers, employed and self-employed. Advocate, the Bar’s pro bono charity, has produced a Guide to Pro Bono for Movers and Returners for the scheme.
Bar Council resources for movers and returners including top tips, sources of support, guidance for taking the next step, and articles and blogs from barristers with experience of moving or returning to the Bar can be found here.
See also Counsel magazine’s career clinic – a compilation of articles supporting barristers’ practice development, career moves and related aspirations.
Please complete the Barristers’ Working Lives survey this month to help shape and prioritise the Bar Council’s work
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