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There will always be changing trends and profiles within the Bar as we evolve as a profession; but a consistent theme, according to Bar Standards Board (BSB) and Bar Council data, remains the challenge of retention (BSB 2021, Bar Council 2023).
Time out of practice may be for many reasons including maternity leave, paternity leave, adoption leave, caring responsibilities, ill health, further study, time-out or to pursue other ventures. It is also a reality with the pressure of pupillage and early years in practice that many find themselves practising in areas which were not their first choice or where they no longer find meaning, purpose or financial security. A recent Criminal Bar Association survey suggested that one in three were actively considering moving their practice into another discipline (Law Society Gazette 2025).
Supporting career breaks, returners and those seeking to move between practice areas is a vital way of encouraging diversity, equality and inclusion. It also provides for richer skill sets to be developed and opportunities to enhance lived experience, learning and cognitive diversity in the profession which better serve the public and the organisations we work with. Additional skills, qualifications or experiences accrued during career breaks can help practitioners to grow and sustain their career.
It is therefore no surprise to see the four Inns of Court aligning their members’ interests with the present leadership voice of Barbara Mills KC, Chair of the Bar. Supporting the education, training and wellbeing of the profession is at the core of their values. The focus for many years has been upon widening access to the profession with data indicating some success but still a way to go. But larger concerns remain: the attrition and retention of talent, the impacted cohort being women barristers; and progression of minority ethnic groups within the profession.
Inner Temple’s latest initiative is to host a free one-day CPD conference open to members of all four Inns. The aims are to provide positive leadership and support with practice planning, management of career breaks, navigating return challenges and supporting continuing education for those considering, pursuing or returning from breaks or seeking to transfer practice areas and status.
Keynote speakers include Barbara Mills KC, Lady Justice Whipple DBE and Brie Stevens-Hoare KC. Panel discussions sharing lived experiences of the wide-ranging career breaks and their benefits, with tips for navigating and returning, will take place in the morning session. Break-out skill sessions and presentations to support resilience, confidence, refreshing advocacy and financial planning are also options. The afternoon plenary and panel sessions are designed to showcase good practice to assist chambers and stakeholders across the Government Legal Department, Crown Prosecution Service, specialist Bar associations and industry.
Offering flexible retention schemes between the employed, self-employed Bar and judiciary is not just good for business but vital for serving the public good and individuals within it. The most recent Judicial Attitude Survey reflects long-held Bar wellbeing data concerning working conditions, hours and leadership challenges, with evidence that the pressures of practice in the law are leading to higher rates of burnout, attrition and ill-health leading to lost talent and leadership (UCL Judicial Institute 2025).
The working group initiative of all four Inns seeks to engage more closely with their members, reviewing data and responding to the needs of the profession to ensure that we all play an active part in supporting the profession. The Inns and Bar Council now have a host of resources aimed at sharing practical advice, mentoring arrangements and regulatory guidance to make stepping off, and back on to, the treadmill less daunting and providing those currently estranged with a lifeline to find their way back to where they want to be.
More information about the Movers and Returners Conference on Thursday 22 May can be found on the Inner Temple website, together with links to other helpful resources and sources of support.
Trends in Retention and demographics at the Bar: 1990-2020, BSB 2021
Barristers Working Lives 2023 Study, Bar Council 2023: tinyurl.com/34dkzwrk
‘Criminal bar in crisis: one in three intends to quit’, Law Society Gazette, 17 March 2025
2024 UK Judicial Attitude Survey, Professor Cheryl Thomas KC, UCL Judicial Institute, February 2025
Movers and returners – resources and support
Inner Temple ‘Movers and Returners’ Conference
Inner Temple returners support
Middle Temple Talent Retention Scheme
Bar Council movers and returners resources
See also Counsel magazine’s career clinic – a compilation of articles supporting barristers’ practice development, career moves and related aspirations
There will always be changing trends and profiles within the Bar as we evolve as a profession; but a consistent theme, according to Bar Standards Board (BSB) and Bar Council data, remains the challenge of retention (BSB 2021, Bar Council 2023).
Time out of practice may be for many reasons including maternity leave, paternity leave, adoption leave, caring responsibilities, ill health, further study, time-out or to pursue other ventures. It is also a reality with the pressure of pupillage and early years in practice that many find themselves practising in areas which were not their first choice or where they no longer find meaning, purpose or financial security. A recent Criminal Bar Association survey suggested that one in three were actively considering moving their practice into another discipline (Law Society Gazette 2025).
Supporting career breaks, returners and those seeking to move between practice areas is a vital way of encouraging diversity, equality and inclusion. It also provides for richer skill sets to be developed and opportunities to enhance lived experience, learning and cognitive diversity in the profession which better serve the public and the organisations we work with. Additional skills, qualifications or experiences accrued during career breaks can help practitioners to grow and sustain their career.
It is therefore no surprise to see the four Inns of Court aligning their members’ interests with the present leadership voice of Barbara Mills KC, Chair of the Bar. Supporting the education, training and wellbeing of the profession is at the core of their values. The focus for many years has been upon widening access to the profession with data indicating some success but still a way to go. But larger concerns remain: the attrition and retention of talent, the impacted cohort being women barristers; and progression of minority ethnic groups within the profession.
Inner Temple’s latest initiative is to host a free one-day CPD conference open to members of all four Inns. The aims are to provide positive leadership and support with practice planning, management of career breaks, navigating return challenges and supporting continuing education for those considering, pursuing or returning from breaks or seeking to transfer practice areas and status.
Keynote speakers include Barbara Mills KC, Lady Justice Whipple DBE and Brie Stevens-Hoare KC. Panel discussions sharing lived experiences of the wide-ranging career breaks and their benefits, with tips for navigating and returning, will take place in the morning session. Break-out skill sessions and presentations to support resilience, confidence, refreshing advocacy and financial planning are also options. The afternoon plenary and panel sessions are designed to showcase good practice to assist chambers and stakeholders across the Government Legal Department, Crown Prosecution Service, specialist Bar associations and industry.
Offering flexible retention schemes between the employed, self-employed Bar and judiciary is not just good for business but vital for serving the public good and individuals within it. The most recent Judicial Attitude Survey reflects long-held Bar wellbeing data concerning working conditions, hours and leadership challenges, with evidence that the pressures of practice in the law are leading to higher rates of burnout, attrition and ill-health leading to lost talent and leadership (UCL Judicial Institute 2025).
The working group initiative of all four Inns seeks to engage more closely with their members, reviewing data and responding to the needs of the profession to ensure that we all play an active part in supporting the profession. The Inns and Bar Council now have a host of resources aimed at sharing practical advice, mentoring arrangements and regulatory guidance to make stepping off, and back on to, the treadmill less daunting and providing those currently estranged with a lifeline to find their way back to where they want to be.
More information about the Movers and Returners Conference on Thursday 22 May can be found on the Inner Temple website, together with links to other helpful resources and sources of support.
Trends in Retention and demographics at the Bar: 1990-2020, BSB 2021
Barristers Working Lives 2023 Study, Bar Council 2023: tinyurl.com/34dkzwrk
‘Criminal bar in crisis: one in three intends to quit’, Law Society Gazette, 17 March 2025
2024 UK Judicial Attitude Survey, Professor Cheryl Thomas KC, UCL Judicial Institute, February 2025
Movers and returners – resources and support
Inner Temple ‘Movers and Returners’ Conference
Inner Temple returners support
Middle Temple Talent Retention Scheme
Bar Council movers and returners resources
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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