One-fifth of barristers want to quit profession while number of pupillages registered drops
updated on 09 February 2021
One-fifth of barristers want to leave the profession, while 24% are taking on non-legal work to support themselves financially, according to research from the Bar Council.
Despite the Bar Council reportedly seeing “signs of recovery” regarding workload and fee income returning to a slightly more normal level, its recent survey indicates that the pandemic is continuing to take its toll on the self-employed profession.
More than 60% of barristers have taken on personal debt or used savings, with just under 20% incurring debts of more than £20,000. Meanwhile, 72% of barristers are continuing to experience a reduction in new fee income and the working week remains reduced, with 16% of barristers working fewer than 18 hours – a figure that was at 1% pre-pandemic.
Barristers from ethnic minority backgrounds “are disproportionately suffering financially and questioning whether they can stay at the Bar”, according to the report. Just under 50% of barristers from an ethnic minority background are experiencing financial hardship and 72% reported that they have at some point experienced such hardship during the pandemic. This figure is significantly less for their white counterparts, with 32% currently experiencing financial hardship.
Following the introduction of covid-19 safety measures, 84% of barristers who have attended court in the past month reported safety concerns with courts often feeling “dirty and poorly ventilated”.
Meanwhile, the number of pupillages registered (386) with the Bar Standards Board (BSB) in 2020 fell by 35% from 2019’s figures (592) and the number of pupillages in 2021 is also expected to be affected. Bar Council Chair Derek Sweeting QC explained that the shortfall is likely to result in a “persisting pandemic gap at a time when legal needs are likely to increase”.
A number of commercial chambers, including 3 Verulam Buildings, Brick Court and 4 Pump Court, have agreed to fund criminal pupillages as part of a scheme directed by the Bar Council.
