Bar survey offers an insight into the working life of barristers
Two-thirds of self-employed barristers and half of the employed Bar would consider working in an alternative business structure, according to an extensive survey of the Bar.
Barristers’ Working Lives, the first of a series of biennial surveys by the Bar Council and Bar Standards Board, offers a profile of the Bar, and the aspirations and intentions of those who work in the profession.
Of the 3,000 barristers who took part in the research, nearly three-quarters said they would opt for the same career again, given the choice.
More than half of barristers under the age of 30 are women. The average age of a barrister is 44 years.
Only a quarter of barristers do purely private work, and 43% of barristers say more than half of their work is publicly funded. Criminal barristers say 90% of their work is publicly funded.
Bar chairman Michael Todd QC says: “The results of the survey show that the profession is more diverse now than ever, but that more can be done to support working parents, as we are doing through our campaign for a Bar nursery, for example.”
