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13 July 2017 / Chris Ronan
Issue: 7754 / Categories: Features , Profession
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Driving change at the Bar

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Chris Ronan, chief executive at St John’s Buildings, shares some tips for setting a strategy for success

  • When grouped together as part of chambers, barristers must work together to achieve a set of mutually-agreed objectives.
  • A clear strategy and effective implementation is critical for the growth of a modern chambers.

The barristers’ profession is undergoing great change. Successive governments have introduced new laws and regulations, such as the Public Access Scheme and the 2007 Legal Services Act, which have fundamentally changed the way in which barristers as individuals and chambers as business centres operate. Although both of these examples came into effect several years ago, the opportunities are only now being realised.

A theme during recent years has been the continued expansion, both in terms of size and scope, of barristers’ chambers. Barristers are traditionally thought of as self-employed, and independent of thought and deed. This has proven to be a great strength in providing objective ‘arms-length’ strategic advice, and identifying and delivering winning arguments.

But when grouped together as

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NEWS
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The government’s plan to curb jury trials has sparked ‘jury furore’. Writing in NLJ this week, David Locke, partner at Hill Dickinson, says the rationale is ‘grossly inadequate’
A year after the $1.5bn Bybit heist, crypto fraud is booming—but so is recovery. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Holloway, founder and CEO of M2 Recovery, warns that scams hit at least $14bn in 2025, fuelled by ‘pig butchering’ cons and AI deepfakes
After Woodcock confirmed no general duty to warn, debate turns to the criminal law. Writing in NLJ this week, Charles Davey of The Barrister Group urges revival of misprision or a modern equivalent
Family courts are tightening control of expert evidence. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Chris Pamplin says there is ‘no automatic right’ to call experts; attendance must be ‘necessary in the interests of justice’ under FPR Pt 25
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