Chambers People

Chambers People Noticeboard

2007-12-01T09:27:00.000+01:00

Chambers People provides staff recruitment and advisory services to barristers' chambers. Our main website is www.chamberspeople.co.uk

Bar Conference Saturday 4th November 2006

2006-11-05T08:58:00.000+01:00

Robin and Gill Butchard at the Bar Conference on Saturday. Chambers People shared a stand with Butchard Associates which was visited by many of the 400+ delegates to the conference at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, Delegates included many Heads of Chambers, members of the Bar, and of the IBC Management Committee. Chambers People has launched Chambers Training, which brings together the expertise of several consultants including Martin Poulter, Gill Butchard, Martin Griffiths, Jonathan and Jackie Maskew, and Steve Bradley (of Chambers Technology Support Ltd). Each of the consultants offer individual staff training for chambers staff, in specific areas of knowledge. The consultants are all fully commited to raising the standards of clerking in chambers by increased staff training. For those chambers that cannot afford to let their staff attend regular BTec courses, or even spare time for one clerk to train another during the working day, Chambers Training offers the opportunity for staff to be trained on a one-to-one basis by a competent trainer. Training sessions can be arranged to fit round the clerks' normal duties. The trainers have all had long experience gained in senior posts in chambers, and therefore able to relate the training given to the individual, based on considerable personal experience. Further details available on request from Chambers People.

Faces from the past!

2006-10-28T17:01:00.000+01:00

This photo was taken 8th December 1991, at a rugby game between the Clerks v The Bar. The observant will recognise several current Senior Clerks among the team, including, Martin Smith, Simon Slattery, Declan Redmond, Steve Francis, together with Jay Fullilove, Gary Oliver, and Dylan Wendleken. I am reliably informed by Mark Watson, that this was taken at the Springfield Sports Ground in Stamford Hill, North London - the home of Harringay Rugby Club.

"Silk's" Day 2006

2006-10-17T16:40:00.000+01:00

This picture was taken yesterday outside the Lords. Beats arriving in a limo......

IBC Ball 2006 - Friday 6th October

2006-10-09T10:50:00.000+01:00

The first, and hopefully, not the last, IBC Ball was held on Friday 6th October at The Brewery in London, and was well attended by barristers' clerks from all over the country.
There was good food, wine, and conversation throughout the evening.
Jason Housden of Tooks Court Chambers narrated the "horse race" during the evening. Declan Redmond announced the raffle prizes. The money raised by the raffle was for the Great Ormond Street Hospital (amount unknown at the time of writing this). Michael Goodridge (9 Gough Square) seemed to clean up on the main prizes, while David Goddard several secured prizes, including a stylish kettle! As you can see from some of the following pictures, a good time was had by all!
Emma Makepeace and the rest of the organising committee did an excellent job, and are to be congratulated.

IBC Ball 2006

2006-10-09T10:49:00.000+01:00

The Chairman, Declan Redmond, crooning. The observant will notice that the microphone is actually a Wilberforce Chambers pen.....

IBC Ball 2006

2006-10-09T10:45:00.000+01:00

Emma Makepeace (25 Bedford Row) and Cheri Tidiman (Devereux Chambers) on dance floor......

IBC Ball 2006

2006-10-09T10:44:00.000+01:00

Robert Woods (7 New Square) in full swing!

IBC Ball 2006

2006-10-09T10:26:00.000+01:00

Miss Pegg and Mr O'Dowd at the ball.....

IBC Ball 2006

2006-10-09T09:45:00.000+01:00

David Goddard (former Chair IBC) and Amanda Illing (Practice Manager, Matrix Chambers)

Mike Hannibal and Michael Clark

2006-10-09T09:29:00.000+01:00

The two Michael's at the IBC Ball. Michael Clark, 2 Field Court, and Mike Hannibal, Erskine Chambers.

Congratulations to our candidates!

2006-08-22T21:30:00.000+01:00

Chambers People congratulates those candidates that have recently been appointed in various chambers including Crown Office Chambers (Senior Managing Clerk), 36 Bedford Row (Senior Clerk), 6 King's Bench Walk (Fees Clerk), Assize Court Chambers, Bristol, and No 5 Fountain Court - Bristol office (Practice Manager). Names of the successful candidates will appear here as soon as final terms agreed.

Rob Bryant will be moving from Bridewell Chambers to Keating Chambers shortly.

3 Fountain Court, Birmingham, recently closed their doors, which has led to Jonathan Maskew and his staff being displaced. This is a terrible shame - Jonathan is a respected clerk, and has been an active member of the IBC Management Committee.

Clerking vacancies at Blackstone Chambers, Atkin Chambers, and Devereux Chambers are currently outstanding, while Junior Clerk vacancies are available at 25 Bedford Row, Pump Court Tax Chambers, 11 Stone Buildings, Lincoln's Inn, and 39 Essex Street, Temple. Further details available from Chambers People.

New Instructions

2006-08-02T06:30:00.000+01:00

Chambers People have received new instructions from

Atkin Chambers (following a move by the joint Senior Clerk, David Barnes to 39 Essex Street and
Blackstone Chambers (for a new clerk in this leading commercial chambers).

Junior Clerk vacancies are going to become available again shortly, but most chambers have suspended recruitment until the exam results for A'levels and GSCE's are out later this month, or there are people who are available to interview candidates offered to chambers!

In it to win it!

2006-08-01T18:24:00.000+01:00

There are a number of new jobs in the pipeline, for experienced clerks in chambers. However, you have to be in it to win it! We at Chambers People need to know who you are, and what you are looking for, so if you have not registered, we cannot give you much information (Data Protection and all that). Once you have registered, we can give you details much more freely.

David Monk - retirement

2006-07-24T23:13:00.000+01:00

David Monk, enjoying drinks with his friends at the Knight's Templars in Chancery Lane on Monday 24th July. David is retiring on 31st July after a long career as a barristers' clerk and as the Clerk to Mr Justice John Lindsay

David Monk

2006-07-17T23:08:00.000+01:00

When Martin Poulter of Chambers People started his career in 1977, he worked at 7 Stone Buildings, under the direction of the late, great, Ernest Waring, and his First Junior Clerk, David Monk. The chambers in those days comprised of 11 barristers, of whom three were QC's - including Ian Edwards-Jones QC, Leonard Bromley QC, and (the then) Andrew Morritt QC. From those chambers came Mr Justice Peter Gibson, Mr Justice Nigel Davis, and Mr Justice John Lindsay. When David left the employment of 7 Stone Buildings nearly 10 years ago, he became the Clerk to Mr Justice Lindsay at the Royal Courts of Justice. David is retiring at the end of this term. The Judge gave a valedictory speech about David, today (Friday 28th July), in Ct 62.

My long lasting memory of David is seeing him in the middle of mending the photocopier when I came back from court one day, covered with black soot from the inside of the machine (at least the size of a pool table in those days), and smoke pouring out of the copier room due to a paper jam that had turned into a small blaze. David, with his sleeves rolled up, trying to put the machine back together again! Happy days....!

Chambers People

Bill Conner

2006-07-17T22:58:00.000+01:00

Chambers People are delighted that Bill Conner has been appointed at Hollis Whiteman Chambers (QEB, Temple) as the new Senior Clerk. He will take up his post in September. It means that 36 Bedford Row, the chambers where Bill currently works, is looking for a new Senior Clerk. The new person will have to be experienced in Crime, Civil and Family work ideally, so that they can look after all the interests of the different teams within chambers.
Chambers People

People News

2006-06-23T07:14:00.000+01:00

Chambers People are very pleased to announce that the new Senior Clerk at Park Court Chambers, Leeds, will be
Jo Pickersgill

Further people news will appear here from time to time - with the permission of the named person of course!

Chambers People

No work in chambers for students

2006-06-06T06:58:00.000+01:00

We are regularly approached by students who are seeking employment in chambers during the summer only, but we are very rarely able to help them. There are usually enough young people seeking a permanent post in chambers, already on our books, willing to earn a very basic wage, without needing additional candidates. Most chambers seem to prefer to hire someone who is actively seeking a long term career in chambers, than someone who is likely to be "dabbling" through the summer months only.
Chambers People

New Staff

2006-05-31T12:41:00.000+01:00

Various chambers have appointed new staff recently at Senior Clerk level - including chambers in London and Leeds! This will increase the amount of movement for more junior staff in due course - Chambers People often sees an increase in activity between 3-4 weeks after the new appointment has been made as the chambers decide on what they are going to do about recruiting a replacement member of staff, and then instruct Chambers People to find that person!
Chambers People

Things are hotting up....

2006-05-16T16:11:00.000+01:00

We are getting to the time of year when staff in chambers start thinking about topping up their tans, and planning to get away from the pressure cooker environment that is chambers. We at Chambers People are noticing a trend for senior staff to take holidays during the legal term now. A few years ago that would have been unheard of. This is probably due to modern communications meaning that you can get a clerk anywhere in the world now by phone or email!
Chambers People

Salary increases

2006-05-03T06:36:00.000+01:00

Some chambers have just completed their salary reviews for staff, and in some cases, have given little or no pay rise to staff. This is despite the fact that the cost of rail travel has gone up and petrol prices are approaching a record high level. If you have had such a neutral pay rise, we would like to hear from you to see whether this is a trend that is growing.
Chambers People

Increased specialist chambers

2006-04-21T07:22:00.000+01:00

We are noticing an increase in the amount of chambers that are specialising in only one main area of work, which is reflecting the way that solicitors are behaving too. More and more chambers have moved away from being general common law chambers, where the Crime team have to compete with the Civil and Family people for work, while often paying the same level of contributions to chambers expenses, but earning less. Unless you are a provincial chambers, who provide an essential one-stop shopping service for mainly local solicitors or professional clients, many London chambers are concentrating on one main area of work only. This means that there is a gradual movement of members of chambers towards other chambers - those specialising in their kind of work - hence the mergers that have occurred in recent times.
We have been approached by several chambers who now consider themselves too small to compete in the present climate. However, some chambers find it hard to accept that they have to change to survive, and some will never merge, as they are too proud of past achievements to allow anyone else in! They are likely to the be losers in the long run.
Clerks are survivors and a good clerk will adapt too. However, as a result of some of the re-alignment of various chambers, some people find themselves out of work. Chambers People is always looking for new opportunities to help find these people employment, but in a changing legal world, it is not always possible. Which is very sad......

Chambers People

2006-04-08T08:29:00.000+01:00

7th April was the closing date for applying for a Senior Clerk post at Hollis Whiteman Chambers, Queen Elizabeth Building, Temple. The current Senior Clerk, Michael Greenaway, retires shortly, and the administration will change to a Senior Clerk and Chambers Director arrangment. Michael will be a tough act to follow, as anyone who knows him will understand, but the role of Senior Clerk at that chambers will remain a traditional one - day to day clerking duties, agreeing fees, developing business for the chambers and enhancing professonal relationships, while managing more junior staff - the same as any Senior Clerk role anywhere, but without having to worry about the administration, which will be run by others. Many clerks tell us that the job of Senior Clerk now is so much more administration than pure clerking, so an opportunity like this one will appeal to many.
Chambers People

Latest trends in chambers....

2006-03-28T09:11:00.000+01:00

There seems to be a number of Senior Clerk posts available at the moment, and few (very) Junior Clerk positions in chambers. Strange. Must be the time of year - people not looking to move chambers until after their salary review or bonus!
There also seems to be a general trend for chambers in London to be specialising in many one area of work only, while chambers in the provinces are still multi-discipline sets (common law - Crime, Civil and Family).
There is still a lot of unhappiness in Crime sets about the pressure the government and the authorities are placing on the Criminal Bar in particular.
Some sets of chambers have recently dissolved (not necessarily due to the Criminal Fees though) - latest to go: 199 Strand, 10-11 Gray's Inn Square, and 7 New Square.

Mike Dean (Fenners Chambers) holding forth in Manchester at the IBC Conference, March 2006

2006-03-26T12:16:00.000+01:00

2006-03-26T12:09:00.000+01:00

Declan Redmond, Chairman of the IBC, adjusting his tie!

2006-03-26T11:32:00.000+01:00

If you are looking for employment in a barristers' chambers, then visit www.chamberspeople.co.uk for further details about the services provided

Finding happiness

2006-03-26T11:19:00.000+01:00

Chambers People is a company that provides help to staff that employed in barristers' chambers, and will try to ensure that everyone is in a job that they enjoy, being paid the salary that they deserve. Some staff are unhappy - the people that they work for are unfair, the barristers can be harsh and demanding, and the staff have to accept what is chucked at them (sometimes literally!). This is because (and many barristers will recognise this) that barristers are often wrapped up in the legal work that they do and not see sometimes what is going on around them.
We try to act independentally, and as fairly as a good barristers' clerk should always be - to help the member of staff acheive success.