Practical advice and help
A - Z advice
The Bar Council provides a comprehensive library of advice.
Bar Handbook
The Bar
Handbook is a practical handbook incorporating details and
guidance relevant to all barristers, whether self-employed,
employed, publicly or privately funded, including:
- Their professional obligations
- Parameters of work
- Permitted charging arrangements
- Ability to get paid
- Getting redress when not paid
- Tax and VAT liabilities
- Insurance
- Practice planning and good practice advice, and
- Relevant statutory and regulatory references.
Bar Mutual Indemnity Fund
BMIF has been set up by barristers, for barristers, and is not a
commercial insurance company. Accordingly, the managers are
available to give advice on any issue, even if the subject matter
is excluded from cover. They will also be able to provide
contact details for the Barristers' Complaints Advisory Service
(BCAS) and London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association
(LCLCBA), where pro bono support may be available. For further
information, please contact BMIF, International House, 26 Creechurch
Lane, London EC3A 5BA, or telephone 020 7621 0405.
Career options
The knowledge and the transferable skills that students gain
during their legal training and during the Bar Professional
Training Course (BPTC) are highly valued commodities in many
professions, both legal and non-legal. Further information is
available on the careers, recruitment and
vacancies pages.
Contacts
Members of the Bar Council's Secretariat are available to assist
all members of the Bar.
Court dress
The Bar Council has issued advice concerning court dress for
barristers.
Equality and diversity
Barristers come from all backgrounds and all walks of life.
The Bar Council is committed to equality of opportunity and values
the diversity of its membership. Discrimination on grounds of race,
colour, ethnic or national origin, nationality, citizenship, sex,
sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, religion or
political persuasion is professional misconduct on the part of a
barrister.
Ethical Enquiries Service
From time to time, barristers may need
assistance on ethical problems related to the Bar's Code of
Conduct from our specially trained team.
Guide to the Circuits
The Bar Council has produced a helpful guide to the Circuits of
England and Wales.
Guide to Committees
The Bar Council represents barristers' interests through a
structure of committees comprised of practitioners who
volunteer their time. The Young Barristers' Committee represents
the interests of barristers under ten years' Call, as well as
hosting several events throughout the year and publishing an annual
magazine.
Guide to Services
The Bar Council produces an annual guide to all services
available to its members.
Helpful Links to other websites
Please see below for useful links to other relevant websites
Maps
Member Services
Member Services provide
training and events as well as negotiate tailored goods and
services for the Bar, often at preferential prices unavailable to
the general public. Our service partners offer high quality
services at best-value prices through high standards of customer
care.