Barrister: Employers and vacancy sources

The majority of barristers are self-employed and typically become tenants in a set of chambers. They are independent practitioners gaining work through the offices of the clerk to chambers or through personal contacts with solicitors. Their clients are primarily solicitors.

Over 12,000 barristers work in England and Wales. Around 3,000 of all barristers in practice are those working in employed practice. They work for a wide range of employers and organisations, including the:

• Government Legal Service (GLS) ;
• armed forces legal services;
• Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) .

Barristers are also employed on a non-practising basis within industry and commerce, as well as in solicitors' firms (in which they must make it clear that they are non-practising).

Sources of vacancies

• Search graduate jobs on this site.
• The Training Contract & Pupillage Handbook lists chambers with pupillages.
• LawCareers.Net
• The Times
• The Lawyer
• The Barrister

Recruitment agencies rarely handle vacancies.

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