Barrister's clerk

Barrister's clerks run the day to day administration tasks for barristers at offices called chambers.

Day-to-day tasks

• take books, documents and robes to and from court
• prepare, collect and deliver documents by hand
• photocopy, file and deal with letters, emails and phone calls
• collect fees, handle accounts, invoices and petty cash
• organise the law library
• manage each barrister's diary and keep their case information up to date
• deal with solicitors, clients and their barristers

Working environment

Where you could work

You could work at chambers, in an office or in a court.

Working hours

39 to 41 hours per week

When you could work

Skills you\'ll need

• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to use your initiative
• the ability to work well with others- draft- HP
• legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

How to become one

You can get into this job through:

• a university course
• a college course
• working towards this role

College

You may need to have A levels or equivalent qualifications.

Subjects you could consider include:A level Law; T level in Management and Administration; level 3 Diploma in Business Administration; level 3 Certificate or Diploma in Law or Applied Law

• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T level
• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

You could get into this job through a higher apprenticeship in business administration or a law related higher apprenticeship.

\u0027You\'ll usually need:\u0027

• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
• You could start as an admin assistant in a law office and train more on the job to work your way up.
• \u0027You\'ll usually need:\u0027: 4 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) or equivalent, including maths and English; experience in administration, legal secretary work, accounting or management
• Paid or unpaid work experience in barrister chambers may give you an advantage when you apply for jobs.

Career path and progression

• With experience, you might become a senior barrister\'s clerk, chambers director or practice manager.
• As a senior clerk, you\'ll: recruit, train and supervise junior clerks; bring business into chambers; allocate cases to barristers; manage finances and negotiate fees

More information

You can find out more about this career from: