Who are we?
The Hall Committee represents ordinary members of the Inn – those who are post-Call and are not Benchers. This is a diverse constituency which spans those who are searching for pupillage, to Silks and judges. It includes both employed and self-employed practitioners; those practicing in and out of London and those who are pursuing careers outside the Bar. The Committee itself has representatives across all these stages, from different practice areas, and different parts of the country. We hold hybrid meetings six times a year but have several sub-groups working on specific projects and ideas in between these.
What We Do
Hall Committee’s most prominent event is the black-tie Annual Dinner to which we invite a distinguished guest speaker, and traditionally takes place in May. The last 12 months have seen two Annual Dinners as our 2021 Dinner was moved to early December, due to the restrictions on social distancing which were in place earlier in the year. At our 2021 Dinner, we hosted David Pickard, Director of BBC Proms, who provided us with a fascinating insight into the world of the Arts. We were looking forward to welcoming the historian and political commentator Simon Heffer to speak at our event in May 2022, but unfortunately due to Covid he was unable to attend, and the Committee is very grateful to Master Alex Macqueen who stepped in at the last minute to reprise his Annual Dinner performance from five years ago and save the day.
As well as hosting the Annual Dinners, the Committee worked with MTSA and MTYBA to hold a fantastic panel event in March to celebrate International Women’s Day and are planning further events for later in the year, including our Ceilidh celebration on Friday 11 November 2022.
Getting Involved
If you would like to become more involved in the Inn, then Hall Committee is a great place to start, and we would be delighted to hear from you. If you are interested in standing for election to the Committee, then there is an opportunity to do so in October/November each year – details of elections will be posted on the Inn’s website and promoted on our social media.
Staying in Touch
We are always happy to hear from members of the Inn with feedback or ideas of how we can support you in your career; issues facing the profession which you feel the Inn could provide support with; or events you would like to see organised. You can contact Hall Committee by email on hallcommittee@middletemple.org.uk, or by contacting any of the committee members, whose biographies can be found on the Inn’s website.
You can also stay up to date with all the latest Hall Committee news and events by following us on Twitter – @MTHallCommittee.
Karen Reid was Called to the Bar in 2010 and is Joint Head of 36 Public and Human Rights at The 36 Group. Karen became Chair of Hall Committee in 2020, having been a member of the committee for three years, including Co-Vice Chair in 2019, she was previously President of MTYBA.
