Employed Bar Society

The Inn has formed a new society for all employed barristers. The Middle Temple Employed Bar Society is a continuation of the great work done by the Inn’s Employed Bar Steering Group, which was formed by the Membership Committee in 2020 to get employed members back to the Inn. 

The society has been created to welcome, support, and encourage members of the Inn who are employed barristers, to fully participate in the activities of Middle Temple. The society will represent the interests of employed and unregistered barristers who work in government, public authorities, charities, commerce, finance, industry, solicitor law firms and other organisations who do not work at the self-employed Bar in different roles. Did you know that employed barristers make up at least 20% of the Bar as a whole? The society will ensure that the Inn is of relevance to employed members and inclusive for those who practice outside the traditional chambers structure. It will work closely with the Membership Committee, Bar Council, Employed Bar Committee, other Inns’ employed groups and the Bar Association for Commerce, Finance and Industry, to ensure that the Employed Bar is supported and listened to.

The society ran a series of events and activities throughout the year, starting with the famous Employed Bar Garden Party on Tuesday 13 June 2023, where around 50 members shared good company over a glass of fizz, with Master Treasurer and Supreme Court Justice, Master David Lloyd-Jones, formally launching the society. We also invited members of the Employed Bar to join us at Private Guest Night on Thursday 20 July 2023, and finally, look forward to our festive drinks in December this year – the date for which will be announced shortly.

As well as fellowship events, we will continue the successful series of seminars of the former Steering Group, on relevant topics which will be of interest to members.  In the past we have organised seminars, both online and in person, on such varied topics as developing your career, applying for silk, sports law and interviews with Master Jonathan Jones and Nick de Marco KC.

The Society’s initial general committee includes:

• Ian Brookes-Howells, senior legal counsel at Lloyds Banking Group, Chair of the Society
• Vincent Coughlin, Serious Fraud Office and Vice Chair of the Society
• Master Helen Mahy, Former General Counsel of National Grid plc.
• Master Michael Jones, Senior Crown Advocate, CPS
• Laurence Fry, former Head of Legal of an energy company now retired.
• Stuart Alford KC, Partner at Latham & Watkins, chair of the Employed Bar Committee, Bar Council

We are looking for your help.

• We want to hear from you; what you would like the Inn to do to support members of the Employed Bar?  
• What would you like the society to do and what type of events would you like us to organise?
• Would you like to help us organise events or join the organising committee?

More information can be found on our web pages at www.middletemple.org.uk.  Please contact either Ian Brookes-Howells at IanDBH@outlook.com or Gabriel Dorey (the Inn’s Membership Administrator) at G.Dorey@middletemple.org.uk for further information.

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