Pub Talk

I rarely discuss my work with friends. It is hard enough to give a basic explanation of being “a specialist consultant who works entirely with the publicly funded branch of the legal profession, assisting them to deal with the increasingly difficult regulatory framework”. It’s harder still to discuss what you’ve just been doing (see yesterdays post for example) if it first involves an introduction to bill preparation, cost drafting and taxation before getting to the point. It is also frankly, quite dull to the layman (though why they think I should be interested in the goings on at Hartlepool College of FE is also quite beyond me).
Despite this I found myself discussing the Barristers strike with two teachers and a GP last night. They were incredulous at the rates of pay on offer believing the widely held myths about fat cat lawyers. Having all of us suffered some domestic emergency recently, plumbing, cars, blocked drains etc. they were astounded that the basic preparation rates on Criminal and Civil contract work are around or less than 50 quid an hour. That is, less than can be charged by a recently qualified student with a vocational qualification in one of the trades.
In case you are wondering we have decided to establish a Miners strike style support committee for the Bar. We anticipate regular and successful street bucket collections but are struggling for an equivalent “Coal not Dole” slogan. “Brief not Grief” is our best stab at it so far.

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2 comments on “Pub Talk

  • quite right too!!!

  • Quite right too! Barristers will be leaving in droves, and that will be the end of the independent bar…just what a democratic society needs – all lawyers appointed by the govt…