Chair of the Young Barristers’ Committee Amelia Clegg was called to the Bar in 2017. She subscribes to the Bar Representation Fee, which helps to fund work across the Bar Council.
Why do you pay the BRF?
I pay the BRF because I have personally benefited from the introduction of the ID Card scheme (I remember what it was like before the scheme was introduced and it was a nightmare!) and the ethical enquiries service. These are things which benefited me even before I joined the Bar Council as a committee member and which have made a real difference to my professional life.
Since joining the Bar Council, as part of both the Young Barristers’ Committee and Employed Barristers’ Committee, I have had the opportunity to see the true breadth of the work undertaken here and I have been continuously impressed by the variety and level of support provided for all barristers, both employed and self-employed.
The training and events support us to develop our skills and practice, and the ethical enquiries service is there when we need to talk through issues. I am always astounded at how many pieces of work the Bar Council are involved with, from responding to consultations, to leading work on tackling bullying and harassment, and promoting the reputation of England and Wales internationally.
How does the BRF particularly support the Young Bar?
Where to start! The BRF funding supports so many projects and services that benefit junior barristers. One that I know is very popular is the Starting at the Bar guide. Starting your practice, whether employed or self-employed, can be daunting and we can suffer from “information overload”. This guide brings together so much helpful information for both self-employed and employed barristers. It really is a thorough introduction to life at the Bar which you can refer to throughout your early career.
Over the last few months, the refreshed Thriving in your first years of practice event series has offered several opportunities for new barristers to get to grips with managing finances, building a brand and gaining confidence in speaking. As part of this series, I was delighted to attend the new networking event which took place on Tuesday 24 March in London. This was a wonderful opportunity for junior barristers to develop our networking skills and expand our circle of support. I have met some of my best friends and mentors at such events and they really help carry you through when you need.
The tagline for the Bar Representation Fee is that it gives you more and nowhere is this more apt than with respect to the Young Bar.
Some may question the value of the fee – what would you say to someone unsure about paying the BRF?
I completely understand that the pressures of starting your practice can feel overwhelming, and that the financial pressures are particularly acute for the self-employed and publicly funded Bar.
Among the payments for insurance, accountants, practising certificates, train fares and much-needed coffees with friends, the BRF can fall way down our list of priorities. However, in my view, the BRF is a small donation that allows the Bar Council to do important work for the benefit of the whole profession, including the appointment of the new Commissioner for Conduct, conducting research into disparities in earnings across the Bar, and preparing responses to immensely consequential proposed legislation such as the current attempt to limit the right to a jury trial. I would urge you all to pay the BRF, not just for yourself but to ensure there is someone there to champion the interests and needs of the profession as a whole.
Amelia Clegg is an employed barrister practising in business crime and regulatory law at BCL Solicitors LLP. She is dual-qualified at the English Bar and as a New York attorney and has experience practising on both sides of the Atlantic.
Amelia is Chair of the Young Barristers’ Committee and Vice Chair of the Employed Barristers’ Committee.
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