The former Chairman of the Bar stresses the importance of barristers' wellbeing
The immediate past Chairman of the Bar for England & Wales, Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC, has recently been elected Head of Atkin Chambers.
What was your route into the profession?
My path to the Bar began with a love for history, politics and debating. I was fortunate enough to meet Rupert Jackson QC, as he then was, at a Middle Temple event at my university. He suggested I consider the Bar. It was the first time I had given it any thought. I was attracted to the advocacy, the intellectual challenge and the freedom the Bar offers but worried about the financial risks involved. But I was lucky and received scholarships including from Middle Temple, which helped me with the costs of the law conversion course and bar school. Today’s students, particularly those looking for a career at the publically funded Bar, face an even greater challenge. However, once introduced to the Bar, I was clear that this was a profession that was challenging, but also great fun. And I have never looked back or regretted this path.
What has been your biggest career challenge so far?
There have been a number of different challenges on the way. I’ve always thought that many things that are worth doing involve a degree of challenge. I could mention any number of cases, involving a tricky area of the law, or a difficult client, or a shifting witness, but these are things which, as an advocate, come with the territory. Challenging in the sense of requiring the exercise of different skills was my role as Chairman of the Bar and now as Head of Chambers. The biggest challenge as Chairman of the Bar was to persuade others outside the legal bubble of the importance of the legal professions and of their professionalism.
Which person within the legal profession inspires you most?
Looking back to the Chambers I did my first pupillage training in, Genevieve Caws QC, who has sadly passed away. In 1992 when I did my pupillage there were very few female QCs and even fewer in the commercial field. She was a pioneer but also highly intelligent, always encouraging and generous with her time, warm, modest and a great role model.
If you weren’t a lawyer, what would you choose as an alternate career?
History was my first love, so probably an academic in history, or a political journalist.
Who is your favourite fictional lawyer?
I prefer the real deal.
What change would you make to the profession?
Enforced holidays? Barristers work incredibly hard and in common with many other professionals find switching off very difficult in this world of iPhones and email. Making sure that you work hard, but also rest hard, is important. At the Bar Council we launched a Wellbeing Portal last year to encourage barristers to better look after themselves. It sounds obvious, but isn’t always. Not strictly a change to the profession but I would reintroduce some legal aid for many of the so-called social welfare areas where legal aid was available before the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (eg family cases, housing, welfare benefits). These cuts have hit the poorest and most vulnerable the hardest and have greatly reduced access to justice in our society. The number of applications to the Bar Pro Bono Unit increased about 30% year-on-year in the period after 2012 and applications in family cases alone rose by 60% in 2015. While the legal profession can undoubtedly do more, it already does a huge amount and pro bono cannot replace what we lost as a result of the legal aid cuts.
How do you relax?
In simple terms, anything that occupies me sufficiently to take my mind off work. Reading (non law!), tennis, time with the family.
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