Exchange Chambers shortlisted for Best Barristers’ Chambers for Training Award

January 26, 2018

Exchange Chambers has been shortlisted for the Best Barristers’ Chambers for Training award by popular British legal news website, Legal Cheek.

Legal Cheek Pupil and Junior Barrister Survey asked more than 500 junior barristers, including pupils, at over 60 leading barristers’ chambers about their experience of training at the bar.

Following analysis of the results, Legal Cheek has now published the shortlist for its 2018 awards which take place at Landing Forty Two, The ‘Cheesegrater’, 122 Leadenhall St, London on Wednesday 14 March.

Exchange Chambers is the only barristers’ Chambers outside London to be shortlisted for the award.

In shortlisting Exchange Chambers, Legal Cheek said:

Northern superset Exchange Chambers offers one of the most civilised introductions to the bar around. Rookie barristers get variety, their own caseload (rather than just little pieces of huge cases that some London sets give their young) and a standard of living that those in the capital can only dream of in their early years.

With more than 150 barristers (among them 17 QCs) split between Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds practising in everything from commercial law to serious injury, public law and crime, Exchange can feel almost law firm-like at times.

But its members remain as stubbornly barristerial as you’d find in the Inns of Court. When we asked one how much support they could expect at work from colleagues, we were told to “Get a grip”!

Fear not, though, this is among the friendliest sets out there, with a training regime that includes “lots of things that they can’t teach you in law school”. A culture that avoids mollycoddling its young, but provides thoughtful instruction and backup when needed, allow pupil and junior barristers’ “initiative and dedication to make the difference”.

To coincide with the launch of its 2019 pupillage process, Exchange Chambers has released a short film discussing the advantages of taking pupillage at a large regional Set rather than in London.  The Northern Powerhouse Set has also launched a new pupillage brochure.

Said Director of Chambers, Tom Handley:

“We are delighted to be recognised as one of the country’s leading Chambers for training.

“We believe that our approach to pupillage is unique and we invest a lot of time in the process.

“Our strength in depth means pupils will experience a wide variety of work from the outset, working with barristers who are leaders in their field. Pupils and junior barristers are in court virtually every day and have the ability to build their own practice and develop their advocacy skills from an early stage.”

To read the Legal Cheek article in full, click here.