With growing concerns over wellbeing, workplace culture and attrition rates, the legal profession is at a critical juncture. While solicitors are starting to benefit from enhanced training initiatives following the introduction of the SRA’s Workplace Culture Guidance, the Bar is lagging behind. In this article, I explore the barrister skills gap and how the programmes offered by Coaching Advocates UK: The Bar Pathway can help close it.
Insights From The Solicitor Profession
In February 2022, the SRA published its Workplace Culture Guidance to address growing concerns around bullying, harassment, discrimination and poor mental health within the solicitor profession.
At the time, statistics revealed alarming trends:
- Nearly three-quarters of legal professionals were experiencing mental health issues[1].
- One in two solicitors had encountered workplace bullying[2].
- Over one-third of female solicitors had faced sexual harassment at work[3].
- Nearly a quarter of solicitors with protected characteristics had experienced discrimination[4].
Unsurprisingly, these factors were contributing to high attrition rates, particularly among junior solicitors[5].
The Workplace Culture Guidance therefore required firms to foster more positive, inclusive and supportive workplaces through policy changes, leadership strategies, training initiatives and improved monitoring of practices. It also encouraged individual practitioners to speak out against discrimination and bullying. As a result, firms have increasingly invested in targeted training initiatives to better support their employees.
I regularly deliver such training to solicitors at all levels on topics including optimising performance, stress management and self-leadership skills. Aside from providing practitioners with effective strategies to help manage their practices, one of the most rewarding aspects of this work is providing a psychologically safe space where they feel comfortable enough to open up about their challenges.
But every time I finish a session, I question – why is this level of support not widely available for barristers?
Why The Bar Should Follow Suit
Looking back, this kind of training would have been invaluable to me at the Bar. Before becoming a barrister, my experience was limited to traditional 9-to-5 roles – I had never run a business nor navigated the challenges of being both a leader and an expert. Yet suddenly, I was self-employed, juggling the demands of practice while trying to establish myself in a highly competitive environment. Although my pupillage supervisors were very supportive, the culture of stoicism at the Bar more generally made it difficult to speak up about challenges or get clear guidance on exactly what I was expected to know on a practical front. I therefore often felt like I was in a ‘sink or swim’ situation. Then, as a junior tenant, CPD events tended to focus heavily on substantive law rather than the practical skills training I could have really benefitted from.
Ultimately, there is no hiding from the fact that the Bar is plagued by many of the same challenges as the solicitor profession. Recent statistics from the Wellbeing at the Bar Report 2024[6] show that:
- Nearly half of barristers have experienced bullying, harassment or discrimination at work.
- Almost one-third report that they are struggling to cope.
- Nearly a quarter of junior barristers express a desire to leave the profession altogether.
Addressing these issues would benefit both individual barristers and Chambers as a whole. It would improve retention (a key concern given the significant investment in pupils) while also enhancing the productivity, long-term sustainability and overall competitiveness of sets.
Of course, implementing change at a macro level is no small task though. Most chambers are not legal entities, do not have centralised reporting structures, nor HR departments and the BSB regulates individual barristers rather than chambers. Yet, progress is possible.
Over the past decade, the Bar Council’s Wellbeing at the Bar program[7] has provided resources, training and guidance to help barristers navigate the pressures of self-employment and legal practice. It has also encouraged Chambers to adopt wellbeing initiatives. A significant milestone came in 2017 with the introduction of the Wellbeing Certificate of Recognition, designed to reward Chambers that actively support barristers’ wellbeing.
While this is a commendable step forward, it is not enough on its own to effect long-term change. The certification process does not mandate specific training, only a small proportion of Chambers have signed up to date and without further action, there is a very real risk that it will become a tick-box exercise rather than a lasting commitment.
Paving The Way Forward
Barristers have more access to essential skills training now than in the past, but there is still a long way to go. Firstly, such training needs to be much more visible. Secondly, very few training providers are led by barristers who are also experienced coaches and facilitators. Through my extensive work training solicitors, I have seen firsthand how combining legal experience with professional development skills significantly enhances the impact and effectiveness of training. Thirdly, many of these training initiatives are only offered on an ad hoc basis.
To help bridge this gap, Cath Brown, Luke Menzies and I (all fellow barristers turned coaches and facilitators) have partnered with Coaching Advocates UK (a coaching and training organisation for lawyers) to launch Coaching Advocates UK: The Bar Pathway. Our mission is simple: to ensure barristers receive the training and support they need throughout their career – not just to survive, but to truly thrive.
What sets us apart is that we offer practical, evidence-based and comprehensive training aligned with the BSB core competencies which is designed by barristers for barristers. We can therefore ensure relevance, impact and real value in every session.
Our programmes are designed to support practitioners at every level, from pupils to silks, with a focus on three key areas:
- Self-Leadership: Helping barristers develop the skills needed for effective practice leadership.
- Practice Management: Equipping barristers with strategies to enhance efficiency and excel in business development.
- Wellbeing: Enabling barristers to achieve success in a healthy and sustainable way.
For individual barristers, we offer interactive webinars covering key skills whilst fulfilling the learning objectives on their CPD Plan (whether as a New or Established Practitioner).
For Chambers, we provide in-house training, customised to support pupils, clerks and tenants alike. Our programmes also assist Chambers in meeting the Bar Council’s Wellbeing Certificate criteria.
Contact
If you’re interested in learning more about our training programmes for 2025, please get in touch via the link below:
Coaching Advocates UK: The Bar Pathway
Coaching Advocates UK: The Bar Pathway – Coaching Advocates
If you are an individual barrister and feel you are struggling, please know you can also reach out to the Bar Council’s free and confidential Bar Assistance Programme for immediate support:
https://www.wellbeingatthebar.org.uk/assistance-programme
By Max Wilson
Coach and Trainer
(www.maxwilsoncoaching.com)
[1] Life in the Law LawCare Report 2020/2021
[2] Law Society Survey 2019
[3] Junior Lawyers Division Survey 2019
[4] Law Society Diversity and Inclusion Survey 2019
[5] Junior Lawyers Division Survey2019
[6] Wellbeing at the Bar Report 2024