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All Job CategoriesBarrister's clerk
Barrister's clerk
Barrister's clerks run the day to day administration tasks for barristers at offices called chambers.
Average salary (a year)
£20000
Starter
£40000
Experienced
Typical hours (a week)
39.0 to 41.0 hours
a week
Work Hours
evenings / weekends
occasionally
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You can get into this job through:a university course; a college course; an apprenticeship; working towards this role
University
Some employers may expect you to have a university degree. A course in law or a related subject can be useful but is not essential.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
More Information
equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
student finance for fees and living costs|https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
university courses and entry requirements|https://www.ucas.com/
College
You may need to have A levels or equivalent qualifications.
Subjects you could consider include
A level Law, T level in Management and Administration, level 3 Diploma in Business Administration, level 3 Certificate or Diploma in Law or Applied Law
A level Law, T level in Management and Administration, level 3 Diploma in Business Administration, level 3 Certificate or Diploma in Law or Applied Law
Entry requirements
You may need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
More Information
equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
guide to T Levels|https://www.tlevels.gov.uk/
funding advice|https://www.gov.uk/further-education-courses/financial-help
search for courses|/find-a-course
Apprenticeship
You could get into this job through a higher apprenticeship in business administration or a law related higher apprenticeship.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
More Information
equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide
Work
You could start as an admin assistant in a law office and train more on the job to work your way up.
You'll usually need
4 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) or equivalent, including maths and English, experience in administration, legal secretary work, accounting or management
4 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) or equivalent, including maths and English, experience in administration, legal secretary work, accounting or management
Paid or unpaid work experience in barrister chambers may give you an advantage when you apply for jobs.
More Information
Further Information
You can find out more about working as a clerk in a barristers' office from the Institute of Barristers' Clerks.
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
Excellent verbal communication skills
Excellent written communication skills
To be thorough and pay attention to detail
The ability to use your initiative
Administration skills
The ability to work well with others
Legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
The ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
Digital Skills Level
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
Day to day tasks
In this role you could
take books, documents and robes to and from court, prepare, collect and deliver documents by hand, photocopy, file and deal with letters, emails and phone calls, collect fees, handle accounts, invoices and petty cash, organise the law library, manage each barrister's diary and keep their case information up to date, deal with solicitors, clients and their barristers
take books, documents and robes to and from court, prepare, collect and deliver documents by hand, photocopy, file and deal with letters, emails and phone calls, collect fees, handle accounts, invoices and petty cash, organise the law library, manage each barrister's diary and keep their case information up to date, deal with solicitors, clients and their barristers
Working environment
You could work at chambers, in an office or in a court.
With experience, you might become a senior barrister's clerk, chambers director or practice manager.
As a senior clerk, you'll
recruit, train and supervise junior clerks, bring business into chambers, allocate cases to barristers, manage finances and negotiate fees
recruit, train and supervise junior clerks, bring business into chambers, allocate cases to barristers, manage finances and negotiate fees
Job profile data provided by The National Careers Service.
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