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Vocalise - student-led debate training in prisons across London

Vocalise is a unique volunteering opportunity - a student-led programme providing debate training to prisons across London .

Administered by Gray's Inn, but students from all four Inns can sign up to become a mentor.

Why apply?
Vocalise offers a lot to anyone wanting to become a barrister, including:

  • Debating and advocacy skills: Even if you’ve tried mooting, debating is a very different skillset and style of speaking that can complement and develop your advocacy in another area.
  • Interview material: Going into prisons and interacted with prisoners is something that can really interest both criminal bar sets and sets generally in your pupillage interviews.
  • Learning opportunities: A huge part of succeeding at the Bar is having a real interest in what you do and who you work with. For anyone interested in criminal justice reform and related topics, this is a great way to see the system up close.
  • Teaching skills: Teaching is harder than most people think, and overlaps with a lot of what barristers need to do – breaking down concepts to explain to others concisely and simply.
  • Mock pupillage interviews: We arrange mock pupillage interviews as a thank you for all our volunteers, conducted by a range of barristers and pupils at both criminal and civil sets.
  • Even more importantly than what it can do for you, this is also an incredible opportunity to make a difference. Prison isn’t normally an environment where people stop and take the time to listen. Helping prison inmates develop their advocacy skills and confidence helps them with life inside and after prison.

Full details HERE

Interested candidates should complete THIS FORM by 11:59pm on 20th October 2024.

BACFI Michaelmas Events

Webinar: “The UK Budget 2024 – How Will This Impact Your Financial Planning?”

Wednesday 13 November 2024 | 18:00 | MS Teams

Mark Quaye of Marque Wealth Management will be looking at how the October budget will affect your finances in both the long and short term.

This webinar is free for all to attend but please register by email and the link will be sent to you.

Please contact events@bacfi.org to reserve your space.

 

Annual General Meeting

Wednesday 20 November 2024 | 18:00 | MS Teams

The meeting will be preceded by a talk by Barbara Mills KC, Chair Elect of the Bar for 2025.

Non- members welcome. The event is free to all. If you wish to attend you MUST register in advance by email: events@bacfi.org or call 07507237218 and the Teams invitation will be sent to you.

 

The Denning Lecture 2024

Tuesday 3rd December | 18:00 | The Lecture Theatre, Inner Temple

To be given by: The Rt Hon Lady Justice Andrews DBE

Chaired by: James Kitching (Vice Chair, BACFI)

This event is free for all to attend but you must register beforehand as there are limited spaces available. To register or if you have any queries, please email events@bacfi.org

To be followed by:

The BACFI Christmas Reception

19:00 - 21:00

Tickets for the reception are available at a cost of £45 for BACFI members and their guests and £55 for non-members.

Please contact events@bacfi.org to reserve your space.

 

Professional Negligence Bar Association - Essay Competition

All prize winners will be offered work experience in one of the Chambers of the PNBA’s Executive Committee.

The PNBA have launched an essay competition in honour of Baroness Carr, Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, and President of the PNBA. 

The competition is aimed at law students who have not yet secured the next step in their legal careers (for example) a pupillage or training contract and with a view to fostering interest in professional negligence law.

The title for 2024-2025 is “General use of the six-stage test for negligence set out in MGT/Meadows [2021] UKSC 21 would clearly improve the law in this area”

The top three essays will be given to Baroness Carr to choose the eventual winner. The winner’s essay will be published in the Journal of Professional Negligence.

Timeline and key dates

  • 7 October 2024: competition opens
  • 5 November 2024: competition closes
  • January 2025: prize winners announced

Prizes

The competition prizes are available in the following categories:

  • The winner: £200 and publication in Journal of Professional Negligence.
  • The runner-up: £150
  • Third place: £100

All prize winners will be offered work experience in one of the Chambers of the PNBA’s Executive Committee.

See here for the competition’s rules and here for the plagiarism policy.

Here is the link to the PNBA website where you can find the same information.

Master James Flynn In Memoriam

It is with much regret that we report the death of our Middle Temple Bencher, James Flynn KC, who passed away on 10 October, aged 68 years.

He is survived by his wife Anna, their daughter Olivia and his son and daughter, Hugo and Harriet 

We will circulate more information once the notification is received.

 

Sir Christopher Ghika

14 October 2024

 

How to make a career at the Planning & Environmental Bar

Interested in working on issues relating to the environment, the development of key infrastructure and public law?

How to make a career at the Planning & Environmental Bar

This evening event is organised by the Planning & Environment Bar Association (PEBA) with the generous support of the Inner Temple.

Date & Time: Monday 11th November 2024, 6.30pm – 9pm

Venue: In person at the Lecture Theatre, Inner Temple, Crown Office Row, London EC4Y 7HL or online. 

Who is this event for?: The event is primarily aimed at university and bar students interested in hearing about a potential career at the planning and environmental bar. There is a minimum age requirement of 18 for those attending in person.

With building homes and key infrastructure and protecting the environment at the top of the political and legal agendas, the evening will give an insight into a career at the planning and environmental bar and the fascinating opportunities it provides to people from all backgrounds and walks of life. 

The speakers will include junior and senior barristers who will share their experiences and provide guidance on how to get pupillage and then build a career in one of the most exciting, rewarding and topical areas of work at the bar.  Information will also be available on the mentoring scheme established by a number of chambers, in conjunction with PEBA, which provides mentors to groups presently under-represented at the planning, property, public and environmental law Bar.

The talks will be followed by a drinks reception with the opportunity for more informal discussion with leading barristers from all the main sets of chambers undertaking this work.

For more information, and to sign up to attend, please visit the PEBA website.

Inner Temple Talk and Reception | Lord Ken Macdonald KC

Tuesday 29 October
18:00: Talk
18:30: Q&A
19:00: Reception and bowl food supper
Location: The Inner Temple and online
 
Lord Ken Macdonald KC discusses his career and opportunities at the Employed Bar.
 
Call 1978; Silk 1997; Inner Temple Bencher 2003. A founder member of Matrix Chambers, he was appointed a Recorder of the Crown Court in 2001 and elected Chairman of the Criminal Bar Association in 2003. Later that year he became Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the first prominent defence lawyer to have been appointed to that post.

Completing his term as DPP in 2008, he became a trustee of Index on Censorship, the leading free expression advocacy group, and was appointed Chair of Reprieve, the anti-death penalty organisation, in succession to Lord Bingham of Cornhill. He was appointed a Deputy High Court Judge in 2010, and became a member of the House of Lords in the same year.

Tickets: In-person £10; In-person Students £5, Online £5
Open to: Members of the Inns
Book: Employed Bar Forum booking link
Non-Inner Temple members: Scroll beneath the Members Login box and click Add Ticket.

Paralegal sought for Boutique Law LLP

Paralegal sought for Boutique Law LLP, which is a small business crime firm based in Gray’s Inn to work primarily on defence preparation in connection with a large SFO prosecution. Starting November / December 2024. Minimum 6-month commitment (3-month trial period) but could be extended to a year or longer. Pay £37,500 per annum and 25 days’ paid holiday per annum (plus bank holidays). Hours 9.30- 5.30pm Monday to Friday in our offices in Gray’s Inn, but flexibility may be needed as we are a litigation practice. There is the possibility of working from home 1-2 days per week if preferred, and subject to business needs. We are looking for someone who has finished a law degree or conversion course. Completion of the BPTC or LPC and / or document review experience would be helpful, but is not essential. The position will involve extensive electronic document review, practical case management and involvement in other aspects of casework. It would be excellent experience for someone wanting to become a solicitor or barrister in due course. If you would like to apply, please email a CV and short covering letter by Monday 11 November 2024 to Anand Doobay on anand@boutique.law . 

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