Sir, – As a newly qualified barrister, I take great issue with Paul O’Higgins’s claim that “the costs of entry and set-up to the barrister’s profession are minimal” (Law Times, July 18th). If you have a qualifying law degree, you will pay €600 to complete the entrance exams at King’s Inn and then €12,560 for the one-year full-time course. However, if you don’t have a qualifying degree, you will pay another €10,050 (including application fee) for the two-year diploma course beforehand. At least after the course you will be earning money, right? No. One year of unpaid devilling, to rack up the debt further, is compulsory; with recent competition, two years are more common. Bearing in mind the annual cost of living for a student in Dublin is €7,691 (source Daft.ie), this adds a considerable chunk to the debt. There is also the cost of a wig, gown and basic law books (about €750).
So, to summarise, if you are at the moment a graduate with a history degree then, calculating the fees, equipment, and cost of living, you will have paid close to €65,000 before you even begin to work as a sole-trader barrister. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – As a fledgling Irish member of the Bar of England and Wales, I must beg to enlighten my learned compatriot, Mr O’Higgins, on an additional merit of the chambers system of which he is so dismissive.
A set of chambers in England and Wales comprises fully independent, self-employed barristers, who choose to pool some of their financial resources not only to furnish themselves with clerks and research facilities (these are in addition to the libraries of each inn of court), often to offer an expertise in particular areas of law (to the absolute benefit of the consumer), but also, crucially, to nurture the next generation of barristers.
The Bar is everywhere an oversubscribed profession; at least the UK competition for pupillage is a strict meritocracy, and ensures quality of practitioner – again, to the advantage of the consumer. It is a UK Bar Council requirement that pupillages be fully funded, often generously so, and the chambers system provides vital support to the budding practitioner, with many sets even guaranteeing earnings for the first few years of practice. This may come at a higher price to the individual barrister – chambers fees are usually a percentage of income – but to the greater advantage and improvement of the profession as a whole.
The Irish Bar and the public good are far better served by a Bar that focuses on the profession as a community rather than one of individual interests. – Yours, etc,