Has anyone retrained as a Barrister at 50?

[theclevercuttlefish]

I’ve been looking at the requirements and they don’t seem too onerous.

Not saying you shouldn’t do it, @theclevercuttlefish. In my fifties I fell headlong into a postgrad degree in a completely new (to me) subject - the consequences have definitely been an adventure for me.

Curious why you used to love your psychology job now hate it?

@ElectricCaterpillar I never said I hated it. Dislike it very much / bored / not what I want to spend my life doing any more. Why? Time / age / experience, I expect.

You want to give people access to justice which is admirable. However most of the areas where you really make a difference are very poorly funded. Criminal law, housing, immigration, family law can all be difficult to make a living from. At 50 do you have a mortgage, dependents etc. if not then go for it. If you need to earn a certain amount then it could be difficult. If you are determined get yourself several mini-pupillages, go and sit in court watching cases and speak to pupils to see if the reality is what you are looking for. Good luck.

I wonder if you’ve looked at going into the police? Apparently there’s a direct route into CID these days. I’ve never looked at it but could be worth a look.

Alternatively, become a magistrate?

Naomi Cunningham's father retrained as a barrister at 60 and managed to get a pupillage. However if you read her description of the impact it had on their family it might put you off, especially if you have children.

Both Naomi and Jane Russell (opposing barrister in the Sandie Peggie case) have commented on being bored at around your age. It's on this thread https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5376608-nhs-fife-tries-to-silence-nurse-sandie-peggie-vs-nhs-fife-health-board-and-dr-beth-upton-thread-33?page=35&reply=145835940

I assume that pupillage aren't still unpaid? I tempted in a Chambers for a while a long time ago and was horrified to learn I was paid more than the Pupils.

I've looked it up now, the minimum is under minimum wage!

Pupillage: what to expect during your training year | Prospects.ac.uk share.google/KWuxjsQwGrwnzgnUR

Are you a registered member of the GMC? You could be a Medical Member of a Tribunal Panel?

This was the selection round in 2024 which sets out the requirements. I don’t know how often they hold selection round though.

https://apply.judicialappointments.digital/vacancy/lB0dht6mY4kSXTQusGqd/

I know 2 people who retrained as barristers but one was a Big Four tax partner and one was a partner in a city firm of solicitors, so in both cases the unpaid pupillage wasn’t a monetary problem, and the career change part was not too much of a change.

Nowhere does unpaid pupillage these days, although it ranges from about 25k-80k I believe.

This is a really good idea

I clicked on this thread to check if there was a typo in the title. I can’t think of anything worse than starting at the very bottom of a tough and fiercely competitive career at the age of 50. As PP mentioned, you’re looking at 3 years of studying/training then a good 10-15 years before you’re making decent money. Which takes you right up to retirement age. If becoming a barrister is what you really really want, then of course you can go for it, but it won’t be easy. Good luck.

I’m guessing in both cases, these were individuals who were younger than 50? Also the law partner wouldn’t have had to do a law degree / conversion course which shortens the transition somewhat.

Regardless of age they were likely bringing clients with them so probably avoided some of the worst elements of pupilage.

everything said by others is true but I would add that despite the fact that the pupilage experience has improved dramatically since I did mine it’s still pretty old fashioned. Barristers are self employed and whilst they work within a chambers, policies are often vague and poorly enforced. It’s not unusual to spend a significant amount of time acting as a general dogsbody in your 1st VI and there’s definitely a preference for young grads who are likely to be more accepting of being treated poorly.

Honestly? At 50 I would be looking at a more meaningful career change or using your current professional skills for a charity or volunteering role, or sitting on the board of something you are passionate about. It sounds that you are very struck with the exclusivity of a barrister's career. The medical board role sounds perfect.

@theclevercuttlefish you mention still being self employed but in a chamber’s environment?

How much rent are you paying for your workplace now - as a percentage of your income?

Because what I remember - painfully - from my time as a tenant is that I was liable for an amount of chambers rent that was generally considerably more than I was billing. And whereas the rent had to be paid now, payment of my miserable fees was pretty much a pipe dream.

As I said - if you’re happy to live on your savings it’ll be fine. If not - you may eventually find yourself glancing enviously at the checkout staff in Tesco, ruminating on how fortunate they are not to have to pay for the lighting and heat in the building they’re working in …

I personally know someone who did. He was a teacher and a prison education officer for 30 years and retrained as a barrister in his 50s, about 25 years ago. He got pupillage and then once qualified set up on his own. I don’t think he set the legal world alight but it paid the bills.
I also met someone who was also a teacher, with a science PhD. He qualified in his 50s too and was very successful at the chancery bar. He practised into his 80s.
In academia there’s quite a lot who have moved across but it’s not quite as challenging for them to get pupillage as they are already lawyers, often highly respected by practitioners and have a lot of contacts.
The ones I have seen where it’s worked out have had careers like teaching, research, police (at a senior level) and doctors.
What area were you thinking of going into OP?

Wow just looked up the chancery guy as I assumed he would have passed away by now. In fact he’s apparently still practising. He was called to the bar at age 51 and that was in 1983, making him now 93 years old. Blimey. He is an outstanding person though - really special and it comes across.
Good luck OP.

I’m not sure chambers would offer pupillage to someone of your age, having no legal background.

Would you consider training as a mediator? It might be a good fit for your interests in justice and psychology background. Nb though that at the higher end mediators tend also to be legally qualified, so worth researching how far you would be able to take it.

I have a vague recollection that my former Director of Studies at uni moved to the Bar around the time I was thinking of leaving … It obviously is a different matter if you’re bringing something of tangible value to the work.

The solicitor was definitely over 50. Although as you say, transition period was pretty short. This is pretty recent and when I spoke to him I got the distinct impression that at least 3 months of the pupillage was unpaid, although it probably wasn’t spelled out so he could just have been talking about a big drop in income from being a partner!

The Big 4 partner - to be fair yes, probably in their 40s rather than 50. And it was around 15 years ago at least.

At some chambers, most of the recent tenants are former solicitors who have cross qualified. It doesn’t really “count” as qualifying late and is very different to those who have had a non legal career. They will have a bank of clients, will be fully up to speed on law and are often offered as good value for money for clients as they in fact have years, sometimes decades of legal experience. So the OP definitely can’t put herself in the same bracket as former solicitors in terms of how easy the transition will be.

Ah, he may have had certain exemptions from formal pupillage (being a practising lawyer already) which meant he could do more of a third six / squatting (hate that term) type arrangement to see if chambers wanted him and vice versa rather than the full formal year long training which are all funded now. OP would have to do the full one obv

Thank you for each of the comments / posts, much appreciated.

I enjoyed the reference to Naomi Cunningham and her father, I love NC.

And something for all of us - if we think we can or think we can’t, we’re probably right..