42BR Barristers

Perhaps the jewels in the 42BR crown are their employment and family teams. One tenant tells us “42BR has great relationships with leading employment law firms – there is plenty of solid work coming through the door”. Tenants work across the full spectrum of employment law and are highly respected in this field. This work can range from claims of unfair dismissal to discrimination to whistleblowing protection. One recent example of this interesting and important work came in the form of Aysha Ahmad representing a primary school in a case against a teacher accused of threatening to whack her students.

In the family law team, members again work across the spectrum of family law, but have particular expertise in children law. One junior tells us: “I often deal with complex children matters following the breakdown of a relationship”. Five of the set’s eight KCs belong to the family team, adding to its strength and depth.

The personal injury and clinical negligence teams also houses a silk, Lisa Henderson KC — who has worked on numerous multi-million-pound settlements over the years. The work here ranges from road traffic accidents to industrial disease. The inquests & inquiries team has worked on a number of significant inquiries including members being instructed as counsel to The Sandilands Croydon Tram Disaster Inquest and on the inquest into the death of a police sergeant shot by a person in custody.

The recently added animal welfare team sees family silk Damian Woodward-Carlton KC wear two hats. The team was founded post-Brexit and in light of the new Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022, and continues to build a strong reputation in this growing area.

All in all, the work on offer at 42BR is varied and exciting, with one tenant describing their work as “adrenaline-fuelled”. Another goes further, stating that “every case is different and every client is different. If you are interested in people, their backgrounds, their relationships and how they function in society, it is certainly stimulating. It allows you to perform a wonderful variety of different tasks/roles/skills, including advocacy, negotiation, writing, analysis, research, case management and strategy. Life at the family bar is always stimulating and never dull or monotonous.”

Tenants who mix and match practices seem to be especially pleased with their work, with one telling us: “I am a member of two practice areas and they both offer a complimenting and varied practice”. Whether a specialist or generalist, however, the work is said to be “varied, relevant, and challenging”, with one jolly junior simply stating, “I just love it”. Difficult praise to beat!

As ever at the bar, striking a good work-life balance can be a struggle. One junior at the set tells us: “as ever, work feels like feast or famine, but the reality is a pretty steady stream of work. Mid-trial, there is little work-life balance but if your diary goes quiet then taking a day off to compensate for those late nights and weekends is fine — indeed, encouraged”.

The clerks are said to be very supportive, with one tenant describing them as “probably the best there are”. Another junior tells us: “the clerks are fantastic at making sure we get as good a balance as we need”, and that “there is never any pressure to do more work than you’re happy to do. Our chambers are very conscious of the importance of a healthy work-life balance and they have been providing massage sessions for a long time as part of the focus on the wellbeing of its members. I feel that I am working in a very supportive environment.”

Ultimately, work-life balance seems to be a matter of personal choice and need. One female tenant confides: “I’m a working mum and I have had the most amazing support when I have childcare to sort, working reduced hours or days. It’s so flexible. There is no judgement. It is just how it is supposed to be”. Others set’s in-house mentoring programme and the heads of each team and heads of chambers, all of whom are described as being “very supportive about work-life balance”. In short, “you are free to make your own way without judgement or pressure.” What more could you ask for?

As well as the clerks, the tenants at 42BR are said to be a supportive bunch. We hear that there are WhatsApp groups for each practice team where tenants help each other out and arrange socials. One tenant tells us: “we have a lively practice WhatsApp group where you can get anything from the inside track on what a judge is like to a detailed answer to a technical question. If you need a more in-depth answer you can always find a colleague available to chat on the phone or in chambers”. Another tenant, who has moved to 42BR from another set, confides: “as a large common law set there is a huge pool of possible support. In the family group we offer in-house training, mentoring, social events, and a hands-on approach to helping each other — it’s not always like 42BR”. Across the board fellow barristers describe each other as “fantastic”, “highly supportive”, and “responsive”.

When it comes to socialising together there is plenty on offer for the budding socialite. Monthly drinks, team socials and other regular gatherings, both in and out of London are all options. There are also a range of marketing events with internal training sessions on the roster for those wishing to blend their personal and professional lives. One rookie even notes that some less formal events come with dinner provided, most recently a “wonderful paella”. Of course, it’s not for everyone. One tenant jokes “there are some people who never engage and others who’d turn up to the opening of an envelope. You choose how you want your chambers’ life to go and there is no impact on your development either way”.

In terms of 42BR’s location, they are situated just around the corner from Lincoln’s and Gray’s Inns and, after a recent move, are crushing cases from a swanky modern premises. The new chambers is “specially designed” with “every member of chambers involved in deciding what we wanted in our new premises, what sort of workspaces, technology and design.” This barrister-led refurbishment, we’re told, has resulted in an environment that can only be described as “lush”, although others have added “highly functional”, “extremely well-equipped”, and “the perfect mixture of modern interior work spaces with historic exterior” to the list. Some juniors even go as far as to suggest they “very much enjoy” coming into chambers. Alongside the luxury coffee machines, law students will be particularly excited to hear that the stationary room is, “almost tantalisingly”, open for barristers to dip into.

Whilst the building is great, the award for most popular staff member at 42BR has to go to Ronnie Gurr, IT manager. He is described by barristers as “excellent”, “dedicated”, and “a superstar who patiently deals with every query.” The overall IT support receives similar praise, with juniors very happy with the “timely” and “prompt” support on offer “24/7”. There is also regular training on offer to ensure safety and compliance in a world with increasing cyber security risks.

Those looking to apply for pupillage at 42BR should make their application through the Pupillage Gateway. After the initial paper sift, prospective pupils are put through two rounds of interviews. The first is very short, lasting around 10 minutes. This, 42BR says, is primarily designed to allow the interviewers to get to know the candidate better. The questions focus on what applicants are currently doing, and what they hope to be doing in the future. Legal knowledge is not assessed at this stage. In round two, a shortlist of candidates are put through their paces in a 30 minute session, part of which focuses on a topic provided shortly before the interview, and part of which focussed on ethical problems and how best to approach them.

For the lucky pair that make it through the process, the set offers an award of £40,000, in addition to guaranteed earnings in the second six of at least £15,000. Pupils can expect to see a broad range of practice areas during pupillage, and can express their preference for particular practice areas. This will be taken into account where possible. In their second six, pupils will appear in court in their own right – we hear that being on your feet around three times a week is the average – which provides fantastic advocacy experience. Training doesn’t stop at pupillage either, with a range of in-house and external seminars also on offer into tenancy.

Another positive to add to the list of 42BR is that the pupillage year does not contain any formally assessed work or activities, and doesn’t pitch recruits against each other to fight for tenancy spots. That’s not to say that pupils won’t be informally assessed, although the goal of this is to ensure rookies are on track, and to receive as much useful feedback as possible across the year.

42BR are proud to support the 10,000 Black Interns Initiative, participate in the London Legal Walk and support Advocate, as well as CHICKS children’s charity, which provides free breaks for disadvantaged children all over the UK. The set also encourages its barristers to participate in pro bono work.

I studied Law at Newcastle University, and after graduating, I travelled Australia before living and working in New Zealand. It was invaluable to experience a foreign jurisdiction based on our common law system. While there, I volunteered for Barnardo’s and worked for the New Zealand Government, gaining exposure to unique insights such as Māori focused family justice system reforms.

After returning to the UK, I researched the career paths of junior barristers and noticed that many had spent time at the Law Commission of England and Wales. I was fortunate to secure the research assistant role and joined the automated vehicles team. The project culminated in a final report which directly informed the Automated Vehicles Act 2024. It was a fantastic introduction to legal analysis, policy development and legislative reform.

I applied for pupillage once before being successful. I carefully reflected on my applications and identified what was missing. To address my limited experience in courtroom advocacy, I entered mooting competitions at my Inn and sought every possible opportunity to practise my oral advocacy. This made a significant difference to the number of interviews I obtained.

The pupillage experience

I applied to 42BR because of its strength across practice areas and the opportunity to gain experience in both civil and family law. I wanted a well-rounded training programme that would let me explore different areas of law.

My first six was split into two parts. For the first three months, I was with a civil supervisor and spent much of my time in Employment Tribunal hearings. I prepared cross-examination questions and also written closing submissions, which I then compared against my supervisor’s work. This side-by-side feedback was invaluable. In addition, I assisted a personal injury barrister with his live cases, including drafting pleadings and advice, which gave me an early introduction to written work for clients.
For the second three months, I moved into family law. I shadowed my supervisor almost daily in care proceedings, observing the cross-examination of parents, social workers, and expert witnesses. It was eye-opening to see how different barristers adapted their style to each witness.

When I started my second six, I was nervous to appear before a judge on my own. I spent a lot of time preparing and reading textbooks the night before my hearings. Initially, I had several days to prepare for hearings, but by the end of pupillage I was often in court four or five days a week, covering everything from housing possession claims to civil applications and small claims trials. The gradual build-up gave me confidence and I learnt to become much more efficient.

One of the aspects I valued most at 42BR was the non-competitive pupillage structure. Pupils are assessed on their own merit, not against each other. This created a collaborative environment — my co-pupil and I shared notes, compared experiences, and supported one another rather than feeling in competition. It also made an already challenging year far more enjoyable!

The transition from pupil to tenant

For me, the biggest jump came between first and second six, when I started on my feet. By the time tenancy arrived, the change felt far less dramatic. I had already been treated like a future tenant throughout pupillage by the clerks and colleagues. The only material difference was paying chambers’ contributions, being included in internal correspondence and having a formal say in chambers’ decisions.

Tenancy felt more like a natural next step than a cliff edge. I was doing much of the same work as I had in my second six, but with more independence over the type of work I wanted to do and with added complexity. What made the transition smoother was the continued support. Colleagues have always been generous with their time whenever I needed a second opinion or bit of reassurance.

What is your practice like now?

My practice is still split across chambers’ main areas including employment, housing and personal injury. Typically, I am in court four to five days a week, with one substantial piece of written work to complete. Managing deadlines and juggling competing priorities is part of daily life, but with experience I have become more efficient at diary management including taking well-deserved holidays!

The clerks play a key role in developing my practice. We have regular practice meetings to discuss the type of cases I am instructed on, what I enjoy, and where I want my career to go. This has helped me shape my workload, gradually stepping away from areas that interest me less and focusing more on those I want to specialise in.

Importantly, my work-life balance has improved since pupillage. The intensity of the pupillage year has given way to greater control over my diary and a better sense of how to manage my time.

What is the culture of chambers?

42BR is a very friendly and supportive set. During pupillage, if I had a question, I could ask the clerks to put me in touch with someone more senior and colleagues were always willing to take time to help.
Each practice area has a WhatsApp group, which is incredibly useful for quick questions, urgent points in court, or sounding out difficult legal arguments. Even silks will contribute, which speaks volumes about the collegiality within chambers.

Our new building next to Chancery Lane is modern and purpose-built to encourage interaction. The hot-desking area is often busy with barristers working alongside one another, creating opportunities to chat, seek advice, or just share experiences. Chambers also organises monthly drinks and regular practice group events, which provide plenty of opportunities to socialise and maintain a sense of community.

At every level — from junior tenants to KCs, and from clerks to staff — I have always felt genuinely listened to, supported and truly valued as a member of chambers.

Top tips for those wanting to become a barrister/secure a pupillage at your chambers

Show both interest and openness. At 42BR, pupils are expected to accept instructions across the full range of practice areas. If you have a strong interest in one area, make sure to evidence that, but also demonstrate flexibility.

Be yourself. In interviews, the most persuasive candidates are those who speak about what genuinely interests them rather than what they think the panel wants to hear. Chambers are recruiting future colleagues and personality fit is often just as important as CVs.

Use feedback wisely. If you are not successful the first time, treat it as an opportunity to refine your application. Identifying and addressing gaps – whether in advocacy, drafting, or legal experience — will only strengthen your application next time.