Tanfield Chambers

Barristers here find themselves representing everyone, “from local authority tenants to CEOs of multinational corporations” as one insider notes. What’s more, there is often a real “sense of responsibility” as the outcome of a case that you are working on can have an enormous impact on someone’s life. One example is possession work which juniors are routinely involved in, which can see people evicted from their homes.

When it comes to legal interest, insiders tell us that property work provides “constant intellectual engagement”. As one barrister explains: “property law is endlessly interesting, and often a case can turn on a small point of construction”. For those law students who have enjoyed technical analysis, property law may suit them perfectly. It is certainly not for the faint of heart: a junior at the set summarises that property law is “a very technical but very satisfying area to work in” whilst another concurs that it is “difficult and time-consuming but almost never boring”.

Given their reputation in the market, Tanfield’s barristers often work on some of the biggest cases in property law. Most recently, Philip Rainey KC and Mark Loveday acted for the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP) in a landmark Supreme Court decision that has set a new precedent for the approach courts take when dealing with minor procedural errors whilst attempting to comply with property statutes. Iain Mitchell KC has also been busy with a novel test case applying the Consumer Rights Act 2015 in regards to seeking refunds after use, and Andrew Butler KC has taken part in a briefing to Parliament on the Renters Reform Bill. Butler also recently appeared in an important High Court case alongside Hugh Rowan concerning the interpretation of shareholder pre-emption rights, and has taken over as head of chambers alongside Philip Rainey KC — busy year!

Whilst property is certainly the jewel in Tanfield’s crown, there are some other practice areas worked on by tenants. Banking and finance, professional negligence, and commercial disputes are examples of growing areas at the set. There are also tenants working in completely different areas such as matrimonial finance. Property does, however, remain at the crux of the set, and any aspiring pupil should have a property focus.

Given that they are a property set, it’s perhaps unsurprising that there are plans for Tanfield’s own premises to be “refurbed lavishly”. Whilst the rooms are “large and comfortable”, chambers is said to be “a bit tired after 13 years” and “in need of a spruce up” — we’re looking forward to the end result! Tanfield has already totally revamped its software, meaning members “can now work from anywhere with instant access to our documents and files” and the outsourced IT support is said to be “generally pretty quick to respond and effective in finding appropriate solutions”

In fact, chambers seems to be suffering from its own success a little. Tanfield’s tech revolution was so good that barristers are working from home much more, meaning chambers’ social life isn’t what it once was. “Pretty good, but I’m an old fart so I don’t get invited out to the pub much any more” said one seasoned tenant when questioned about the social scene. Juniors are optimistic this is slowly picking up with “regular drinks and junior junior curries” on the cards – maybe it’s time for an invite-all policy!

Old fart or not, everyone at Tanfield is said to foster a “collegiate atmosphere” in chambers. “We all try to support each other with both our work and issues that arise in the course of practice” notes one. Juniors describe it as “a strong group” with “lots of people who go out of their way to provide time, advice, and support when you have a tricky legal problem”. Even if they are not coming into chambers, this support is provided over Microsoft Teams.

When it comes to work-life balance, it is inevitably a struggle at the bar. As one junior puts it: “I work very long hours but that is the job”. Another adds that it is the “usual tightrope between maintaining a good practice and sleep”. The balance does, however, appear to be better at Tanfield than at many other leading sets. One tenant confides: “I have plenty of work, but I also get to collect my children from school most days” and adds that they are “very happy with the balance at Tanfield”. There’s said to be an “open attitude to people’s lives and priorities are evident in the tailored approach they take to each individual’s practice.” We’re also told that the clerking team is “acutely aware of the need to make sure we work hard and make time for our families.” As one sage member puts it: “you can do as much work as you want, but there is not too much pressure to take on work if you have other commitments.” We also hear that pupils are forbidden from working in chambers beyond 6pm!

Speaking of pupillage, those lucky enough to secure it at Tanfield can expect to sit with three supervisors throughout the course of the year, allowing them to see a range of work. During the first six, you will focus on improving skills such as opinion writing as well as observing your supervisors and other members of chambers in court. In the second six, you can expect to be on your feet, taking on small cases such as possession work. One junior at the set tells us that “the practising second-six is a great way to cut your teeth while still having the support of your supervisor”. The training during pupillage is generally highly-rated, with past pupils saying that it “set them up well” for tenancy.

Those considering applying should make their application through the pupillage gateway. The application forms are anonymised and marked, with around 20 of the highest-scoring candidates being invited to an interview. The interview consists of two parts: a discussion and analysis of a legal problem shown to candidates 30 minutes before the interview, and a competency-based interview consisting of competency-based, situational, biographical, and ethical questions. In total, the interview lasts around an hour. The approximately five highest scoring candidates from the interview will be sent an exercise which will involve conducting legal research and writing an opinion which will form the basis of a short, structured final interview. Pupillage offers will then be made, each coming with a generous award of £80,000.

Tanfield states that they consider all applications for pupillage on merit, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or any other protected characteristic. They are looking for candidates who can demonstrate skills such as intellectual achievement and effective communication, setting out their criteria in full on their website.

Moving into junior practice felt like a smooth transition having practised for 6 months with the safety net of my supervisors before taking up the reins on my own. I’ve been able to develop areas of my practice that I enjoy and streamline the sort of work I want to do from a very early stage, such as broadening into private client work including contentious probate, Inheritance Act claims and broader trust issues, alongside the wider property work that Tanfield is well known for. The quality of work even at the very junior end has been enormous; I have appeared in the Court of Appeal twice, worked on a successful application for permission to appeal to the Supreme Court, appeared as sole counsel in the High Court and in multiple multitrack trials alongside pleading numerous High Court and complex claims. The variety in the work has been enormous and there is an abundance of work at the junior end to get stuck into.

Tanfield take on their pupils with an expectation that they will all be taken on as tenants, and the support systems in place during your pupillage continue into your junior years of practice. Whilst pupillage is naturally stressful, I never felt any excess pressure from chambers nor was tenancy ever made to feel out of reach. I still rely on my former supervisors an enormous amount and they’re incredibly generous with their time and knowledge. The overriding memory for me of pupillage at Tanfield was how supported I felt; other members of chambers genuinely want you to succeed, and pupillage is structured in a way to give you the best chance of doing so.