Chris Ronan, chief executive at St John’s Buildings, shares some tips for setting a strategy for success
- When grouped together as part of chambers, barristers must work together to achieve a set of mutually-agreed objectives.
- A clear strategy and effective implementation is critical for the growth of a modern chambers.
The barristers’ profession is undergoing great change. Successive governments have introduced new laws and regulations, such as the Public Access Scheme and the 2007 Legal Services Act, which have fundamentally changed the way in which barristers as individuals and chambers as business centres operate. Although both of these examples came into effect several years ago, the opportunities are only now being realised.
A theme during recent years has been the continued expansion, both in terms of size and scope, of barristers’ chambers. Barristers are traditionally thought of as self-employed, and independent of thought and deed. This has proven to be a great strength in providing objective ‘arms-length’ strategic advice, and identifying and delivering winning arguments.
But when grouped together as part of chambers, barristers must work together to achieve