Life at the Bar in Leeds

Having been born, and then living and studying in the north for all of my life, it seemed natural that I should focus on northern cities when I was looking for a pupillage. I was fortunate enough to be offered a place at Parklane Plowden in Leeds doing the area of law that most appealed to me – family.

Legal centre

Leeds is generally regarded as the biggest legal centre outside of London. The people of Yorkshire are renowned for their friendly, no-frills attitude to life, and Leeds itself is an up-and-coming city offering everything available in London, and more. I was also fortunate to secure pupillage in one of the strongest sets on the north eastern circuit, described as a ‘powerhouse’ in the fields of family and civil law.

The stereotypical view of the junior Bar, as portrayed by television programmes such as Rumpole, Silk and Law and Order, is of a busy chambers near the Old Bailey or the Royal Courts of Justice and working late into the night in some over-priced, slightly dingy London flat.

Historically, there has been a view that practice ‘in the provinces’ (that quaint term still used for anywhere outside of London) is less worthy or
less exciting than practising out of chambers in
the Temple.

There is no denying the aesthetic charm of Middle Temple Hall, and the romantic inside of
me would love to walk past the Knights Templar church every morning, but working outside
of London has its benefits, both professional
and personal.

On the professional side, the provincial Bar is relatively small. On any given circuit there are significantly fewer sets than in the capital, specialising in most areas of law. This means that it’s likely that you’ll know your opponent in court, know whether they are easy to work with (or whether they’re part of the ‘awkward’ squad), and you’ll be familiar with the judiciary, which can be often be a significant advantage, especially when you’re finding your feet on the job.

There are also fewer firms of solicitors, which means that professional relationships can be built quickly and easily. This is particularly true of family law. The family legal scene on the north eastern circuit is a relatively small group of professionals, which can be invaluable for lawyers of all levels of call to work collaboratively and in a friendly and more effective manner, while still representing their client’s interests fully and fearlessly.

Thrilling spectacle

Practice outside of London has the clear benefit of the cheaper cost of living, and many of the major legal centres have an equally vibrant scene as anything that can be offered there. Leeds and Yorkshire have some great bars and world-class restaurants and have a number of theatres
that attract West End shows on tour as well as showcasing great local talent. Also, who could
fail but to have been blown away by the thrilling spectacle of this summer’s Grand Depart of
Le Tour?

I’m now two years into tenancy and practise almost exclusively in family law. The variety of clients, from parents faced with having children removed permanently from their care, to ex-spouses warring over child arrangements or the division of their assets, means that no two days are the same and the job is anything but mundane.

Given the nature of the work, I’m never in courts that are too far away, which means that there are relatively few late nights or early mornings. There is the last-minute nature of the work, which can often throw pre-arranged plans into disarray and result in burning the midnight oil, but the benefits of being able to manage my own workload, take holidays when it’s convenient, and not being
tied to an office desk from 9am to 5pm outweigh any negatives. SJ

Simon Wilkinson practises ?from Parklane Plowden