Why choose 7 Bedford Row?
We are a friendly, busy, long-established set. Our strengths lie in our outstanding reputation for advocacy and in the high quality of work we attract across many different practice areas.
Our work involves appearing in civil and criminal courts all over the country, with a particular emphasis on London and the Midlands. 19 of our 88 members are QCs. A number sit as Deputy High Court Judges and Recorders (part time judges in the Crown and County Courts). Former members of Chambers have risen to the highest ranks of the judiciary, and currently include members of the Circuit Bench, High Court , Court of Appeal and indeed the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Lord Judge.
We were one of the first sets of Chambers in the country to offer pupillage awards, recognising the importance of attracting the best pupils and supporting them during their training to become the next generation of members of Chambers. Our first trio of pupils to receive our pupillage awards back in 1982 all took Silk, and one of them is now a High Court Judge.
In 2000, Chambers moved to 7 Bedford Row. The combination of period rooms and modern office accommodation and technology enables Chambers to provide unrivalled facilities for the clients of a successful set of civil and criminal practitioners.
The reasons that most would-be pupils give for choosing 7 Bedford Row are remarkably similar. They are attracted by the excellence and diversity of the work we do, coupled with the extremely high reputation we enjoy in our profession. What follows is a snapshot; you will find out more about the work we do by browsing elsewhere on this website.
Criminal Practitioners
The criminal work of Chambers includes all types of serious crime, acting for both prosecution and defence. We have a strong reputation for advisory and trial work in cases of commercial crime and a longstanding association with the Serious Fraud Office. We are regularly instructed in offshore jurisdictions including Jersey and the Isle of Man. In addition, we have links with solicitors and CPS branches around the country and particularly in the Midlands, which provide plenty of court experience for our more junior members.
Chambers is typically involved in a number of high-profile criminal cases at any one time. As a result of the strength and reputation of our QCs and “Senior Juniors”, junior tenants are frequently led in sizeable criminal matters.
Civil Practitioners
Our civil work embraces a large number of specialist areas, including child law, professional negligence, commercial litigation, employment, personal injury, product liability and professional negligence. For more details see the specialist areas on this website.
A Mixed Practice
Many tenants, particularly the junior tenants, have a mixed civil and criminal practice. We encourage this, believing that it is better for all new tenants to experience a wide variety of work before making choices that may affect the rest of their career at the Bar. It is typical for a junior to spend a few years doing a mixture of work before specialising.
The structure of our pupillages ensures that all pupils receive a broad-based training in both the criminal and civil areas of Chambers’ work. A new initiative for 2011 is the introduction of bespoke pupillages. Under this new scheme, our pupils will have a thorough grounding in civil and criminal work , including some experience of family work, during their first eight months of pupillage, and will be able to choose in which practice area they wish to spend the final four months of their pupillage. For more details see Pupillage at 7 Bedford Row.