Training for pupils “in a class of its own” at Exchange – Legal Cheek Junior Barrister Survey
October 11, 2022
Exchange Chambers has secured a range of A and A* grades in the Legal Cheek Junior Barrister Survey 2022-3 completed by barristers at the set.
Exchange’s rankings include:
- Quality of work – A
- Facilities – A*
- Colleagues – A*
- Legal Tech – A*
Expanding on Exchange’s grades, Legal Cheek’s editorial says:
“Northern powerhouse Exchange Chambers has over 200 barristers, including 24 silks, and three sites — in Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool — making it one of the largest chambers in the country. In 2022, Exchange took on a record eight pupils across its locations. It seems the set is big in all things, including the broad range of work it does. The set is multidisciplinary, operating in everything from crime to commercial. Highly regarded at the Northern Bar, practice areas include commercial dispute resolution, family, insolvency, employment, business and property, private prosecutions, tax, professional discipline, and many others. In short, there’s very little that the set doesn’t do!”
Legal Cheek’s editorial goes on to say:
“It’s probably fair to say that Exchange offers a level of on-the-job advocacy training that is only possible outside of London. At the regional bar, pupils will be in court more frequently than in the capital, and pupils at Exchange can expect to be on their feet almost every day in their second six.
“One former pupil said: ‘The support I received during pupillage was excellent, I am lucky to have worked since then with a number of senior juniors and silks who are experts in the field’. Training continues beyond pupillage, with one tenant telling us ‘the senior juniors and silks I have worked with over the years have been key in my development as a barrister’. Another, who was been a member at three other chambers, says the training at Exchange is ‘in a class of its own’.”
Referring to Exchange’s Equality and Diversity initiatives, Legal Cheek adds:
“In addition to its training, Exchange Chambers has shown commitment to equality and diversity through involvement in several initiatives. Twenty-two of the set’s barristers are part of a mentoring programme to inspire people from all backgrounds to pursue a career in the law, while other members frequently pen articles detailing their diverse journeys to the Bar. The set also partners with Inner Temple’s Pegasus Access and Support Scheme and provides work experience through, among others, the Sutton Trust. One of Exchange’s barristers is a founding member of the ‘All Rise’ project, inviting barristers to speak out and stand against abusive, bullying, and belittling behaviour by wearing an All Rise pin badge as a symbol of allyship. All in all, they certainly seem a good bunch.”
