An inside look at life at the Bar.
Orlagh Kelly sits down with barristers, chambers staff, and legal professionals to talk about their careers, the challenges they face, and the issues shaping the profession. From AI and neurodiversity to mental health and the future of clerking, each conversation goes beyond the day job.
Recent conversations.
Alex Ustych has been watching AI reshape the legal profession long before it became a headline. In this conversation, he shares his perspective on how barristers should engage with AI tools, the problem of AI sycophancy, and three core rules for using AI responsibly in legal work.
Kathryn Stone OBE reflects on seven years leading the BSB, the Bar's strengths and toughest challenges, and the future of regulation.
Bibi shares insights on the psychological pressures of advocacy, gaps in legal education, and building confidence in the courtroom.
Three decades in the clerks' room. Jayne Drake on the future of clerking, how culture differs between London and regional sets, and the inevitable role of AI.
From marketing to leadership. Sarah reflects on nearly 30 years in the legal sector and the changing dynamics of business development in chambers.
Over two decades at the Criminal Bar. Farrhat Arshad KC on the psychological toll of traumatic cases, the pressures facing young barristers, and why senior practitioners must step up.
Three perspectives on the profession.
Each episode falls into one of three categories, reflecting the different roles that make chambers work.
Practising barristers and leaders of chambers talk about their careers, the issues they care about, and how the profession is changing. Topics have ranged from AI and advocacy to mental health at the Criminal Bar.
Senior clerks, chambers directors, and COOs discuss what it takes to run a modern set. From the essence of clerking to the pillars of legal marketing, these conversations go behind the scenes of chambers life.
Regulators, judges, campaigners, and professionals from beyond the Bar. These episodes widen the lens to cover the forces that shape the profession from the outside, from loss stigma in law to the view from the bench.
Orlagh Kelly
Orlagh is a barrister and the founder and CEO of Briefed. She started the company in 2011 after practising at the Bar, and now leads a team of seven delivering compliance training and advisory to 150+ sets of chambers across England and Wales.
On the podcast, Orlagh draws on her relationships across the profession to have the kind of conversations that rarely happen publicly. The format is simple: one guest, one conversation, no script.
We regularly invite barristers, clerks, chambers directors, and people from across the legal sector to share their perspective. If you have a story or a topic you think the profession should hear, get in touch.
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