Can Clerks Operate Successfully in a World Without Drinking?

In this episode, Orlagh is joined by Senior Clerk at 5RB, Andrew Love.

Having joined chambers fresh out of school in 1995, Andrew found himself 21 years later becoming the Senior Clerk of the set. An appointment that, despite some kind of succession plan in place, he could never truly prepare for.

Andrew entered the profession when there was a general drinking culture around chambers - the usual drink after work mid-week and a few more on Fridays.

As he developed his clerking career, naturally, professional and social circles began to expand, leading to more opportunity for a trip to the pub or lunch with a client that turned into drinks for the rest of the afternoon.

This conversation sees Andrew candidly discuss his relationship with alcohol as a clerk in chambers, how he was somewhat of an 'enabler' in chambers and how taking on a 'one year no beer' challenge would change the course of his personal and professional life.