Transferring to the bar meant I didn’t walk into chambers naïve regarding what it would be like to be a self-employed advocate. My first hearing was like any other court hearing, except I was nearly late because of an accident on the M5 during my coffee break. How I appeared in court was no different, and using a different title instead of the usual one had no impact whatsoever.
The main difference I value most is being part of chambers. Over the past eight years, I have mostly been self-employed and worked alone. While I interacted with people, it was mainly through phone calls or emails.
12th July 2026 means I have been a practising member of the Bar and a tenant at Magdalen Chambers for six months. It might as well have been six years. I do not think I’ve ever felt so stable in terms of my career and, whilst that should perhaps feel disconcerting, this has been the most content I have ever felt. It’s better not to have any regrets.
What I did not appreciate before joining was just how much I had been missing. Looking back, I had become so accustomed to working independently that I had accepted it as normal. I never realised quite how fulfilling it could be to belong somewhere.
For the first time in my professional life, I feel genuinely supported. Chambers is not simply a collection of self-employed advocates who happen to share an address; it is a community of people who are invested in one another’s success and wellbeing. There is always someone willing to offer guidance, to sense-check an idea, to answer what feels like a daft question, or simply to reassure you that you’re approaching something in the right way. Equally, there are opportunities to do the same for others, and there is something about being able to give back in the same way that others have given to me.
Sometimes it is not even about the law. It is knowing that someone will happily answer the phone, listen for as long as you need them to, and spend two hours talking through a case and whatever is on your mind simply because they care that you’re alright. These things don’t appear on chambers’ profiles or on a fee note, but they are the moments that have mattered most. They are the quiet reminders that you are not expected to navigate this profession alone, despite being a profession where you are very much alone.
When I joined chambers, I never intended to practice housing law; I had no interest and expected my career to go elsewhere. However, as I became involved, I grew to appreciate the intellectual challenging/nuanced arguments. I found myself almost addicted to developing these arguments. Ironically, the law I aimed to avoid became the most absorbing area of my practice. I even found myself joining Advocate to help out on a pro bono basis and becoming legal aid registered so I can accept instructions from those eligible for legal aid.
When I look back at where I was six months ago, I realise this was never simply a change of profession. It was finding where I was meant to be.
There is strange comfort in finally feeling settled. Six months in, I have no doubt that joining Magdalen Chambers was the best professional decision I have ever made. More than that, it has been one of the best personal decisions too. I have found purpose, friendship, support and a sense of belonging that I never knew I was missing until I experienced it.
For the first time, I am exactly where I should be. And, if I’m fortunate enough to have the choice, I hope it is where I will remain. Someone said they can’t imagine a world where they weren’t practising at the bar. I wholeheartedly agree.
N.B….. Funny how six months can change your perspective more than six years ever could.
Information
Alec Hancock is a practising Barrister at Magdalen Chambers in Exeter. For instructions on matters, please contact Magdalen Chambers via clerks@magdalenchambers.co.uk or by telephone on 01392 285 200.
